Learning To Be A Courageous Christian

For I indeed, as absent in body

but present in the spirit,

have already judged (as though I were present)

him who has done this deed.

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

when you are gathered together,

along with my spirit, with the power

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction

for destruction of the flesh, that his spirit

may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 5: 3 -- 5

     This situation was a most flagrant abuse and as I pointed out in the last blog Roman law specifically spoke to this problem and spoke against such licentious exercise between people.  Just because something done, by others does not give excuse for others to do the same thing when it is immorality.  We can look back even into history to such things as the law of Hammurabi which also spoke in contradiction to this type of practice and the practice of divorce.  It is even possible that this man while abusing by incest his father's wife and is most likely that this man was yet alive:" Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done them wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you" (2 Corinthians 7: 12).  There is an apparent wrongdoing by three parties: (1) The man who was doing the actual act of incest.  (2) The father of the man, who allowed this act between his wife, and his son.  (3) The Corinthian church who was allowing this practice to continue.  Although even the Gentiles knew that this was a licentious act, a scandalous and wickedness, the Corinthian church was allowing this to continue without censure.  The Corinthian church became conceited in regards to the gifts of the Spirit, gifts that were needed until the completion of the Holy Bible so that the Gospel might be preached and taught.  It was almost as though they had a party spirit and had false notions about Christian liberty.  If this was not true then they would have taken action and removed those persons from their midst, keeping the congregation cleansed.  They were not rightly disposed, or if they had been so, they would have separated such a character from their congregation. Paul charges the Corinthians in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that when they came together they were to discuss this matter and take action to enforce the law and sentence that the Lord Jesus Christ had already given upon such individuals.  This was not to be done in hatred, or for the rule  of such a person rather that it would bring that person to repentance and for the mortification of his/her fleshly lusts.  A major problem was spiritual pride, and false doctrine, that allow for the introduction into the church such scandals.  Human passions, so would abuse, and given over to passions problem whereby correct passions would have no influence and there would be no revival of pure religion.  The effects of sin are dreadful, and allow for the devil to reign due to the fact that Jesus Christ no longer reigns.

            Ask yourself this question: "When was the last time you have seen or heard due to a persons sin were excommunicated?"  Another question that you might ask yourself is: "Are there people in your congregation known to be living in sin and are in need of repentance and allowed to remain in the congregation and even to hold positions of teaching, or leading a group?"  Paul certainly did not give allowance for this and even reprimanded the Corinthian for not handling this properly.  They were glorying in the gifts of such things as speaking in tongues, even though they may be gibberish, as though by doing such things they are godly.  Sometimes, Christians think that they are okay even when they do things that are not Scriptural, and feel as though all they must do is to repent and all things will be okay.  Is this true?  A writer to Hebrews answers this question succinctly: "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, they're no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries" (Hebrews 10: 26 -- 27).  Just because a person is doing good things does not mean that they are living according to Scripture when they actually know that there is sin in his/her life that is continuing and not handed over to our Lord Jesus Christ. They feel as though they are saved and everything is okay.  Liberality of the church is allowed for this kind of attitude and actions among Christians.  There are many excuses and reasons given that may on the surface sound good but in the end there is no longer any sacrifice for them: "Your glorying is not good.  Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?  Therefore purge out (έκκαθάρατε: it means to cleanse out; θάρατε: a word for catharsis English) the old leaven, that you may be a new one, since you truly are on the leaven.  For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth"(Corinthians 5: 6 – 8).

            Here is courage and holding fast to the truth and our convictions, totally committed to our Lord Jesus Christ and His love, άγαπη, spiritual Godly love.  An important question: "Am I willing to be so courageous and convicted?"

For behold, the day is coming,

            burning the like an oven,

and all the proud, yes, all who do

            wickedly will be stubble.

And the day which is coming shall

            burn them up, says the LORD of hosts,

that will leave them neither root nor branch.

                                    Malachi 4: 1

Fear God: Remember His law

Richard L. Crumb

Learning What It Means To Deny Oneself No Matter The Cost

It is actually reported that there

is sexual immorality among you,

and such sexual immorality as is

not even named among the Gentiles --

that a man has his father's wife!

And you are puffed up, and have not

rather mourned, who has done this deed

might be taken away from among you.

1 Corinthians 5: 1 -- 2

            Paul after having laid the foundation for what he is about to address holds back no longer in addressing the situation that is occurring in the Corinthian church.  Very often, I have heard of the immorality of the Roman empire and this immorality that is spoken of as occur as the Roman empire became more affluent and the people themselves became more affluent.  There is a direct parallel of this immorality with them the Roman Empire that we can see in our culture today; unfortunately as it was happening in the Corinthian church it is also happening in many of the Christian churches today.  Corinth was a city under the rule of the Roman empire and was obliged to follow Roman law albeit that they did have some freedom in regards to commerce and other issues but not in regard to that which is called; " Incestum."  What is: " Incestum?"  INCESTUM or INCESTUS. Incestum is non castum, and signifies generally all immoral and irreligious acts. In a narrower sense it denotes the unchastity of a Vestal, and sexual intercourse of persons within certain degrees of consanguinity. If a man married a woman whom it was forbidden for him to marry by positive morality (moribus), he was said to commit incestum (Dig. 23 tit. 2 s39). Such a marriage was in fact no marriage, for the necessary connubium (sexual union between a married couple, man and woman, that sealed the marriage union) between the parties was wanting. Accordingly, incestum is the sexual connection of a male and a female, whether under the form of marriage or not, if such persons cannot marry by reason of consanguinity. There was no connubium between persons related by blood in the direct line, as parents and children. If such persons contracted a marriage it was Nefariae et Incestae nuptiae. There was no connubium between persons who stood in the relation of parent and child by adoption, not even after the adopted child was emancipated. There were also restrictions as to connubium between collateral kinsfolk (ex transverso gradu cognationis: reversing the degree of relationship): there was no connubium between brothers and sisters, either of the whole or of the half blood; nor between children of the blood and children by adoption, so long as the adoption continued, or so long as the children of the blood remained in the power of the father. There was connubium between an uncle and his brother's daughter, after the emperor Claudius had set the example by marrying Agrippina; but there was none between an uncle and a sister's daughter. There was no connubium between a man and his amita or matertera (maternal or paternal aunt) [Cognati]; nor between a man and his socrus, nurus, privigna or noverca. In all such cases when there was no connubium, the children had a mother, but no legal father.

Incest between persons in the direct line was punishable in both parties; in other cases only in the man. The punishment was Relegatio, as in the case of adultery. Concubinage between near kinsfolk was put on the same footing as marriage (Dig. 23 tit. 2 s56). In the case of adulterium and stuprum between persons who had no connubium, there was a double offence: the man was punished with deportatio, and the woman was subject to the penalties of the Lex Julia (Dig. 48 tit. 18 s5). Among slaves there was no incestum, but after they became free their marriages were regulated according to the analogy of connubium among free persons. It was incestum to have knowledge of a vestal virgin, and both parties were punished with death.

That which was stuprum, was considered incestum when the connection was between parties who had no connubium. Incestum, therefore, was stuprum, aggravated by the circumstance of real or legal consanguinity, and, in some cases, affinity. It was not the form of marriage between such persons that constituted the incestum; for the nuptiae were incestae, and therefore no marriage, and the incestuous act was the sexual connection of the parties. Sometimes incestum is said to be contra fas, that is, an act in violation of religion. The rules as to Incestum were founded partly on the Jus Gentium and partly on the Jus Civile; but the distinction did not exist in the early periods, and the rules as to Incestum were only such as were recognized by the Jus Gentium. Though the rules as to Incestum were afterwards more exactly determined by the Jus Civile, there does not seem to have been any complete lex on the matter. The Lex Julia de adulteriis only treated Incestum incidentally, or so far as it was also adultery: but the jurists connected all the imperial legislation on this matter and their own interpretation with the Lex Julia. (Rein, Das Criminalrecht der Römer, p869, &c.)[1]

            This article along with some of my notes has been included so that you can fully understand that what the Corinthian for doing was not only against God's law but also against the Roman law.  With this groundwork now being set so that we understand what the Corinthian were doing and needed to be addressed and settled.  Unfortunately the Corinthian's had become so puffed up that they were allowing this sexual immorality even though it was against God's law.  They were not mourning this sin that was infecting the Christians and were allowing such liberality  even occurring in many churches in this present age.  What should we do as Christians?  Should we allow such liberality?  What did Paul do to address this problem and settle this issue according to Scripture?  A final question: are you willing to follow the advice given by Paul and inspired by the Holy Spirit?  Your answer to this question will determine for you and others whether or not you are truly convicted and are committed to follow Jesus Christ and to deny yourself so that you become in His image.  Tomorrow, I will continue to address what Paul wrote to the Corinthian church and for us today.  I pray that you are courageous and convicted and committed totally to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth

            pass away, not one jot or one tittle will

by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

            Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments,

and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven;

            but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called

great in the kingdom of heaven.

                                    Matthew 5: 18 -- 19

Bring the truth, the Gospel, to your world

Richard L. Crumb

---

[1] Long, George M.A: A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875: p633 of

William Smith, D.C.L., LL.D.:

Learning To Be Totally Abandoned To God

For we are God’s fellow workers;

you are God’s field,

you are God’s building….

For no other foundation can

anyone lay than that which

is laid, which is

Jesus Christ.

1Corinthians 3:9,11

            Paul having laid the foundation for his letter to the Corinthians and before he begins his discourse in regards to those things that the Corinthians allowed to be the part of their worship, those things that were in contradiction to what he taught and to the will of God, I'm taking a moment to look back and remind us that we are not only God's fellow workers and is field, we are also heirs to the covenant.  The covenant that I am speaking of is not the covenant given through Moses rather they covenant given to Abraham: "And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness".  "I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you."  "For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15: 6; 17: 5; Romans 4: 3).  This should bring great joy to your heart to know that God by giving this covenant to Abraham many thousand years ago was a covenant everlasting for you and me.  A foundation of that is Jesus Christ and it brings even greater joy to our hearts to know that God Himself took on human flesh through the incarnation.  By the Second Person of the Trinity, His Wisdom came to die upon the cross to pay the debt of sin that the justice of God required and then applied that to all of God's children.  This is the foundation which Paul laid before the Corinthians and to other churches for he preached the same message in all churches, and that foundation was the gospel and this is what we are to be abandoned.  So often, as has been done and was being done in the Roman Church via the words we read in the book of Romans, and in the Corinthian church, and other churches, was that the Gospel became a gospel of works. Furthermore, much immorality was allowed to come into the church and is being done in our churches today.  This is done by excuses and reasons that have the sound of goodness are nothing more than evil.  Our salvation, as many think, simply a deliverance from sin, but this is not true.  Salvation is not just merely a deliverance from sin nor is it the experience of personal holiness.  The salvation by God promised by the covenant given to Abraham, even though this given to even Adam after and Eve had sinned, that God is delivering us out of ourselves and we are to become entirely in Union with Him.  Salvation is not a matter of works, or receiving some personal revelation through some voice that you only heard.  That taught by such schools, as the Bethel school of supernatural.  Salvation means that the spirit of God has brought you and me into with God's personality, and this should bring great joy and a thrill to us to know that we are in union with something infinitely greater than ourselves and this ought to make cause for us to be totally abandoned to God.  So often, the teaching is that we are to go out and preach holiness and sanctification and at a certain point this may not be all bad but it often side tracks us from what we are to do and that is to proclaim Jesus Christ.  When we are so involved in our exercise through works that we have not been called to do or are scriptural then be abandonment that we believe we have never produces what we have been called to do, to bring the Gospel for the world.  When we are totally abandoned we are not conscious of our efforts, because our very being, our whole life is taken up with the One to Whom we are abandoned.  God shows to us that He was completely abandoned to His purpose and will and this He did by sending his only begotten Son to die on the cross for His children.

            As so often has happened in the Church of Jesus Christ works became more important than the Gospel.  It is not that the Gospel is made part of the works, rather it holds a subordinate position as the works have top priority.  This is what was occurring in the Corinthian church and Paul had need to address the problems that were plaguing the Christians.  The elders of the church had written to him with these questions and in need of help and now Paul through this letter was supplying the help needed.  That help that Paul gave to the Corinthian church is also the help that we need in our lives and in our congregations.  It is not that programs to give aid to people or not proper when they are put into their proper place and that the message of the Gospel holds a high your position in our teaching.  Yes there are people who have need because they are addicted to either drugs or alcohol, or they have need to answer certain questions in regards to problems with them their marriage or with their children.  The question I must ask, that same question that James forwarded: "Is anyone among you is suffering?  Let him pray.  Is anyone cheerful?  Let him sing psalms.  Is anyone among you sick?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the award will raise him up.  And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.  Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.  The affective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5: 13 -- 16).  Many people use this to say that their physical ailments are promised to be healed by the Scripture.  That is not true!  The prayer of faith is that which will save, the Greek word used here is not for healing or health for it is: σώσει, not ύγιανω, (where we get the word hygiene).  I added this at the last of this blog to show you that when we are not true to Scripture than we allow things to become as though it was Scripture when in fact it is not.  Therefore, study to show yourself an approved work of God.  Do this and you will have blessings now and eternally.  Praise God!

           

We have sinned with our fathers,

we have committed iniquity,

we have done a wickedly...

Nevertheless He saved them

for His name’s sake, that He might make

            His mighty power known.

                                     Psalm 106: 6, 8

Put your trust in the Lord

Richard L. Crumb