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Tag: court

How Dare You Defer Discipline 1 Corinthians 6
Church discipline continues to be the focus of the Apostle’s letter.

Previously Paul spoke of Judgment between Christ and Satan, but by discipline the Apostle does not mean judgement of Corinthians who do not identify with Christ Jesus. So now Paul INSISTS that the Corinthians judge a fellow church member in this case of moral sin.

Church Discipline in Moral matters

Dare^G5111 any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust and not before the saints?

1 Corinthians 6:1 King James Version – Paul’s challenge to judge our fellow believers rather than defer any matter of church discipline to a civil court.

Strong language from the writ of Judgment by Christ’s Apostle to the gentiles!

But note Paul’s comparison of the civil court –– (Roman law for Corinthians, even as civil common pleas law is practiced in the US and by other Common Era courts).

The Apostle directs the Corinthians to remain within the jurisdiction of God’s Law indicting common justice as law before the unjust .
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τολμάω - From tolma (boldness, probably itself from the base of τέλος (G5056) through the idea of extreme conduct)
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Paul applies his authoritative instruction of church discipline to what he has just stated.

It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.

Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 5:12 New Living Translation
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Clear instruction to the church! Yet how many Common Era christian churches will obey God's word in this?
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God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.” – 1 Corinthians 5:13 NIV

κρίνω –krinō – go to Law

The Apostle presents a case to the Corinthian Church supporting his judgement that THEY should judge their own members and therefore become accountable to the Lord God rather than the civil courts.
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* krinō is a case study in itself in the context of the Gospel and how Jesus Christ instructed disciples and saints to use judgement and discernment differently than the world. Study its linked definitions and see what I mean. God-willing, I may return to it.
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1 Corinthians 6:

‘HOW DARE YOU!’ or ‘Dare any of you,’ say some more authoritative English translations.

Now the Apostle will introduce his gentle case to the saints of the Corinthian Church.

Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? – Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians 6:2a NLT
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'But wait!' Paul might quickly follow. 'Not yet and here's why:'
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And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? – 1 Corinthians 6:2b NLT
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Let's glance at a perhaps more palatable explanation from the International Children’s Bible *additional link to the NIRV
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You should be ashamed! Why do you not let God’s people decide who is right? 2 Surely you know that God’s people will judge the world. So if you are to judge the world, then surely you are able to judge small things as well. 3 You know that in the future we will judge angels. So surely we can judge things in this life.

4 So if you have disagreements that must be judged, why do you take them to those who are not part of the church? They mean nothing to the church. 5 I say this to shame you.

a Plea for Church Discipline

Surely there is someone among you wise enough to judge a complaint between two brothers in Christ.

6 But now one brother goes to court against another brother. And you let men who are not believers judge their case!
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Has YOUR Common Era pastor preached this (or does he hope that his unseen judgements will go unnoticed)? 

Do Elders of your local church wisely judge such offenders?
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But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!
1 Corinthians 6:6 NIV

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.

1 Corinthians 5:1 NIV

Spoiled Fruit of deferred Church Discipline

Will a pagan court, a jury of those condoning and practicing such fornication (porneia) not equate Christ’s saints to common practices of those who worship their self-gratifying gods of the flesh?

7 When you take another believer to court, you have lost the battle already. Why not be treated wrongly? Why not be cheated?
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The Apostle asks: Are you NOT willing to suffer injustice by the hand of a fellow saint as witness of Jesus' love?
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8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong.
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'Christians,' they say, 'they're not so saintly, but openly sinful, just like us.'
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And you do it to your brothers and sisters.

Who has died to the flesh?

9 Don’t you know that people who do wrong will not receive God’s kingdom? Don’t be fooled…
- 11.. You were made holy.
- You were made right with God.
- All of this was done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
- It was also done by the Spirit of our God.
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Paul lists additional sins to this single case of one man of the Corinthian Church.
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- (9) Those who commit sexual sins will not receive the kingdom.
- Neither will those who worship statues of gods
- or commit adultery.
- Neither will men who sleep with other men.
- 10 Neither will thieves
- or those who always want more and more.
- Neither will those who are often drunk
- or tell lies
- or cheat.
- People who live like that will not receive God’s kingdom.
11 Some of you used to do those things. But your sins were washed away.

Discipline and discernment – Growing up in Christ

Later in his letter Paul will instruct the Corinthian saints:

When I was a child, I talked like a child,

I thought like a child,

I reasoned like a child.

When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

1 Corinthians 13:11 NIV
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Continuing once more, beloved saints young or mature, from the International Children's Bible
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- 6:12 “I am allowed to do all things.”
  - But not all things are good for me to do.
- “I am allowed to do all things.” [“I have the right to do anything.”]
  - But I must not do those things that will make me their slave.
    
    [But I will not be controlled by anything.]
- 13 “Food is for the stomach, and the stomach for food.”
  - Yes. But God [theos] will destroy them both.
- The body is not for sexual immorality [fornication, G4202].
  - The body is for the Lord [kyrios] , and the Lord is for the body.
Flee fornication. G4202 Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

1 Corinthians 7:2 King James Version *G4202 – porneia

Paul will add to this application for the saints of the Corinthian Church:

Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, G4202 let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians 7:2 KJV

God raised the Lord Jesus

By God’s power God raised the Lord Jesus from death.

And God will also raise us from death.

1 Corinthians 6:14 International Children’s Bible

15 Surely you know that your bodies are parts of Christ himself.

So I must never take parts of Christ and join them to a prostitute! 16 It is written in the Scriptures,

“The two people will become one body.”[Genesis 2:24]

Spoiled Fruit goes to Law

Paul will next include more delicate matters concerning sexual behavior between men and women, but first the Apostle appeals to the church as members of a holy body, the Temple of God – ONE SPIRIT WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:17 KJV
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Once more, from the International Children's Bible
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So run away from sexual immorality. Every other sin that a person does is outside the body.

But those who are sexually immoral sin against their own bodies.

19 You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is in you. You have received the Holy Spirit from God. You do not own yourselves.

20 You were bought by God for a price. So honor God with your bodies.
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NEXT: Married Life of the saints in Christ
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Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
October 8, 2024
RIOTING TODAY! – Testimony from many stakeholders
RIOT TODAY IN EPHESUS!

– READ all about it.

The NEWS headline could have been from TODAY! But first we return to this riot mentioned in our last edition and Luke’s account of Acts 19.

and fear fell upon them all – Phobias from the enemy

Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying,
“Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

The city was filled with the uproar, and the crowd rushed to the theater together, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.
Acts of the Apostles 19:29 New English Translation

Some accounts begin: So the whole city was filled with confusion, while other accounts of the incident refer to this riot simply as an uproar.

And for the testimony of our trial later note its participants: the CROWD (who all rushed to the theater together) and two outsiders from Macedonia (Gaius and Aristarchus).

Syria War Refugees

This ‘trial‘ of these outside agitators in the public stadium (think of it as the social media outlets of the day) should solve the town’s local political problem.

These free-speaking men (shouting down the acts of these disciples of Jesus) stormed the Roman court with two Macedonians they had already convicted by majority mob rule.

U.S. Capitol under siege JANUARY 6, 2021
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READ some earlier accounts of recent events leading up to the riot (the A.D. 1st c. riot in Ephesus, that is). AND note the outsiders who come and go with Paul.
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ACTS 18:
- 23 .. Paul left and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
- 24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus..
- 26 ..Priscilla and Aquila (having arrived ahead of Paul) heard him..
- 27 [Apollos leaves Ephesus to] cross over to Achaia..
ACTS 19:

and when Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. (Now there were about twelve men in all.)

So Paul entered the synagogue and spoke out fearlessly for three months, addressing and convincing them about the kingdom of God.
Acts of the Apostles 19:6-8 NET
- 9 .. he left them and took the disciples with him, addressing them every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years..
  - * NOTE that the events leading up to this riot went back more than two years.
- .. so that all who lived in the province of Asia [of which Ephesus is its Roman political capital], both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.
- 14 (Now seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.)
- 17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; fear came over them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised.
- 18 Many of those who had believed came forward, confessing and making their deeds known.
  - 19 Large numbers of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them Inup in the presence of everyone. When the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins.
- [Paul] .. after sending two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia [and presumably in its capital Ephesus for the most part].
Inciting the riot of the day

THIS all leads up to what Luke describes as ‘NO SMALL DISTURBANCE’ concerning ‘the WAY’ or disciples (all followers) of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have heard of these incidents before.
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Thessalonica & Berea in Macedonia 
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But the Jews, becoming jealous, taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, and forming a mob, set the city in an uproar.. they began dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting,

“These men who have upset the world have come here also.. And they disturbed the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.
Acts of the Apostles 17:5a,6b,8

But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, shaking up and disturbing G5015 the crowds.
Acts 17:13 LSB

Trial of the ACTS 19 Riots in Ephesus

And the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.

And when Paul wanted to go into the [people of the] assembly, the disciples would not let him. Also some of the [*] Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater.
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* These are Political or religious officials of the province of Asia, likely some Roman and others Jewish converts of The Way.
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32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the [*] meeting was in confusion..
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* Some Bibles translate this gathering of citizens as 'assembly,' from a word familiar to many Christians:  ekklēsia
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.. and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together.

Centuries of riots and wars, refugees and massacres

Assyria takes Samarian captives 722 BC & Babylon takes Judah’s captives 607-537 BC

Assyria near Nineveh (art)

AD 2015 WWI 200 Christians Burned inside church in Turkey – 1915

Auschwitz AD 1945 WWII – genocide of the Jews and Eastren Europeans

1945 dead slave labors

Egypt circa 2013

refugee man embracing boy

Syria 2014 boy searching for food

2014 Syria Christians pray

2022 conquest

modern military map

more refugees driven from their cities in Syria & Iraq

Dublin, Ireland – Choice infant genocide

Jerusalem of Islam & Jew

But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single cry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours..
Acts of the Apostles 19:34a – at the riot in Ephesus

Undeniable Facts

35 Now after calming the crowd, the city clerk said..

‘So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.’

“So then, if [your leader and you] have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the [scheduled] lawful meeting.
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Sometimes riots END as quickly as they begin IF sensible leadership prevails over the CROWDS incited by hatred into a frenzy of lawlessness and sin. (Of course at other times sin simmers beneath the surface until it erupts into something worse -- even war.
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“For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot [stasis] in connection with today’s events, since there is no cause for which we can give as an account for this disorderly gathering.”
Acts of the Apostles 19:40 LSB

And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia.
Acts of the Apostles 19:41-20:1 ESV

στάσις – stasis – From the base of ἵστημι (G2476)

The KJV translates Strong’s G4714 in the following manner: sedition (3x), dissension (3x), insurrection (1x), uproar (1x), standing (1x).

Eleven (11) other versions of the Bible translate this simply as a riot.

Contemporary applications to this lesson from first century Ephesus — in a Greek culture accommodating Jews and other religions under a heavy hand of a pagan Roman Empire and its governors with the power to judge and execute whom they will — consider one further application from the Greek root of this word:

A word of warning from Scripture received by the Apostle John a few years later near the end of the first century.

Then I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing G2476 before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 20:12 LSB

ACTS of the Apostles – The Third Missionary Journey of Paul —

To Be Continued… in Macedonia, God-willing…
October 23, 2023
Because the days are evil – 3 -satan.שָׂטָן
Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
Psalm 109:6 KJV

Previously we observed the existence of Satan in the Supernatural Before Adam as a serpent tempting man to question God.

If you acknowledge the Almighty Creator of all things and all men, yet recognize that evil pervades creation and the hearts of mankind, then you must ask about this power who deceives the minds of men.

Who (or what) is Satan?

You may have read scripture seeing little reference to Satan, but a deeper understanding of our English translations will reveal a willing and powerful opponent of the Lord God in places beyond the garden and circumstances considerably beyond original sin.

Psalm 109

Several translations of this same verse in Psalm 109 suggest, “Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser bring him to trial.” RSV

The man after God’s own heart pleads:

O God of my praise,
Do not be silent!
Psalm 109:1

He prays to the living God – ruler above the angels, spirits who serve and the fallen. The Lord rules over creation whether spirit or wicked man.

5 Thus they have repaid me evil for good
And hatred for my love.

6 Appoint a wicked man over him,
And let an accuser stand at his right hand.

The Hebrew word for accuser here is satan – שָׂטָן

The heading of Psalm 109 in the NASB reads: Vengeance Invoked upon Adversaries. Our best understanding of Satan is that this fallen angel of darkness is accuser of the faithful and adversary of Christ.

Job

A description of Satan in the Hebrew book of Job occurs in a setting of heaven unseen to mankind.

The NLT reads: “One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them.” – Job 1:6

The King James describes them as the “sons of God [‘elohiym] and the NIV describes them as “angels.” Satan is one of these supernatural beings unseen by Job (and mankind).

The LORD [Yĕhovah] said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”
Job 2:2 NASB

Consider it: Satan, an unseen angel opposed to God, walking about among men inciting us (with the Lord’s consent) toward evil.

διάβολος – diabolos

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil… And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God…
Matthew 4:1,3a

Of course Satan knew the incarnate Son of God, led by the Holy Spirit of the Lord God! Yet the devil, the accuser of man, tempted Jesus just like he did deceive man in the beginning of creation.

the Dragon and Serpent

Fearful images: mythical? Perhaps. The great deceiver would have you believe that. But possibly these serpents command such unimaginable evil that man dare not give these any hint of existence.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John uncovers a fearful glimpse into the end which includes these representations of evil power.

drakōn – It is the same beast of eden from the Hebrew of Genesis 3:

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.

In another unseen future apocalypse in heaven John reveals:

And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war… – Revelation 12:7 NASB

War — between the unseen forces of good and evil. Can you imagine that? Could a decisive defeat of these devils and Satan soon inaugurate a new heavens and a new earth without evil?

Surely men of dust decaying with each mortal day will become caught in the middle of this battle between good and evil.

Where do you stand? Who is your champion in this life — and the next?

Who will stand beside your soul at the Judgment when the Accuser recounts all of your sins before the Judge Who IS?
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This October series, Because the Days are Evil,
To be continued, God-willing...
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October 9, 2019