EmmDev 2016-09-27 [Treasure in Clay Pots (2Cor)] A clear boundary

A clear boundary

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial(Satan)? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." 17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing,and I will receive you." 18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.       (2Corinthians6:14-7:1)

This passage, while making perfectly good sense when standing on its own, seems a little out of place... Paul has just been pleading with the Corinthians to open their hearts to him and, in the chapter that follows this passage, he continues pleading with them to soften their hearts toward him and to understand his reason for having to reprimand them.

This passage seems out of sorts with the tone of reconciliation that Paul strikes in what goes before and comes after it. It feels harsh and challenging.

So what do we make of this passage?

I think it is important to note that there were a number of issues that the church in Corinth faced. These were issues that Paul had to address in previous letters. The false teachers who were trying to discredit Paul and establish themselves as leaders (with benefits) of the congregation were merely taking advantage of some flaws that already existed in the church.

If we look at Paul's first letter to them, we see that they:

1. Were involved in unwholesome sexual relationships.
2. They were getting drunk at the Lord's Supper
3. The rich were neglecting the poor
4. They were competing for status in the area of spiritual gifts.
5. They were being thrown into confusion about food sacrificed to idols.
6. Easily got sucked into the game of playing one leader off against another.

All of the above are symptoms of one core problem: They had not separated themselves from worldly ways. They were living with their feet on two paths: the narrow one and broad one. At the heart of their conflict with Paul and the ease with which the false teachers misled them was their failure to draw a clear line between God's ways and the way of the world.

Paul, in the midst of pleading with them about his relationship with them, still makes it clear what the real issue is...
It is a courageous and important move.

We too have to look at our own lives. Very often, when we scratch beneath the surface of our own problems, the answer is that we just haven't taken our other foot off the broad path...

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