A Preliminary - On Logic.
It is a
characteristic of modern debate that we proceed in the deductive manner. You
may remember your high school geometry: start with the general rules, and
proceed to the individual consequences. Our current debate on health care goes
something like this:
"Everybody
should be able to have basic health care"
"Not
everybody does."
"Therefore,
we need my new national health care system." (QED)
There is
another method. In mathematics it is called induction; it starts with the
instance and proceeds to the general. Paul will use this method in his
statements today. He will start with his own personal example; go from there to
the principle - and thence to the application.
The Example - Paul's conduct.
{6:1} As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive
God's grace in vain. {2} For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard
you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the
time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. {3} We put no stumbling block
in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. {4} Rather, as
servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in
troubles, hardships and distresses; {5} in beatings, imprisonments and riots;
in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; {6} in purity, understanding,
patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; {7} in truthful
speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand
and in the left; {8} through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report;
genuine, yet regarded as impostors; {9} known, yet regarded as unknown; dying,
and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; {10} sorrowful, yet always
rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing
everything. ‑‑ 2 Corinthians 6:1‑10
(NIV)
In this
passage, Paul contrasts what might be called the "world view" with
the "kingdom view." In the world view, Paul would put a stumbling
block in front of people - so that he himself would not be inconvenienced. It's
the "last man on the blimp" principle - I'm aboard, why shouldn't I
pull up the ladder and avoid the extra weight?
Paul takes
the opposite road. He would rather suffer than see his followers fall. His
suffering is very broad:
Emotional suffering- endurance, troubles,
hardship and distress. The word for distress here is interesting: stenochoria, it means "to be in a tight
place." It was said of a ship, or of an army caught in a canyon. Have you
ever felt like you had no options but the bad ones?
Societal suffering- beating, imprisonment,
riots. Paul has seen them all - by now he is an experienced campaigner. He's a
living example of Tertullian's epigram: "The blood of martyrs is the seed
of the church."
Physical suffering- hard work, sleepless
nights and hunger. The word for hard work is the Greek kepos, which means "to toil to exhaustion." Sleepless
nights may have been in prayer ["momma used to burn the midnight oil down
on her knees in prayer."]
Spiritual suffering - Paul put himself through
the disciplines of purity, of understanding, patience and kindness. Purity -
the Greeks defined it as "prudence at its highest tension."
Understanding here means knowing what to do in a practical sense - studying
what must be done and doing it. Patience in the Greek original applies to
patience with people. Kindness, of course, does also.
This
suffering yields positive action on Paul's part. Before action comes the
preparation:
- preparation in the Holy Spirit, the Christian's comforter.
- sincere love (checked your motives lately?) How do I know I
taught a "great lesson?" When you say "I'm going to go out and
do that!"
- truthful speech (no preacher's stories)
- the power of God (just whose kingdom is this anyway?)
- the weapons of righteousness - both defensive and offensive (see
Ephesians)
And so it
goes. The result is a series of contrasts - the world's view (Paul the
imposter) versus God's view (Paul the genuine article). The word for imposter
is interesting: it means a quack.
Perhaps the most interesting contrast is poor
versus making many rich. The picture
from the world is that of the beggar. The view from the kingdom is that of a
man who is so wealthy that he makes other people millionaires - by gift.
Just what
makes a man rich anyway?
Conclusion:
Paul looks very different from the kingdom view. Does this surprise you? It
shouldn't:
{24} "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant
above his master. {25} It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and
the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called
Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household! {26} "So do not be
afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or
hidden that will not be made known. ‑‑ Matthew 10:24‑26
(NIV)
So Paul
now comes to the principle of which is such a superb example. But before he
does, he pleads with the Corinthians to listen to him with an "open
heart."
{11} We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened
wide our hearts to you. {12} We are not withholding our affection from you, but
you are withholding yours from us. {13} As a fair exchange‑‑I
speak as to my children‑‑open wide your hearts also. ‑‑
2 Corinthians 6:11‑13 (NIV)
Perhaps he
has something important to say. Indeed, it is the principle of the lesson.
The Principle: Separation
{14} 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 ? 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." ‑‑ 2 Corinthians 6:14‑18
(NIV)
The
expression "yoked" comes from an Old Testament example, well known to
any Jew:
{10}
Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.
‑‑ Deuteronomy
22:10 (NIV)
This is
one of the many regulations that Jehovah gave the ancient Israelites that seem
to have no particular purpose other than to teach them that they are separate
from the rest of the people around them. I've heard it argued that "old
farmers knew that this wouldn't work; it's just practical advice, that's
all." If they all knew it, why did God give them such a regulation? Is it
really a temptation? No, it will work just fine - unless you have been called
out to be separate.
Paul
starts with an obvious example: what fellowship do righteousness and wickedness
have together. He then uses a common - but high - example: light and darkness.
{8} For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the
Lord. Live as children of light {9} (for the fruit of the light consists in all
goodness, righteousness and truth) {10} and find out what pleases the Lord.
{11} Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose
them. ‑‑ Ephesians 5:8‑11
(NIV)
Note that
this is not so much a command as a statement. If you are children of the light,
you will be separate, and you will expose the deeds of darkness merely by being
around. Ever notice how the cockroaches scurry from the light?
Next comes
Christ and Belial (an obscure reference to Satan). We sometimes think we must
have something in common. After all, haven't we all been in a place where we
have to compromise? I like Tertullian's example here. Someone once came to him,
explaining how he could not follow Christ in some particular matter, ending his
argument with, "after all, I have to live." "Must you?"
This
usually comes to head in the form of another person: believer and unbeliever.
We wind up giving up something to remain loyal to Christ, and the something is
often the aid and friendship - or profit by - another person. But, as my father
taught me, "If a man's principles don't cost him anything, they aren't
worth much."
Finally,
Paul takes the issue to the symbol most Jews would closely identify with
holiness: the temple. Perhaps he is thinking back to Manasseh:
{21:1} Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and
he reigned in Jerusalem fifty‑five years. His mother's name was
Hephzibah. {2} He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable
practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. {3} He
rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected
altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He
bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. {4} He built altars in
the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will
put my Name." {5} In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built
altars to all the starry hosts. {6} He sacrificed his own son in the fire,
practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did
much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. {7} He took the
carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the temple, of which the LORD had
said to David and to his son Solomon, "In this temple and in Jerusalem,
which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name
forever. {8} I will not again make the feet of the Israelites wander from the
land I gave their forefathers, if only they will be careful to do everything I
commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses gave
them." {9} But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so
that they did more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the
Israelites. ‑‑ 2 Kings 21:1‑9
(NIV)
Here we
see the greatest sin against separation: bringing the idol into the church. No
doubt Manasseh thought he was being so wise. You can almost hear the reasoning:
"We'll unite the religions of the people, one common believe, mutual
tolerance, no more religious strife..." Do you see what that does? It
makes God the servant of (in this instance) "unity, tolerance..." The
church becomes merely a tool for another cause. C.S. Lewis parodied this (in
Screwtape) as "Christianity and Spelling Reform."
The root
of separation must be seen here. Paul is referencing the Old Testament again:
{12} I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be
my people. ‑‑ Leviticus 26:12 (NIV)
There are
three principles of separation shown in our passage:
- come out from them.
Spiritually remove yourself from the danger of the contamination of
unbelievers. (Playboy has done more damage in philosophy spreading than in
centerfold spreads.)
- touch nothing unclean.
Sometimes we don't think about where we are going or what we are touching
(example: the company will never miss that!) This is taken from Isaiah:
{11} Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean
thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the LORD. ‑‑
Isaiah 52:11 (NIV)
- know whose child you
are - accept the fatherhood of God. Act like one of the family.
The Application
{7:1} 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. {2} Make room for us in your hearts. We have
wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. {3} I do
not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in
our hearts that we would live or die with you. {4} I have great confidence in
you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my
joy knows no bounds. ‑‑ 2 Corinthians 7:1‑4
(NIV)
It is not
sufficient to separate yourself. Remember the principal of the "spiritual
vacuum."
{24} "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes
through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will
return to the house I left.' {25} When it arrives, it finds the house swept
clean and put in order. {26} Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more
wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of
that man is worse than the first." ‑‑ Luke 11:24‑26 (NIV)
Paul here
begins with the purification of the body. Why? Because we are amphibians. We
inhabit both the physical and spiritual worlds. What we do in one affects the
other. So if the body is not pure (which generally references such little
things as adultery) then the spiritual life will not be pure.
Next comes
purification in the spirit. Paul explains this in an interesting phrase:
"perfecting holiness..." It's as if God has given us the Corvette -
but we are expected to polish it, showing how much we value it. If I give my
kid a Corvette, he'd better polish it - out of fear of the old man, if nothing
else. So should I perfect my holiness in reverence of the Lord.