I Corinthians 5
Church member living in sinverses 1-2
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you
and such fornication as is not so much as named
among the Gentiles
that one should have his father’s wife
And you are puffed up – and have not rather mourned
that he that has done this deed might be taken away
from among you
Church meeting to excommunicate memberverses 3-5
FOR I verily – as absent in body – BUT present in spirit
have judged already – as though I were present
concerning him that has so done this deed
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
when you are gathered together – and my spirit
with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ
To deliver such an one to Satan FOR the
destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the
day of the Lord Jesus
Illustration of leaven [sin] in churchverses 6-8
Your glorying is not good
Know you not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
Purge out therefore the old leaven – that you may be a new lump
as you are unleavened
FOR even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us
therefore let us keep the feast – not with old leaven
neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness
BUT with the unleavened bread of SINCERITY and TRUTH
Distinction between believer and unbelieververses 9-11
I wrote to you in an epistle not to company with fornicators
yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world
or with the covetous – extortioners – idolaters
for then must you needs go out of the world
BUT now I have written to you
not to keep company
IF any man that is called a brother be a fornicator – covetous
idolater – railer – drunkard – extortioner
with such a one – no – not to eat
Proper judgment given to proper judgeverses 12-13
FOR what have I to do to judge them also that are without?
Do not you judge them that are within?
BUT them that are without God judge
THEREFORE put away from among yourselves
that wicked person
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that has done this deed might be taken away from among you. (5448 “puffed up” [phusioo] means to inflate, make proud, to blow up, or to cause to swell up)
DEVOTION: There are two types of people: those who are members of the church and those who are not. Those who are outside the church the LORD will judge on judgment day. Those who are in the church are to be under the discipline of the church for their actions.
Paul is dealing with someone in the Corinthian church who is living in open sin and the church is doing nothing about it. Remember that Matthew 18 gives us a formula for dealing with issues between Christians. The church was not putting this into practice. They needed to put it into practice.
However, they didn’t want to for one reason or another. Paul told them that if they don’t deal with it the church will be full of people living in sin.
Dealing with fellow Christians is hard. It should always be done in love but with restoration in mind. Paul states that this man could be kicked out of the church, so that, his flesh would be destroyed but that his soul would be saved.
The Christian, who was a member of the Corinthian church, was living in sin. The congregation seemed to be proud of it. Paul said that he had to go. If we know of a brother in the LORD who is living in sin we need to deal with him. Sin infiltrates a congregation and causes the rest to follow its example. Paul says that that individual needs to be put out of the church until his life is back in tune with the LORD.
All church discipline should be with an attitude of meekness. All church discipline should be done with the hope and prayer that the individual can be restored to fellowship in the local body.
Paul lists many sins in this chapter that need to be dealt with in the local church. Daily examination of our lives is important. Our local churches need to have regular check-ups with their members. At the communion services we exhort people to examine their relationship with the LORD.
The Corinthian church had things backwards. They were proud of having this man as a member after Paul told them in a previous letter to kick him out. Christians can be stubborn when dealing with sin. They don’t want to offend anyone close but have not problem dealing with sin far away or with people they are not close too.
CHALLENGE: Keep short accounts with the LORD. Watch attitude toward those you are close to as opposed to those who are not your “friends.” Speak the truth in love that you are close to.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. (1571 “Purge out” [ekkathairo] means to cleanse out, clean thoroughly, to cleanse, to remove something ritually impure from one’s environment or presence, or get rid of)
DEVOTION: It is important for the pastor to preach on sin. Not mistakes or failures but sin. Too often the church treads lightly on sin. This church was no exception. They wanted to have a good attendance no matter what the people were living like. They knew about what was happening with one of their members but did nothing about it.
Paul gave this illustration to show them what could happen in a church that didn’t deal with sin in the lives of their membership. He didn’t want them to fail, he wanted them to success in being a good witness for the LORD.
Most of them knew the difference between bread made with yeast and bread made without yeast. Yeast causes the dough to rise and produce more bread. If bread was made without yeast it would be flat bread. Yeast was an example of sin. Sin spreads if it is not dealt with in the local body. So Paul wanted it to be dealt with in a Biblical manner.
He wanted the church to be pure. No one who was in the membership should be living in sin. One way to prevent it is to deal with someone who was practicing sin and the church had knowledge of it happening. If it was dealt with it would cause others to fear being dealt with by the church.
CHALLENGE: Remember the difference between sin and living in sin. Anyone who thinks they are sinless is lying to themselves and others. Only Christ was sinless.
: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1505 “sincerity” [heilikrineia] means purity, ingenuousness, the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech, purity of motives, or clearness)
DEVOTION: Paul is challenging the church to keep the leaven out of the church. He doesn’t want there to be any malice or wickedness in the church. He wants the church to be pure. He wants the believers there to watch their life, so that, it is pleasing to the LORD and to the community. The testimony in the church in the community is very important if they are going to reach their families, neighbors and friends with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The community should see that the church is sincere in their commitment to Christ and HIS commandments. They should see the church as a place where every member loves one another. There should be seen a group of believers helping each other live for the LORD. If one family is in need the church should come alongside them and help them by providing what is necessary for it’s members to keep living a Godly life.
Also the church should see that the message of the church is consistent with the Word of God. There should be the speaking of the truth of the Word of God with love.
If the community sees that the church is sincere in working together to please the LORD and speaking the truth in love they will listen to the message. If the community sees believers or those who claim to be believers living in sin and not helping one another or showing love for one another they will wonder about the message of the Gospel.
There is a habit in many churches of the members “shooting their wounded” instead of helping those who stray. They is going to be judged by the LORD for their lack of love. If churches are not willing to forgive and work with those who repent of their sin, they will not be blessed by the LORD.
Jesus stated that what the church bound would be bound and what they loosed would be loosed (Matthew 18:18). Jesus in the midst of those two or three that agreed on a matter. HE states that were two or three are gathered together in HIS name HE IS in their midst.
CHALLENGE: The difference between genuine believers and religious people is that genuine believers base their faith on TRUTH.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not you judge them that are within? (2919 “judge” [krino] means decide, evaluate, make legal decision, determine, condemn, call in question, to separate, put asunder, or to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong)
DEVOTION: There are two groups of people that Paul is discussing in this passage. There are those who claim to be followers of the LORD and those who do not. He is not concerned with judging those who outside the kingdom of God because they are going to be judged by the LORD at the Great White Throne Judgment at the end of the Tribulation.
He is concerned that those who claim to be followers of Christ live their lives in a way that pleases the LORD. In this passage there is a man who claims Christ and is a member of local church that is living with his father’s wife. She must be younger than the man’s father. Incest is something that shouldn’t be allowed in the life of a believer.
So we have a man that is coming to church but living with someone he is not married to and the church members are doing nothing about it. I John makes a distinction between those who sin and those who are living in sin. If we say that we are not sinners once we become believers we are lying to ourselves and others. But if we are living in sin it is another story. We can practice a sin once in a while and not be living in sin. Living in sin is something we are doing on a daily basis without regard to confessing our sin. God wants us to keep short accounts with HIM. To live in sin without confession needs to be dealt with first by a one on one contact by someone who loves the individual who is sinning. If he will not listen to him then there needs to be two or three meet with him and if he still will not listen it needs to be taken to the church. This is only for those who are members of a local body of believers.
If there is no confession that individual needs to be excommunicated to help him understand that what he is doing is wrong. It should bring him to confession. That is what it means to deliver someone to Satan. If he is out of the church he is in the realm of those who are not believers.
The only ones that Christians can judge are fellow believers. It is only to be done in love with the idea of restoration. We find in the second epistle to the church at Corinth the man had repented and Paul told them to bring him back into the church.
Judgment by the church is always to be done with the idea that if the man repents of his act of living in sin he can be restored to fellowship with other believers. It is only permanent if there is no confession.
Those who don’t claim Christ should not be judged for their actions by the church membership until after they become a believer. Too often a sinner will come into the church to find out more about Christ and the church people will shun him/her instead of showing them the love of Christ that would bring them to repentance of sin. There are people who come into local churches seeking truth.
CHALLENGE: Use discernment regarding those who ask for membership in the local body of believer to make sure they are genuinely saved before joining. Help them to understand that membership means responsibility in actions in their life.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Epistleverses 9, 11
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Gathered togetherverse 4
Passoververse 7
Sacrificeverse 7
Keep the feastverse 8
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Epistleverse 9
Writtenverse 11
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverse 13
God judges unsavedverse 13
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Lordverses 4, 5
Jesusverses 4, 5
Christverses 4, 7
Powerverse 4
Lord Jesus Christverse 4
Lord Jesus verse 5
Christ our Passoververse 7
Christ sacrificed for believersverse 7
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Satanverse 5
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Gentilesverse 1
Worldverse 10
Judge those non-beleivers (without)verse 12
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Fornicationverses 1, 9-11
Have sex father’s wifeverses 1, 5
Puffed upverse 2
Glorifying selfverse 6
Leavenverses 6-8
Maliceverse 8
Wickednessverse 8
Covetousverses 10, 11
Extortionerverses 10, 11
Idolaterverses 10, 11
Railerverse 11
Drunkardverse 11
Wicked personverse 13
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Powerverse 4
Savedverse 5
Unleavenedverses 7, 8
Unleavened bread of sincerity and truthverse 8
Brotherverse 11
Put away those practicing open sinverse 13
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Passoververse 7
Church (New Testament people of God)
Church discipline: father’s wifeverse 2
Take away from among you
Paul absent in body but present in spiritverse 3
Judge open sinverses 3, 12
Deliver sinning member to Satanverse 5
Not keep company with those living in sinverses 11, 13
Not eat with those who are living in sinverse 11
Judge those within the churchverse 12
Last Things (Future Events)
Day of the Lord Jesusverse 5
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QUOTES regarding passage
12, 13 Here Paul teaches that though it is logical for the church to exercise spiritual discipline over members in its fellowship, it is not for the church to judge the present unsaved society.
By the Greek expression tous exō (“those without”) the apostle means those outside the church’s communion or fellowship. The words tous esō (“those within”) means those within the church’s fellowship. Paul now concludes (v. 13) on the basis of the preceding argument that the wicked man who had married his stepmother must be put out of the church. This he commands by quoting somewhat loosely from Deuteronomy 22:24 (a context of adultery) and from Deuteronomy 24:7 (a context of stealing).
The strengthened form of the negative (ouchi, “not”) used with the indicative verb in a question expects a positive response: “Are you not to judge those inside [the church]?” “Yes” is the expected reply. (Mare, W. H. (1976). 1 Corinthians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 220). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
5:12–13. It was not Paul’s business to judge those outside the church (cf., e.g., his silence about the woman in 5:1); still less was it the business of the Corinthians. But discipline within the church was their responsibility.
Those in the world God will judge (cf. Acts 17:31). But those within the Christian community who continue in sin with an unrepentant spirit, the church should discipline by expulsion. (Lowery, D. K. (1985). 1 Corinthians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 515). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Purge the sin (vv. 6–13). The image here is that of the Passover supper (Ex. 12). Jesus is the Lamb of God who shed His blood to deliver us from sin (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18–25). The Jews in Egypt were delivered from death by the application of the blood of the lamb. Following the application of the blood, the Jewish families ate the Passover supper. One of the requirements was that no yeast (leaven) be found anywhere in their dwellings. Even the bread at the feast was to be unleavened.
Leaven is a picture of sin. It is small but powerful; it works secretly; it “puffs up” the dough; it spreads. The sinning church member in Corinth was like a piece of yeast: he was defiling the entire loaf of bread (the congregation). It was like a cancer in the body that needed to be removed by drastic surgery.
The church must purge itself of “old leaven”—the things that belong to the “old life” before we trusted Christ. We must also get rid of malice and wickedness (there was a great deal of hard feelings between members of the Corinthian church) and replace them with sincerity and truth. As a loaf of bread (1 Cor. 10:17), the local church must be as pure as possible.
However, the church must not judge and condemn those who are outside the faith. That judgment is future, and God will take care of it. In 1 Corinthians 5:9–13, Paul emphasized once again the importance of separation from the world. Christians are not to be isolated, but separated. We cannot avoid contact with sinners, but we can avoid contamination by sinners.
If a professed Christian is guilty of the sins named here, the church must deal with him. Individual members are not to “company” with him (1 Cor. 5:9—“get mixed up with, associate intimately”). They are not to eat with him, which could refer to private hospitality or more likely the public observance of the Lord’s Supper (see 1 Cor. 11:23–34).
Church discipline is not easy or popular, but it is important. If it is done properly, God can use it to convict and restore an erring believer. Second Corinthians 2:1–11 indicates that this man did repent and was restored to fellowship. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 587). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
5:12, 13 outsiders. Paul never intended himself or the church to be judges of unbelievers outside the church, but to judge those inside (cf. 1Pe 4:17). Those on the outside are for God to judge and believers to evangelize. Those who sin on the inside, the church is to put out. Verse 13 is quoted from Dt 17:7. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (1 Co 5:12). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
The story is told of a man who wanted to hire a coachman. He lived in a mountainous region and the road to his home ran along a precipice. A number of men applied for the position. He said to one of them, “Tell me, are you an adept at handling fractious horses?”
“Yes, I am,” he said.
“Can you drive a six-horse team?”
“Yes.”
“How near can you drive to the edge of the cliff without going over?”
“I have a steady hand and my eye is pretty true; I can get within a foot of it and not go over.”
“You step outside,” said the man, and he called another and asked him the same questions.
He said, “I am an expert in handling horses; I can drive right along the edge and not go over.”
“Step outside,” and he called another and asked the questions.
“If you want a man to drive on the edge of the precipice,” said this man, “you do not want me. When I drive, I keep as far away from the edge as I can.”
“You are the man I want. I will take you.”
Christian, be careful of the edge of the precipice. Do not get near it, for the first thing you know you will go over, and this will mean not only the ruin of your own testimony, but the sad thing is, you are liable to drag others over with you. Keep away from the edge, and do not resent it if those who watch for your souls as those who must give account try to impress upon you the solemnity of these things.
The apostle Paul had heard serious things concerning certain internal conditions in the church at Corinth, but he had been hindered from getting to them, and certain persons in the church who were carnally minded themselves and who knew that the apostle’s coming would probably mean rebuking them for their worldly behavior were saying, “Paul is really afraid to come to Corinth, he knows he hasn’t the influence he once had.” But he says, “No, I am not afraid to come. Some of you are puffed up, as though I would not come to you. But I will come shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.” In other words, when he should come (and he was speaking with apostolic authority), there were some things he was going to look into very carefully. He would find out whether the power of God was working in their lives or whether it was just bravado and conceit that led them to justify themselves. There is a tremendous lot of pretence among professing Christians: pretending to a piety that they do not possess, pretending to a devotedness that is not genuine. He would know not only the talk of their lips but would inquire into the behavior that characterized them. “For the kingdom of God is not in word,” is not merely lip profession, “but in power,” it is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the life. (Ironside, H. A. (1938). Addresses on the First Epistle to the Corinthians. (pp. 165–167). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
13. Put away that wicked person. This is commonly explained as referring to the person who was guilty of an illicit connection with his mother-in-law. For as to those who understand the expression to mean—“Put away evil or wickedness,” they are refuted by the Greek words made use of by Paul, the article (τὸν) being in the masculine gender. But what if you should view it as referring to the devil, who, undoubtedly in the person of a wicked and unprincipled man,2 is encouraged to establish his throne among us? For ὁ πονηρος (the wicked one) taken simply and without any addition, denotes the prince of all crimes,3 rather than some wicked man. If this meaning is approved of, Paul shows how important it is4 not to tolerate wicked persons, as by this means Satan is expelled from his kingdom which he keeps up among us, when indulgence is given to the wicked.1 If any one, however, prefers to understand it as referring to a man, I do not oppose it. Chrysostom compares the rigour of the law with the mildness of the gospel, inasmuch as Paul was satisfied with excommunication in case of an offence for which the law required the punishment of death, but for this there is no just ground. For Paul is not here addressing judges that are armed with the sword, but an unarmed multitude2 that was allowed merely to make use of brotherly correction. (Calvin, J., & Pringle, J. (2010). Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (Vol. 1, pp. 196–197). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
Ver. 13. But them that are without God judgeth, &c.] Or will judge, in the great day of judgment; wherefore though such persons did not fall under the censures and punishment of the apostle, nor of a church of Christ, yet they shall not go unpunished; God will call them to an account for their fornication, covetousness, idolatry, extortion, &c. and will judge, condemn, and punish them, according to their works; and therefore since they don’t fall under the cognizance of the churches of Christ, they are to be left to the tribunal of God; and all that the saints have to do is to watch over one another, and reprove, rebuke, and censure, as cases require, and as the case of this church did. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person; not that wicked thing, as some read it, but that wicked one; meaning not the devil, who is sometimes so called; a sense of the words proposed by Calvin, not asserted; but that wicked man, that, incestuous person, whom the apostle would have removed from among them, by excommunication; which was what became them as a church to do, and which lay in their power to do, and could only be done by them, and was to be their own pure act and deed: reference seems to be had to those passages in Deut. 17:7 and 21:21 and 22:21 and 24:7 where the Septuagint render the phrase, εξαρεις τον πονερον εξ υμων αυτων, thou shalt put away that wicked one from among yourselves. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 2, p. 633). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
13.] But those who are without God judgeth. The pres. κρίνει both expresses better the attribute and office of God, and answers better to the other presents than the future κρινεῖ. I have therefore retained it. The future perhaps came from Heb. 13:4. ‘To judge those without, is God’s matter.’ These remarks about judging form a transition point to the subject of the next chapter. But having now finished his explanation of the prohibition formerly given, and with it the subject of the fornicator among them, he gives, before passing on, a plain command in terms for the excommunication (but no more: not the punishment mentioned in vv. 3–5) of the offender. And this he does in the very words of Deut. 24:7 (from which the reading καὶ ἐξαρεῖτε has come).
ὑμῶν αὐτῶν is in Deut., but need not therefore lose its emphatic force: from among your own selves. (Alford, H. (1976). Alford’s Greek Testament: an exegetical and critical commentary (Vol. 2, p. 511). Grand Rapids, MI: Guardian Press.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
When one preaches in human wisdom, he will get human results; but when he preaches in the power of the Holy Spirit, he will get lasting results. (p. 44)
One of the weaknesses of many pulpits today is that many preachers spend so much time talking to the unsaved and immature that they neglect the mature saints. Mature saints need to be fed with the strong meat of God’s Word. (p. 45, Living Wisely by J. Allen Blair)
Keeping in view the picture of a shepherd, sheep require good pasture – the pasture of God’s Word – presented in such a balanced, spiritual, and heartwarming way that he sheep are nourished and encouraged in their commitment to Christ and their growth to maturity. Good shepherding provides the best pasture by means of sound instruction. (p. 32, On Being a PASTOR by Derek J. Prime & Alistair Begg)
Just about every major movie release these days is scrutinized about whether or not it will feature an obvious LGBT character. Ever since the live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast,” and a bit before, Disney has been sprinkling LGBT characters generously across its film properties.
Even the most recent installment of “Star Wars,” (now owned by Disney) features the franchise’s first, albeit strangely placed and obviously forced, same-sex kiss. And, Marvel Studios (also owned by, you guessed it, Disney) has joined the cause, including a gay character in its upcoming movie, “The Eternals.” The studio also recently announced a new film currently in production that will feature its “first ever transgender superhero,” marking what will likely become an endless parade of token “Ts” following in the wake of the “Ls” and “Gs.”
“Token” is the right word for what we are seeing. What most stands out about all these characters is just how tacked-on they feel. Few are essential to the stories being told. In some cases, they even detract or, at least, distract from them. Disney and other studios aren’t making movies about LGBT identity or lifestyle, they’re capitulating to character quotas—virtue signaling to the loud and influential LGBT lobby in order to keep protests down and ticket sales up.
The whole thing is reminiscent of Dave Barry’s satirical history of the U.S., “Dave Barry Slept Here,” in which he ends several chapters with the obligatory closer that “around this time women and minority groups were accomplishing a great many achievements, too.”
In no way am I suggesting that we shouldn’t expect more overt LGBT stories in the future. We certainly can. But in the meantime, the reality is that even a “woke” entertainment titan like Disney is not so much pushing a cultural agenda as they are bowing to it. Nor am I suggesting that their obvious capitulation to these imposed character quotas is ineffective sexual propaganda. As Brett Kunkle and I said in our book “A Practical Guide to Culture,“ ideas are often most powerful not where they are the loudest, but where they are made to just appear normal.
Since the TV show “Will and Grace,” the most commonly advanced message has been that gay people are just like everyone else and just want to live and love in peace. Cultural acceptance of same-sex relationships grew steadily until Obergefell was enshrined into law. From there the demands only grew, from cultural power to legal power. Though many in the “G” and “L” camp were satisfied with “living and loving in peace,” the movement itself was far more ambitious, first demanding affirmation, then conformity and even participation from charities, public employees, bakers, florists, schools, and t-shirt makers.
Now, transgender characters are being introduced into big-budget films as characters who just want to live in peace. If this sounds familiar, it should. The “T,” which has almost nothing in common with the larger acronym and even contradicts the other letters in several places, has assumed enough soft cultural power to demand representation nearly everywhere. The question is: Will it also make the transition to legal power?
The strange tale of J. K. Rowling leaves some doubts. In early December, the multi-billionaire author of “Harry Potter” tweeted her support for a researcher in the U.K. who was fired from her job for saying that male and female are biological realities.
When a judge at an employment tribunal upheld the firing, calling the researcher’s views “transphobic,” and “unworthy of a democratic society,” Rowling tweeted that while she supports loving whichever consenting adult you choose, firing Maya Forstater for insisting that women are real was a bridge too far for her. Despite the intense backlash and calls for boycotts, Rowling still hasn’t retracted the tweet.
As Rod Dreher points out, this raises an interesting question: If all the soft power in that movement can’t move Rowling, can’t other entertainers say “no,” too? Maybe the claims of the transgender movement are just too radical. Maybe the “T” fails culturally where the “L” and the “G” largely succeeded?
We’ll find out soon enough. Until then, token transgender characters at the movies are an ironic reminder that this is a movement still trying to gain acceptance. Which means there’s still time for dissenting voices—even very influential ones—to say “no.”
(Break Point)
Exodus 5
Israel’s affliction increases.
INSIGHT
When troubles come upon us, instinctively the first question we ask is: “Why?” “Why me, why this, why now?” That is what Moses asked in verse 22. Yet, in retrospect, we see that the question was premature. We now know why — since hindsight is better than foresight.
How long will it take the Lord to deliver us from our troubles? Usually just a little longer than we thought we could tolerate. We must remember the example of Moses when we are tempted to ask the Lord, “Why?”
(Quiet Walk)
THE IN-FILLING OF THE SPIRIT
Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18
The in-filling of the Spirit is essential to true Christian quality in our life. That is why we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit. It is a command to every single Christian: “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” We are exhorted to be filled with the Spirit. And this is commanded in order that our graces may grow, in order that the fruit of the Spirit may develop in us and may be evident to all. It is as we are filled with this life that the fruit and the graces of this life will be manifest. Indeed, the filling of the Spirit is essential to a true act of worship. Did you notice how Paul uses that commandment of his in that very connection? He says, “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit”—and then goes on at once—“speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and our Father in the n ame of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
So the way to test whether we are filled with the Spirit is to ask, Are we full of thankfulness? Are we full of the spirit of praise, of thanksgiving, of worship and adoration?
What is a revival? It is God pouring out His Spirit. It is this tremendous filling that happens to numbers of people at the same time. You need not wait for a revival to get it; each of us is individually commanded to seek it and to have it and indeed to make sure it is there. But at times of revival God, as it were, fills a number of people together; they almost describe it as the Spirit falling upon them. That is a revival, and that is the greatest need of the Church today.
A Thought to Ponder: “Be filled with the Spirit” is a command to every single Christian. (From God the Holy Spirit, pp. 242-243, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
You All
“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy.” (Philippians 1:3-4)
One would suspect from his frequent use of the phrase “you all” that the apostle Paul had come from Alabama or Georgia! But in his writings, “you all” is not a southern idiom but a warm expression of Christian fellowship. His heart was burdened, not just for a few close friends and loved ones (as in most of our own prayers), but for “all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:2).
He assured the Philippian church that he was, in every one of his prayers, praying for “you all.” He told them of his confidence in their continued growth in Christ, that it was altogether fitting for him to believe this of “you all,” thankful that “in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace” (Philippians 1:7).
He wrote in a similar vein to the Thessalonians at the start of his (chronologically) first epistle: “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers” (1 Thessalonians 1:2). Paul had a long prayer list.
To the Roman Christians he wrote: “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world” (Romans 1:8). Then he wrote his benediction: “Now the God of peace be with you all” (Romans 15:33). He concluded his message to the Christians at Corinth: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).
Peter and John used the same expression in their writings, for they also were large of heart and concern. Finally, these are the very last words of the Bible: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Revelation 22:21).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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