Michael Pearl: Hello, I'm Mike Pearl. Here we are in Studio B. Are we in B or A? OK. And we're here to answer your bible questions today. So, Jared, what is the first question?
Sean: I am Sean of Collinsville, TX, and we just saw your video "How Did Jesus Deal With Homosexuals," and we would like to what would be our behavior for family members and those that we know ‑ that I Corinthians 5‑6 that when a man is called a brother, he is called a Christian and he or she knowingly is fornicating or one of those sins listed there. Thank you for your ministry, God bless you.
Michael: I Corinthians 5‑6 speaks of the common report of fornication among you and deliver such a one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. OK, this was someone in the church who's professing to be a believer, and so they were told to turn him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. That was to cast him out of the Church. Now, if you've got a brother that's not a Christian, or maybe professed to be when he was a kid, then he got up to 16‑17 years old and proved that he was not, I wouldn't count him as a believer. And he goes off to college, and he comes home and he's homosexual or an adulterer or something. So you have Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner and he comes in and he has his boyfriend with him, or his shack up girlfriend or whatever it is. And you're asking how should you respond to him.
Just as I've said before in the previous question/answer session, he's just a sinner and you need to respond to him with love and compassion. Now you don't normalize the sin by acting like this two guys together is a normal thing. You want to clearly share the gospel with him, clearly preach the gospel to them. It wouldn't bother me.
I would, right in front of them, if my kids were there, and I've got this cousin with his boyfriend there during the Thanksgiving dinner, I'd say if they showed some kind of affection towards one another or something, I'd say to my kids, "Now kids, do you remember the passage we read in Romans chapter one about changing the natural use into that which is against nature. Men with men working that which is unseemly, receiving themselves just recompense of their reward. They who do such things are worthy of death?"
Well now, Frank here and Johnny, that's what that's talking about. These two guys are homosexuals, they are living together in sin, and if they died right now, they would go to Hell. So we want to pray for them so when we give thanks today, let's ask God to have His mercy and grace upon them, and forgive them and save them and cause them to repent. You thank God for your meal and you pray for their salvation.
"Hey Frankie, how are you? You say you got a job. Where are you working? Man, I do hope you take time to read the Bible while you're doing that. And Johnny, I understand you got a new opportunity over there in New York doing that. Yeah, I hope while you're there you locate a good church and go to it, because man, if you don't get saved, you're going to bust hell wide open. You're headed straight for destruction."
So you can be friendly, you be open, you can have your meal, you can talk with them, but be frank. Let your kids know that when the day is over with and they walk out of there that the last thing they ever want to be is an adulterer, a fornicator or living in sin, because it's a bad thing. It's something that makes Daddy and Mama sad, something that makes the whole family sad, and it's something that is going to land them in destruction. But, at the same time, they're going to know that Mommy and Daddy aren't bigoted, they're not homophobic. I'm not homophobic unless they were around my kids, then I'm all kinds of phobic.
I'm not homophobic personally, unless it's a question of catching AIDS, or getting bit or spit on or stuck with a needle or something like that. Now when I go to a prison, I'm homophobic. I don't want a homo coming up and biting me and giving me a deadly disease, but if I'm sitting on an airplane beside someone who's a homosexual, it doesn't bother me. I'll sit there and talk to them, give them the gospel. If there's someone I happen to be working with that's an adulterer or fornicator or a homosexual, I don't freak out and run and panic and start calling them names. You treat them with the same respect as you would treat any human being.
But, you see, I would be the same way if someone came to my Thanksgiving dinner, a cousin that was a drunk or a dopehead, or if it were someone in business that was a cheat, say a lawyer. That was a joke. I would equally share the gospel with them‑‑ It was just a joke, OK, you lawyers. I would equally preach to them as I would the homosexuals. So don't make a whole lot of difference between sinners. Sin is sin. So be frank, be open, be yourself, say what's in your heart, but make sure there is some love and grace and mercy there when you say what's in your heart.
Alright.
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The question referred to sinning Christians, the men you referenced did not sound Christian. 1 Corinthians 5 tells us to "not even eat with these people" yet your example was a dinner discussion. I need clarification on this issue, because I am dealing with a similar issue. My mother is living in sin with her cousin. Yes, they plan to marry. I don't know which is worse, the fornication or the plan to marry her cousin. I don't want my daughter around that. Yet she is my mother and if the Bible says to talk to her, let her bond with my daughter, I will do that. But I am currently under the literal interpretation, do not even associate with the offender (she claims to be Christian, even boasting her partner/cousin demands a "God centered relationship"). Sickening!
- Elizabeth
but the christians in 1 corinthians were carnal and were behave like unbelievers. but you must understand that we are not in the flesh but in the spirit.
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Note 1 at 1Co 6:9: In the Greek, no article is used with the word "unrighteous," indicating that character, not the act, is being discussed. Paul was not saying that those who have committed one of these acts are doomed to hell. There is forgiveness through faith in Christ (1Co 6:11) that makes people totally new creatures (2Co 5:17). Those who experience the new birth are no longer sinners even though they sin (see note 1 at Ro 6:20 and note 6 at 1Co 6:11).
Note 2 at 1Co 6:9: The Apostle Paul told us that through creation, a revelation of God was made known to mankind (see note 2 at Ro 1:18). As a result of people turning away from that light, they turned to darkness, with the final outcome being idolatry (Ro 1:21-23).
Idolatry may be described as the worship of anything that takes the place of devotion to God. In the Old Testament, this included false gods, idols, images, etc. (Le 26:30, De 32:37-38, Jdg 10:14, 2Ki 18:33, and Eze 14:6). In the New Testament, idolatry includes being lovers of self and lovers of pleasures more than God (2Ti 3:2-4), with a strong emphasis on covetousness, which Paul stated is idolatry (Eph 5:5 and Col 3:5).
The Apostle John ended his epistle to believers by saying, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols" (1Jo 5:21). A strong antidote to this sin is a constant acknowledgement of God in all our ways with thanksgiving, praise, and glory to Him (Pr 3:5-6 and Ro 1:21).
Note 3 at 1Co 6:9: The word "effeminate" is found only one time in the King James version (this verse). The American Heritage Dictionary defines "effeminate" as "1. Having qualities or characteristics more often associated with women than men. 2. Characterized by weakness and excessive refinement."
The Latin word from which we obtain "effeminate" is "EFFEMINARE," and it means "make feminine." Strong's Concordance defines this Greek word for "effeminate"--"MALAKOS"--as "a catamite." A catamite is a boy kept by a pederast, who is a man who practices sexual relations with a boy.
The marginal note in the New American Standard Bible states, "i.e. effeminate by perversion." Plainly stated, it seems that "effeminate," in this context, is a male taking the female role in a sexual relationship with another male. Scripture plainly states such conduct as being against nature (Ro 1:26-27).
The Apostle Paul stressed in this chapter that the believer's body is the Lord's (1Co 6:13), the temple of the Holy Spirit (1Co 6:19), bought with a price, and to be used to glorify God (1Co 6:20).
Note 4 at 1Co 6:9: This phrase, "abusers of themselves with mankind," comes from one Greek word, "ARSENOKOITES." This word was only used one other time in the Bible in 1Ti 1:10, where it was translated "defile themselves with mankind." According to Strong's Concordance this word means "a sodomite."
Dear sister in Christ Elizabeth.
i have give you allready my study of scripture explanation on 1 corinthians 6:9. but it is better too understand the first book of corinthians in its context. i was more than clearly speaking too christians who were in deep sins. and he was still calling them saints. cause we are not in the flesh but in the spirit. so we must not judge christians if they sin and say cause they are sinning they are not christians. that makes no sense. otherwise you could say if a christian sins even have a little sin they are damned too hell. that is a ridiculous man made doctrine. i hope you and many christians will be blessed by study it. may god bless you richly
lets study it togheter and lets exame it.
1 Corinthians 6:11 Next Verse
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Note 6 at 1Co 6:11: Paul placed an emphasis on the word "were." He was contrasting their previous condition with their current righteous position in Christ. Was this because they had ceased committing all these sins? Definitely not!
Paul had just dealt with a man who was living in open incest (1Co 5:1). While Paul did instruct the Christians at Corinth to discipline this man, he did not treat him as an unbeliever. Instead, in 2 Corinthians he told the church to forgive that man and receive him back into the fellowship of the believers (2Co 2:5-11).
In this very chapter, Paul dealt with Christians taking each other to court and said they were defrauding each other (1Co 6:8). This would fit into the category of "covetous" or possibly "extortioners" that Paul mentioned in 1Co 6:10. In the next chapter, Paul talked about adultery, and it is evident from his instructions that some of the Corinthian believers were having trouble in that area.
Some of these same Corinthian believers were getting drunk at the Lord's Supper (1Co 11:21); that would put them in the "drunkards" category (1Co 6:10). The division in the body that Paul dealt with for the first four chapters of 1 Corinthians would put many of the believers into the class of "revilers."
Therefore, it is easy to see that these Corinthian Christians were not totally free from these ungodly actions that Paul listed in 1Co 6:9-10, yet they were not considered by Paul to be fornicators, idolaters, etc., anymore. The sins of Christians don't make them sinners any more than the righteous acts of sinners make them righteous (see note 1 at Ro 6:20).
Sin is a very deadly thing that even Christians should avoid at all costs, but it does not determine our standing with the Lord (see note 2 at Ro 6:2). Those who are born again are not "in" the flesh even though they may walk "after" the flesh (see note 20 at Ro 8:9).
Note 7 at 1Co 6:11: The usual term used to describe the Spirit of God in the New Testament is the "Holy Spirit." It is the clear and undeniable teaching of Scripture that the Holy Spirit is a divine personage. We are told that the Holy Spirit has intelligence and knowledge (1Co 2:10-13 and 12:8); speaks and guides (Ac 13:2, 16:6, 21:11; Ro 8:14; Re 2:7, 11, 17, and 29); commands and appoints people (Ac 8:29; 13:2, 4; and 20:28); has feelings (Eph 4:30); and can be lied to (Ac 5:3), resisted (Ac 7:51), and blasphemed (Mt 12:31).
Divine attributes such as omniscience (Joh 14:26, 16:12-13; and 1Co 2:10-11), omnipotence (Ps 62:11 with Ac 5:3-4; Lu 1:35; Ro 1:4, and 8:11), omnipresence (Ps 139:7-10), holiness (Lu 11:13 and Ro 1:4), eternalness (Heb 9:14), truth (1Jo 5:6), wisdom (Isa 40:13), and life (Ro 8:2) are all ascribed to Him.
The name of the Holy Spirit is coupled in equality with the Father and the Son (Mt 28:19 and 2Co 13:14), and it is identified with the Jehovah of the Old Testament scripture (Isa 6:8-10 with Ac 28:25-27, and Jer 31:31-34 with Heb 10:15-17).
Symbols of the Holy Spirit used in Scripture are the dove (Mt 3:16, Mr 1:10, Lu 3:22, and Joh 1:32), fire (Ac 2:3), water (Joh 7:38-39), wind (Joh 3:8 and Ac 2:1-2), and oil (Lu 4:18, Ac 10:38, 2Co 1:21, and 1Jo 2:27). These are material emblems that help represent and portray the Spirit.
In the life of the believer, the Holy Spirit regenerates (Joh 3:3-5 and Tit 3:5), indwells (1Co 6:19), seals (Eph 1:13-14 and 4:30), fills (Ac 2:4 and Eph 5:18), anoints (1Jo 2:20 and 27), guides (Ro 8:14; Ga 5:16, and 25), teaches (1Jo 2:27), comforts (Joh 14:26), and empowers (Ac 4:31, Ro 8:2, and Ga 5:16).
There is no such thing as victorious Christian living without a moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour, day-by-day dependence upon the Spirit of God (Ro 7:24-25 and 8:2). Not only is the Christian life hard to live, it is impossible to live without the power of God Himself (Joh 15:5).
Dear Elizabeth,
I was reading your post and also has listened too the message our brother in christ michael pearl has. and the both of you suggesting that christians totally cannot sin. the whole book of 1 corinthians teaches clearly the opposite.
in the whole book of 1 corinthians apostel paul placed an emphasis on the word "were. He was contrasting their previous condition with their current righteous position in Christ. Was this because they had ceased committing all these sins? Definitely not!. study it out for yourself and keep it in context of the book of corinthians and study the words paul was using.
Paul had dealt with a man who was living in open incest (1Co 5:1). While Paul did instruct the Christians at Corinth to discipline this man, he did not treat him as an unbeliever. Instead, in 2 Corinthians he told the church to forgive that man and receive him back into the fellowship of the believers (2Co 2:5-11).
Paul also dealt with Christians taking each other to court and said they were defrauding each other (1Co 6:8). This would fit into the category of "covetous" or possibly "extortioners" that Paul mentioned in 1Co 6:10.
Some of these same Corinthian believers were getting drunk at the Lord's Supper (1Co 11:21); that would put them in the "drunkards" category (1Co 6:10). The division in the body that Paul dealt with for the first four chapters of 1 Corinthians would put many of the believers into the class of "revilers."
Therefore, it is easy to see that these Corinthian Christians were not totally free from these ungodly actions that Paul listed in 1Co 6:9-10, yet they were not considered by Paul to be fornicators, idolaters, etc., anymore. The sins of Christians don't make them sinners any more than the righteous acts of sinners make them righteous (Ro 6:20).
Sin is a very deadly thing that even Christians should avoid at all costs, but it does not determine our standing with the Lord (Ro 6:2). Those who are born again are not "in" the flesh even though they may walk "after" the flesh ( Ro 8:9).
Jermaine
Hi elizabeth and mr pearl.
i totally agree with from holland. the sinning christians were real christians cause and had the imputed righteousness of christ. and cause of that they were sinless. sin cannot seperate a christian from god only unbelief. that means only if you totally gonna stop believing in te lord jezus christ. otherwise it is my study research impossible. cause the blood of christ has cover/taken away ALL sin of the believer. otherwise you must say that the blood of christ was not effecient and that it has not taken away all sin but are a few left.
elizabeth and mr pearl. i hope i was helpfull for you. please dont take my word for it but study out every wordt carefully and then you know we are as long we kep the faith totally secure and that we not can sin out are salvation.
praise god