Lessons #155 and 156
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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General case of sexual immorality in Corinth (1 Cor 5:9-13)
9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
We have been considering for sometime the first eight verses of 1 Corinthians 5 that it is possible for us to forget that the main message of the fifth chapter of 1 Corinthians is this: A local congregation of believers in Christ must not tolerate sexual immorality among its members and so must discipline anyone involved in it. We have examined the specific case of sexual immorality that the apostle focused in Corinth and so it is possible for someone to think that what the apostle wrote to the Corinthians is not applicable to us, especially if there is not the kind of sexual immorality in Corinth in our local church, that is, we do not have the case of incestuous person. For this reason, the Holy Spirit through the apostle conveyed that dealing with sexual immorality is the responsibility of every local church of Christ regardless of the geographical location. To ensure that the church of Christ understands that sexual immorality should not be tolerated, the Holy Spirit through the apostle included other sinful conducts that require the same treatment as sexual immorality. This inclusion enables us to recognize that the Holy Spirit is not merely concerned with the specific case of the incestuous person but of any believer that is guilty of sexual immorality and much more.
Dealing with sexually immoral person in Corinth that the apostle had instructed clearly involves avoidance of association of believers in Corinth with that individual. This requirement would cause misunderstanding on the part of believers in Corinth that they might be confused or consider a previous instruction of the apostle regarding avoiding association with the sexually immoral unattainable. In effect, they might have had the attitude that what the apostle instructed was impractical and unrealistic since they probably have no intention of cutting off ties with those they have been in close association prior to their salvation. Consequently, the apostle set out to clarify his previous instruction as we read in 1 Corinthians 5:9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.
This sentence of verse 9 is the basis for asserting that the epistle that we are studying although described as first Corinthians is indeed the second epistle to the Corinthians. The Greek requires that verse 9 begin with the sentence I wrote as reflected in majority of our English versions instead of the sentence I have written of the 1984 edition of the NIV. Of course, the 2011 edition of the NIV began with the sentence I wrote, implying that the translators recognized that it was not proper to translate the Greek as done in the 1984 edition. What difference does it make you may ask? Well, it is important to render a Greek sentence in such a way that it may not cause confusion to an English reader. The translation I have written conveys that the apostle used a perfect tense in the Greek that will imply he was concerned to state that the action of writing of the first letter was completed which is in their possession, while true, that was not the apostle’s concern. His concern was simply to state a fact that he wrote them a previous letter. That aside, the apostle’s greater concern is the content of what he wrote to them as it pertains to the matter of sexual immorality he was dealing with in the local church of Corinth.
The apostle’s primary concern regarding the first letter to them is association of a certain kind with sexually immoral persons. It is this he stated in the verbal phrase of 1 Corinthians 5:9 not to associate with sexually immoral people. The word “associate” is translated from a Greek word (synanamignymi) that means “to mingle, associate with” that normally involves being in spatial proximity with someone or being involved in a joint activity with another that would imply some kind of reciprocal relation or involvement. It is with this meaning that Apostle Paul used it to instruct the Thessalonians not to keep association with those who reject the truth he has communicated to them in 2 Thessalonians 3:14:
If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed.
It is the sense of “to mingle”, that is, to get involved or mix up with someone or to associate in a close way that the word is used in 1 Corinthians 5:9.
It is important that we understand the Holy Spirit is not concerned with believers having contacts with sexually immoral people or unbelievers in a casual manner. The concern is that of being involved with such individuals in such a way that it can be described as closeness. The apostle could not have meant that the Corinthians were to avoid causal contact with unbelievers such as in marketplace or other places people may gather in the normal living as that would be impossible. Thus, believers are to be in contact with unbelievers in many ways, but we are to be conscious of true closeness with them. For example, a believer may deal with an unbeliever in business but not be in partnership with an unbeliever. This truth is conveyed to Israel when they were entering the land of Canaan. The Lord instructed them about making treaty with the Canaanites, as we read in Exodus 34:12:
Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you.
The reason the Lord did not want Israel to make treaty with their unbelieving neighbors is that that has the potential of leading them into idolatry, as we read in Exodus 34:15:
“Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.
The fact that the Lord commanded Israel not to enter into a treaty with their unbelieving neighbors implies that the Lord does not want believers to be in business partnership or any other kind of partnership with unbelievers. We have examples of God’s displeasure with a believer entering into partnership of any kind with an unbeliever. The good king of Judah, Jehoshaphat allied with Ahab king of Israel by marriage, as stated in 2 Chronicles 18:1:
Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.
This alliance led to one sided military cooperation between Jehoshaphat and Ahab that nearly cost him his life, as we read in 2 Chronicles 18:31–32:
31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “This is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him, 32 for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.
To be sure that Jehoshaphat understood that God spared his life but was displeased with his alliance with Ahab, He sent a prophet to communicate that to him, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 19:2:
Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.
Apparently, Jehoshaphat did not get the message that a believer should not enter into business alliance or any other kind of alliance with unbelievers so he entered into a business venture with an unbeliever that cost him dearly financially, as we may gather from 2 Chronicles 20:35–37:
35 Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who was guilty of wickedness. 36 He agreed with him to construct a fleet of trading ships. After these were built at Ezion Geber, 37 Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made.” The ships were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade.
The wrecking of the ships constituted great financial losses on the part of Jehoshaphat and, of course, God thwarting his commercial plan. Hence, we should understand that a believer would be the loser for entering into business partnership with an unbeliever. You can understand that the Lord would not bless such partnership as that is a violation of His will. You can also understand this from the fact that the believer and the unbeliever partner would not function the same way. The believer may try to apply truth in his business dealings, avoiding anything sinful but that cannot be said of the unbelieving partner. This being the case, you would not expect God to bless that business. The point is that believers should not associate with unbelievers in such a way that there is closeness between them. Again, not associating with unbelievers does not mean that we do not have contact with them or mingle with them in a casual way but that we should not mingle with them in such a way that there is closeness between us and them.
Apostle’s instruction to the Corinthians in his first letter to them concerned not associating intimately with sexually immoral people as in the verbal phrase of 1 Corinthians 5:9 not to associate with sexually immoral people. This instruction indicates the apostle under the ministry of Holy Spirit recognized the danger of believers being close to unbelievers which is that unbelievers could influence the behavior of believers so that they also may become immoral. This is in keeping with God’s reason for forbidding Israel from making treaty with the pagan neighbors. Furthermore, the apostle is aware of what association can do to some that he later in this epistle, we are considering, stated the truth recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:33:
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
It is likely that those who heard the reading of the first epistle responded in two ways similar to what we have today among believers when they hear the teaching of the word of God especially one that is quite challenging as it regards to our usual practices or habits. Some ignore the teaching, implying that they do not believe it or that God does not know what He was talking in the specific instruction. Some of you in this congregation may be that way in many instructions that you hear coming from this pulpit so that you cause others who heard the same truth but observe you going against a particular teaching to wonder if you heard the same thing they had because you are not in compliance to the instruction. Others take the instruction of the word of God seriously and make every effort to carry out what they hear. With this second group, the problem may be misapplication of what is instructed or incomplete application of it. It seemed the problem of the Corinthians is either misapplication or incomplete application of the apostle’s instruction or ignoring his instruction as evident in the fact that they did nothing with the incestuous believer as most of them did not see anything wrong with his action and so must have concluded that what the apostle wrote them in his first letter does not apply but they were wrong.
The apostle, under the control of the Holy Spirit, sensed that there was a misunderstanding of what he wrote in his first letter regarding association with sexually immoral people. Subsequently, he proceeded to correct any misunderstanding as in the first clause of 1 Corinthians 5:10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. The word “meaning” of the NIV is not in the Greek, but it is a good one since the verbal phrase not at all meaning the people of this world is literally not at all with sexually immoral of this world. The phrase not at all is emphatic to indicate that the apostle’s instruction is not an absolute ban on association with all evil doers in Corinth as implied in the phrase the people of this world. The phrase the people of this world of the NIV is subject to two interpretations. It could mean either people that belong to this world or people that are characterized by the world so that the phrase could be translated “worldly people.” Which of these did the apostle have in mind? To answer this question, we need to consider the word “world” as used in the Greek.
The word “world” is translated from a Greek word (kosmos) that may mean “earth, world” in contrast to heaven as Jesus used the word to describe the place He was leaving, after completing His mission, to return to the Father in John 16:28:
I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
The word may refer to the system of practices and standards associated with secular society (that is, without reference to any demands or requirements of God) hence means “world system, world’s standards, world.” It is in this sense that Apostle Paul used it in Galatians 6:14:
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
It is this sense of a world characterized by sin and practices contrary to God’s word that the apostle used our Greek word translated “world” in Ephesians 2:2:
in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
The Greek word translated “world” may mean “the universe,” that is, creation in its totality as in Philippians 2:15:
so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
The Greek word translated “world” may mean “totality, sum total” as that is the sense of the word in James 3:6:
The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
The phrase a world of evil may be translated the sum total of iniquity. The word may mean that which serves to beautify through decoration, hence means “adornment, adorning” as it is used in describing the kind of beauty of a woman that is less important in 1 Peter 3:3:
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.
The word may mean “the world” as a reference to humanity in general as in 1 John 4:14:
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
Jesus Christ came to save humanity not the planet earth so that the word “world” in this passage refers to “humanity.” The word may mean “the world “as the habitation of humanity, as it is used to describe the location of deceivers in 2 John 7:
Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
We have noted the various meanings of the Greek word (kosmos) translated “world” in our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:10, so the issue is to determine the sense of the word in its first usage in our verse since it is used twice in this verse. Its first usage is in the sense of “world system,” that is, the people constituting the world whose values, beliefs, and morals are in distinction and rebellion to God’s. This being the case the phrase of the NIV the people of this world is to be understood to mean people who are characterized by the world system so that they are in rebellion against God’s word and so the morals and standards by which the operate are contrary to those espoused in the Scripture.
Be that as it may, the apostle indicates that the mingling with sexually immoral people that does not lead to closeness the apostle meant, does not apply to unbelievers he described in three or four ways depending on how one interprets one of the Greek words used in our passage that we will get to later. But before we get to these, we should note that the descriptions the apostle gave are things that can be observed in a person’s life. In effect, the sins involved are not merely sins confined to a person’s thought but ones that are actually acted out so that others would become aware of them. Anyway, a first description of unbelievers is given in the clause of 1 Corinthians 5:10 who are immoral that literally reads sexually immoral. This is because the word “immoral” of the NIV is translated from a Greek word (pornos) that originally means a male prostitute, but, in the NT, means “sexually immoral person,” that is, a person that practices sexual immorality. The Greeks were quite tolerant of free sexual relationships. For example, a married man was permitted extra-marital intercourse as he pleased so long as he did not violate a civil marriage. By double standard, a wife was forbidden from all extra-marital intercourse. Sexual relationship between unmarried young men and prostitutes was permitted but in the ambivalent morality, it was considered scandalous to visit a brothel. The Greeks attitude towards sex certainly explains the prevalence of sexual immorality among the Corinthians. That aside, the Greek word we are considering appears ten times in the Greek NT; twice, the translators of the NIV translated it “immoral” and seven times they translated it “sexually immoral” as, for example, in 1 Corinthians 5:9 but once they translated it with the meaning “adulterers” in 1 Timothy 1:10:
for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine.
The standard Greek English lexicon of BDAG suggests the meaning “fornicator” since fornication refers to consensual sexual intercourse between two persons who are not married to each other. Anyway, the Greek word describes an individual that gets involved in sex outside of marriage.
A second description of unbelievers that the apostle states that believers should not form close association although could mingle with is greedy as in the phrase or the greedy. The word “greedy” is translated from a Greek word (pleonektēs) that in Hellenic society was used to describe a person who violated the basic principle of proportion and who was not concerned with what benefits others. Thus, it means “a greedy person,” that is, one who desires to have more than is due the individual. This is a person that is obsessed with the desire for things, especially wealth, to the extent that the person is not concerned about others but consumed with the desire to have more and more wealth, for example. It is this obsession to disproportionally and immoderately desire of things that such a person is described as an idolater in the other usage of our Greek word outside 1 Corinthians, that is, Ephesians 5:5:
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Anyway, in our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:10, the word is used to describe a person who is excessively and immoderately desirous of acquiring more and more wealth or possessions. Many people are greedy in such a way that may not be obvious to others but in our passage, it so obvious that others are aware of it. Scholars tell us that Corinthian society was one where many were obsessed with ambition to achieve, that is, to gain more social status, power or wealth. Hence, it would not be difficult in Corinth to recognize one who is greedy since such a person would carry self in such a way that it is obvious that the individual is willing to use whatever means to succeed. The point is that the Corinthians would not have problem understanding what the apostle meant regarding a greedy person.
A third description of unbelievers that the apostle states that believers should not form close association with although could mingle with is swindler as in the phrase and swindlers. It is because of this phrase that we indicated previously that the descriptions of the unbelievers in our context may be taken as either three or four. This is because it is possible to think of the word “swindlers” as an explanation of the second description of “greedy” since it may be difficult to recognize a greedy person although that should not be in a society that is heavily governed by it. There are two possible justification for this interpretation. The first is that the conjunction “and” is translated from a Greek conjunction (kai) that is often translated “and” in the English translations of the NT. However, the word has several other usages. It may be used as a marker to introduce a result that comes from what precedes the clause that follows it and so it may be translated “and then, and so.” The word may be used as a marker to indicate an additive relation of a clause that is not of equal significance with the clause or sentence which precedes it and so means “also, likewise.” It may be used as a marker of explanation of what precedes it in which case it may be translated “that is, namely.” Another usage is as a marker of emphasizing a fact as surprising or unexpected or noteworthy so may be translated “and yet, and in spite of that, nevertheless.” It is possible for the Greek conjunction to be interpreted in 1 Corinthians 5:10 as a marker of explanation, implying that the word “swindler” explains the word “greedy.” Another support for considering the word “swindler” as an explanation of “greedy” is the Greek word used. The word “swindler” is translated from a Greek word (harpax) that as an adjective means “rapacious (aggressively greedy), ravenous” as it is used to compare false prophets to wolves in Matthew 7:15:
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
As a noun, it means “robber, swindler” as the word is used in the Parable of the Pharisee and Tax collector where the Pharisee touted his righteousness, as we read in Luke 18:11:
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:10, the word means “rapacious,” that is, aggressively greedy. This meaning could suggest that the apostle used it to explain the word “greedy.” Nonetheless, the word describes a person who robs others through cheating or deceptive means so that the person described with our word may simply be described as a “swindler.”
The reasons we have stated for taking the word “swindler” as explaining the word “greedy” notwithstanding, it is better to understand that the apostle used the Greek word translated “swindler” as a third description of unbelievers that the apostle states that believers should not form close association with although could mingle with to a limited extent. There are at least three reasons for our interpretation. Firstly, the Greek conjunction “and” used in 1 Corinthians 5:10 is sandwiched between the word “or” used twice in the verse. This would suggest that it should be understood in the same way as the word “or.” The word “or” itself is translated from a Greek particle (ē) that may be used as a marker of alternative hence means “or.” The alternative may be opposite and so mutually exclusive as the particle is used to state two mutually exclusive positions of a believer in terms of standing or falling in Romans 14:4:
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
The alternative may be related and similar terms, where one can take the place of the other or one supplements the other. The use of the particle to express words that can take the place of another is Apostle Paul’s use of the particle when he speaks of stumbling block or obstacles believers should not put before others in Romans 14:13:
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
The use of the particle to supplement another word may be reflected with the use of the conjunction “and” as it is used in describing what the OT prophets wanted to find out about Christ, as we read in 1 Peter 1:11:
trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
The verbal phrase trying to find out the time and circumstances is more literally searching in regard to what or what manner of time. By the way, the Greek particle may be used in a sentence to convey both usages of a word taking the place of another or supplementing another, as that is the way the Greek particle is used in Apostle Paul’s declaration of how strong God’s love is for believers in Romans 8:35:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
The first two usages of “or” is for words taking the place of another while the last four usages of “or” are to supplement or add to what has been described. This may be the reason the translators of the CEV used comas and the conjunction “and” in translating this verse as: Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? Another usage of the Greek particle we are considering is as a marker of comparison with the meaning “than, rather than” as the it is used in the response of Peter and the other apostles to the Jewish authorities that wanted them to stop preaching Christ, as we read in Acts 5:29:
Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:10, the particle is used to supplement what was first stated, that is, sexual immorality. Hence, we contend that the conjunction “and” should be considered as adding to the list the apostle gave. Secondly, the Greek conjunction translated “and” could mean “or” as expressing alternative of something to another. In effect, we are saying that the Greek conjunction (kai) that is translated “and” may be translated “or” in the English. This we know from the Septuagint’s translation of Deuteronomy 19:15:
One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
The phrase the testimony of two or three witnesses is literally on the mouth of two witnesses and upon the mouth of three witnesses. Of course, it makes better sense to understand that two or three witnesses are meant in the passage than five witnesses as adding two and three. Thirdly, the fact that when the apostle mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5:11 our Greek word translated “swindler,” he did not place it after the word “greedy” suggesting that he meant for us to understand the word as an additional description of the unbelievers in question. Based on these reasons, we believe that we are correct in stating that the third description of unbelievers the apostle states that believers should not form close association with although could mingle with to a limit extent is “swindler” as in the phrase and swindlers. Of course, we have indicated that the apostle meant one who is aggressively greedy meaning that the person would exhibit action where it is obvious the person wants to grab everything possible without being concerned for others or robs people by cheating.
A fourth description of unbelievers that the apostle states that believers should not form close association with although could mingle with to a limited extent is concerned with idolatry as in the phrase of 1 Corinthians 5:10 or idolaters. The word “idolater” is translated from a Greek word (eidōlolatrēs) that means “image-worshipper, idolater” as the word is used to describe unbelievers in Revelation 21:8:
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
In the time of this epistle, it was not difficult to recognize an idolater because such a person would be one that goes to any of the many pagan temples in Corinth. Of course, if you live in such countries as India or China or some African countries it would not be difficult to identify an idolater because such individuals are involved in idol worship in that they go to the various places where idols are worshipped. However, it is more difficult today in our society to recognize an idolater. Therefore, for practical purpose, it is better to take every unbeliever as an idolater since unbelievers are generally those who are devoted to the things of this world and so have no regard for God. Of course, when believers give unqualified loyalty to anyone, especially, a leader that is an example of being idolaters. Another from of being an idolater is that of image worship of people.
We have considered four descriptions of unbelievers that the apostle states believers should not form close association with although could mingle with to a limited extent. It is important that we understand that the Holy Spirit through the apostle is not stating that believers should have no contact with unbelievers or not to mingle with them as some have done in the past. You see, there were those in the past who were troubled with sins and unbelievers who displayed sins that they decided the best way to live and be holy persons is to shun the people of the world altogether by entering a convent or a monastery. Shortly after entering such places those involved discovered that they did not in fact run away from the world because they found that the convents did not shelter them from sins. You may also sometimes feel that the best way to live is to be in isolation of others so you may live the life the Lord wants. No! We are not called to run away from the world but to live in the world of human realities. We have been provided the ministry of the Holy Spirit so that it is only when we live in a world where people are sinful that we can experience the power of the Holy Spirit in providing victory over sin or the world. Hence, it is wrong to think that it is only if one runs away from the world that the individual could live a life that pleases the Lord. God wants us to live in a world where people are sinful and demonstrate sin so that He can demonstrate through us and to us the power of the Holy Spirit. So, if you have been tempted to think this way, what you need to remember is that you have the Holy Spirit in you that would enable you to live victoriously. You just have to continue to remember that you are in the world but not of it.
Anyway, our God is not in the business of making our lives difficult or painful on this planet. He does not give us instruction that we are incapable of fulfilling or that He has not provided us the means of doing so. Consequently, we have the Holy Spirit to help us obey God’s words. It is only when we think of living the spiritual life in our own power that it is difficult and impossible. Under such situation, we think of God’s word as difficult to fulfill but that thinking is contrary to the assertion of the Scripture that God’s laws are not difficult, as we read in 1 John 5:3:
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
The word “burdensome” is translated from a Greek word (barus) which means “heavy in weight.” It is used metaphorically for “burdensome, violent, cruel, unsparing.” In classical Greek, it was used for “awkward,” “pregnant.” In addition, it was used for “afflictions of the soul, oppression, dejection, depression, and misery.” So, one gets the idea that this word has to do with something that oppresses or causes misery. But Apostle John says that the commands of God are none of these. God’s command is not designed to be a burden that is heavy to bear. It is sin that makes the commandment to love, for example, to appear as a burden. If a person has been delivered from the power of sin, then to love is not a difficult issue. The point is that God has not left us on our own to fulfill His requirements rather He has given us the Holy Spirit to enable us to carry out His commandments. Hence, you are equipped to obey God’s word. However, it is important to understand what God’s word says in order to fully obey it. It is to avoid any misunderstanding that the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul wanted the Corinthians to understand that the mingling he was concerned was not with unbelievers that are characterized by the sins he has listed.
We indicated that God does not expected from us something impossible. To require the Corinthians not to mingle with unbelievers would be an impossible task. It is to indicate that the previous instruction of the apostle in a first letter was not that they should not mingle with unbelievers that it was necessary to provide an explanation that indicates the Holy Spirit through him was not being unrealistic. This explanation is introduced with a Greek word that begins the last clause of 1 Corinthians 5:10 that is translated in the NIV as in that case. The expression “in that case” is translated from two Greek conjunctions. The first Greek conjunction (ara) may be used to express something as tentative and so means “perhaps, conceivably,” as the word is used to express the tentative forgiveness that Simon the sorcerer could receive, as we read in Acts 8:22:
Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.
The word may be used as a marker of an inference made on the basis of what precedes hence means “so, then, consequently, you see” as the word is used to describe the response of those believers who criticized Peter for going to Cornelius house but reached a different conclusion based on Peter’s explanation, as stated in Acts 11:18:
When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
The word may be used to express result leading to the translation “consequently, as a result,” as Apostle Paul used it to indicate that faith is a result of hearing God’s message in Romans 10:17:
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:10, it is used as a marker of inference, that is, to state the conclusion of a previously mentioned matter. The second a Greek conjunction (epei) may be used as a marker of time in which an event takes place, hence means “when, after” as it is used to indicate that Jesus went to Capernaum following His sermon that is similar if not the same Sermon on the Mount, as we read in Luke 7:1:
When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.
It can be used as a marker of reason or cause and so means “because, since, for” as it is used to supply the reason the Jews requested that the bones of those crucified with Christ should be broken, as we read in John 19:31:
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.
It is as a marker of reason to provide the basis for the action stated that it is used in our passage so it may be translated “for.” In other words, the basis or explanation given to the Corinthians for conveying to them that the apostle did not mean they should not mingle with unbelievers but that they should not have closeness with them is what he was about to state.
The reason for the apostle telling the Corinthians that the instruction they received in a previous letter to them does not mean they should not have causal contact with unbelievers is that such instruction would be impractical and unattainable. To attain such state would mean the only option for the Corinthians is to die. It is this fact that is given in the clause of 1 Corinthians 5:10 you would have to leave this world. This clause does not mention death so how can what we stated be true, you may ask? To understand that our statement is correct requires consideration of the words used in the clause. The expression “you would have” is translate from a Greek verb (opheilō) that basically means “to owe.” To owe, could mean to be indebted to someone financially, as the word is used in the Parable of the Shrewd Manager recorded in Luke 16:7:
“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
To owe could mean to be under obligation to meet certain social or moral expectations. It is in this sense that Apostle Paul used the word to indicate believers should love others in Romans 13:8:
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
The instruction Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another in the NIV is more literally Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another. The sense of obligation is best conveyed with the word “ought”, especially when our word is followed by an infinitive, as it is used by Apostle Paul to convey the obligation the more spiritually matured (strong) believers have over less matured (weaker) believers in Romans 15:1:
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
Our word could mean “ought, have to” to convey the sense of being constrained by circumstance as the apostle used the word to convey to the Corinthians what they should have done regarding him in 2 Corinthians 12:11:
I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.
It is in the sense of being constrained by circumstance that the apostle used the word in our passage of 1 Corinthians 5;10, hence the word may mean “to be necessary,” that is, “to be unavoidably determined by prior circumstances.” The thing apostle said is necessary is given in the verbal phrase to leave this world.
The word “leave” is translated from a Greek word (exerchomai) that means to move out of or away from an area hence means “to go out, come out, go away, retire.” Thus, it is used with the meaning “to leave” to describe the action Jesus instructed His disciples to take regarding those who reject their message when He sent them on a missionary trip, as recorded in Luke 9:5:
If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.”
The word may mean “to escape,” that is, to get out from a difficult situation as the word is used in describing Jesus getting out from those who intended to seize Him, as stated in John 10:39:
Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
The word may mean to discontinue association, that is, “to depart” as it used with the meaning “separate” in the command issued to believers in 2 Corinthians 6:17:
“Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
The word may mean “to descend” as it relates to ancestry as in Hebrews 7:5:
Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, their brothers—even though their brothers are descended from Abraham.
The word may mean “to depart in death,” that is, to “die.” It is in this sense that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:10. Thus, you get the basis for our assertion that the apostle’s explanation means that if what he stated in previous letter was as some of them understood it that the only way for that to be fulfilled is if they died.
Anyway, that our Greek word translated “leave” in the NIV has the sense of death is further enhanced by the word “world” in the verbal phrase to leave this world. We have previously considered the Greek word (kosmos) translated “world” in its first occurrence in our verse and indicated that it has several meanings. In this second usage, the meaning is “planet earth” as the habitation of humans that is distinct from heaven. For a person to go out of this planet means to die since that is the way to leave the planet earth at this time although in future believers would leave it through a kind of transformation that Apostle Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:51:
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
Anyway, the apostle’s argument implies that the understanding of the Corinthians about his previous letter was faulty and so he continued to clarify what he wrote previously. It is this further clarification that we will consider in our next study.
08/16/19