(continuation of Meditation 77)
c-3.) How did God deal in New Testament times with churches that did not obey God’s Spirit and God’s Word and did not live up to God’s view on Christ’s church?
In the last meditation we saw that the local church as Christ’s Body (empowered by God’s Spirit) should pursue purity, blamelessness and holiness in preparation for Jesus’ return in glory.
Pursuing holiness has nothing to do with living an ascetic life.
Nor is it an exercise in world-denial, nor a kind of ‘platonic’ spirituality. From the entire Bible it is clear that holiness is an essential character trait of God.
It is God's Spirit who wants to empower every local church and its members to pursue Christlike or Godlike holiness. Therefore, the apostle Peter gives the order: “... you must be holy in everything you do, just as God -- who chose you to be his children -- is holy. For he himself has said, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’”
(1 Peter 1:15-16).
In short, to live a holy life means to live a Christlike life. And pursuing holiness as a Christian community means to pursue a Christlike lifestyle as a community. In Meditation 77 we mentioned some examples of a Christlike communal life.
The question for today is: How did God deal in New Testament times with local churches and its members who did not pursue Christlike holiness? Here are some examples:
1. Ananias and Sapphira
I think that the first shocking example in the New Testament is found in Acts 5:1-10. In the midst of the exciting story of Christlike love and compassion in the early church in Jerusalem,
we read about Ananias and Sapphira. This mischievous couple outwardly imitated the generous love of their fellow Christians. Yet, it was all show. Here was no Christlike compassion for the poor, but 'satanic pretence'.
As the Holy Spirit revealed to Peter the true motives of this couple, the apostle addresses the issue head-on.
To Ananias he said: “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren't lying to us but to God.” (Acts 5:3-4)
To his wife Sapphira Peter said later: "How could the two of you even think of doing a thing like this -- conspiring together to test the Spirit of the Lord?” (Acts 5:9)
God severely warned the Jerusalem church not to follow this unholy way of acting. Luke writes in this story: “As soon as Ananias heard these words (from Peter), he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified.” (Acts 5:5)
Later on Luke mentions Sapphira's death and the reaction of the entire Jerusalem church: “Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear gripped the entire church and all others who heard what had happened.” (Acts 5:10-11)
This incidence was profoundly shocking for the young Jerusalem church that experienced its ‘first love’ for God and fellow-men. God used it to warn this church for an ungodly, dead-end road and to keep this congregation on the right track, pursuing Christlike holiness.
2. The Church in Corinth
During his second missionary journey c. AD 50, the apostle Paul stayed for 18 months in this Greek port (Acts 18:11). He taught there God’s Word and gathered new converts around him. That was the start of the Corinthian church of which we read more in Paul’s two letters to this congregation.
In his first letter to the followers of Jesus in Corinth he addresses various unholy practises in this church:
• Controversy because of leadership preferences
As a good shepherd and true pastor Paul took this young church firmly in hand. He begins his first letter to them with the earnest request: “Dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves.
Let there be real harmony so there won't be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.
For some members of Chloe's household have told me about your arguments, dear brothers and sisters.
Some of you are saying, ‘I am a follower of Paul.’ Others are saying, ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Peter’, or ‘I follow only Christ.’” (1 Corinthians 1:10-12)
Further on Paul continues to address the problem of division among them: “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to mature Christians. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life.
I had to feed you with milk and not with solid food, because you couldn't handle anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, for you are still controlled by your own sinful desires.
You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your own desires? You are acting like people who don't belong to the Lord.
When one of you says, ‘I am a follower of Paul,’ and another says, ‘I prefer Apollos’, aren't you acting like those who are not Christians?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-4)
The apostle warns the Corinthian church for the way God will deal with such attitude: “If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:17)
• The arrogance of some church members
Then Paul points to the haughtiness of some church members:
“I know that some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will never visit you again. But I will come -- and soon -- if the Lord will let me, and then I'll find out whether these arrogant people are just big talkers or whether they really have God's power. For the Kingdom of God is not just fancy talk; it is living by God's power. (1 Corinthians 4:18-20)
Paul, the founder of this church, threatens these arrogant church members, because he wants to see the entire church grow in Christlike love: “What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?” (1 Corinthians 4:21)
• Licentiousness within the church
Furthermore, Paul addresses sexual immorality within the church which was probably regarded as an expression of ‘Christian freedom’: “I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you, something so evil that even the pagans don't do it. I am told that you have a man in your church who is living in sin with his father's wife. And you are so proud of yourselves!” (1 Corinthians 5:1-2a)
Paul, as an apostle and servant of God, tells them how they should deal with this kind of excesses within the congregation so that the church is able to continue pursuing Christlike holiness:
“... you are so proud of yourselves! Why aren't you mourning in sorrow and shame? And why haven't you removed this man from your fellowship?
Even though I am not there with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit.
Concerning the one who has done this, I have already passed judgment in the name of the Lord Jesus.
You are to call a meeting of the church, and I will be there in spirit, and the power of the Lord Jesus will be with you as you meet. Then you must cast this man out of the church and into Satan's hands, so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved when the Lord returns.
How terrible that you should boast about your spirituality, and yet you let this sort of thing go on.
Don't you realize that if even one person is allowed to go on sinning, soon all will be affected? Remove this wicked person from among you so that you can stay pure.
Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So let us celebrate the festival, not by eating the old bread of wickedness and evil, but by eating the new bread of purity and truth.
When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn't talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or who are greedy or are swindlers or idol worshipers. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.
What I meant was that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a Christian yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Don't even eat with such people.
It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your job to judge those inside the church who are sinning in these ways.
God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say [e.g., Deuteronomy 22:22], ‘You must remove the evil person from among you.’" (1 Corinthians 5:2-13)
• Prostitution
Closely linked to the earlier case of licentiousness, was the problem of prostitution. Apparently the Corinthian church proudly elevated prostitution, which was an integral aspect of Greek culture, as a demonstration of ‘Christian liberty’.
Paul writes: “You may say, ‘I am allowed to do anything.’ But I reply, ‘Not everything is good for you.’ And even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything. You say, ‘Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food.’ This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.
But our bodies were not made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. And God will raise our bodies from the dead by his marvelous power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.
Don't you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which belongs to Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never!
And don't you know that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say [Genesis 2:24], ‘The two are united into one.’ But the person who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.
Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?
You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”
(1 Corinthians 6:12-20)
Paul’s earlier warning applies also to this case: “... you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a Christian yet indulges in sexual sin... It certainly is your job to judge those inside the church who are sinning in these ways. ... As the Scriptures say [e.g., Deuteronomy 22:22], ‘You must remove the evil person from among you.’" (1 Corinthians 5:11-13)
• Legal disputes amongst church members
Another issue Paul tackles in this letter is about law-cases among fellow Christians. He writes: “When you have something against another Christian, why do you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter, instead of taking it to other Christians to decide who is right?
Don't you know that someday we Christians are going to judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can't you decide these little things among yourselves?
Don't you realize that we Christians will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disagreements here on earth.
If you have legal disputes about such matters, why do you go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? I am saying this to shame you.
Isn't there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these arguments? But instead, one Christian sues another -- right in front of unbelievers!
To have such lawsuits at all is a real defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? But instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your own Christian brothers and sisters.” (1 Corinthians 6:1-8)
Paul reminds the church of God’s coming judgment: “Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves.
Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers -- none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
(to be continued)
1 Corinthians 3:17 and 1 Corinthians 4:21 are quotes from the New International Version. All other quotes are from the New Living Translation.
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