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Old 07-30-2009, 09:28 PM
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Jassy Jassy is offline
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 299
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Sis Amanda,

I was just going to post something about taking Scripture out-of-context... then sis Renee blessedly did so before I. We do need to be careful - we have to look at the Scriptures that come before and after any that we quote, in order to be certain that those Scriptures actually apply - and we're not wrongly applying them out-of-context.

If someone quotes a Scripture, or a passage of Scriptures, oftentimes, I will go back and read not only the entire chapter, but the entire BOOK - to get the true context. We need to understand historically WHO was being addressed, WHO was doing the writing, and WHAT the REASON was for the writing.

The members of the church at Corinth came out of abject paganry. They had been immersed in it as a LIFESTYLE. It had been all they knew. That lifestyle included worship of false gods and goddesses, including sexual rituals that involved the various gods/goddesses. If you go and visit that area today, you can do historical studies about what the Church at Corinth had been like and what kind of lifestyle those believers came from. It would be enough to make us cringe!!

So, after following that lifestyle, and BELIEVING in what Paul preached, they were SAVED. Were they still falling back into that lifestyle? Unfortunately, yes. According to Paul's letter to the Church at Corinth, many were still involved in that lifestyle. Were they going to LOSE their salvation over it? NO! They were already SAVED. Remember Christ came to save SINNERS - not the PURE.

He was admonishing them since they were representative of the Church - the Body of Christ - and as another of Paul's letters stated, these things should not ONCE be named among them, as Believers. (That was, of course to the Church at Ephesius (Eph. 5).

Was Paul JUDGING them? It was more of a WARNING. They weren't going to be seeing any awards in heaven if they were falling back into that lifestyle!

There are some - Calvinists, I assume - that would declare that the sinner LOST their salvation. But Paul NEVER said that. Look how he ADDRESSED his letter!! I go back to his very first opening address to the Church at Corinth.

1 Corinthians 1:1 - Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:
3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.


Whew! And going on................... very interesting!!!

10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I am of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?


In the same judgment. SEE it? Not that we each judge what we THINK we ought to judge - but according to the Word of God - in AGREEMENT with all Believers.

As was also pointed out by sis Renee, we have to judge RIGHTEOUS judgment.

Jassy