THE MORAL NORMS IN CHURCH:
PAUL GAVE US THE NORMS
TO WHICH WE MUST TAKE HEED!
THE MORAL NORMS IN CHURCH:
PAUL GAVE US THE NORMS TO
WHICH WE MUST TAKE HEED!
JAN LILLEBY
I start right into Paul’s exhortations on how we should conduct our lives.
Notice that what Paul referred to was not according to some kind of ‘Sinless Perfection’ – such as it was with the early Methodist Movement (Wesley), far from it.
Ephesians 2:1-3, NASB Net Version,
«1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
Paul reminding the believers in Christ how it was when they lived as unsaved ones….’walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (Satan!!), of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience’. (Editor’s emphasize).
As unsaved and thus unbelieving persons we were lost, and we were DEAD IN OUR SINS. We had been going on with things that were fueled and instigated by Satan, whom Paul called ‘The Prince of the power of the air’. If you are still walking in this sphere of unbelief and of lustful sins etcetera, then you are entirely a lost soul, and have no salvation. You are thus under God’s wrath, says Eph. 2:3. This is real, and it is serious.
As Paul goes on teaching his Gospel Doctrine, he let us know how we should avoid living like those mentioned in verse 2; and notice also how he included himself as one who once was lost in sin, verse 3, ‘we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh. And he pointed back to Adam’s falling in sin (which we all inherited), ‘..and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest’.
Therefore, when Paul touched in on morale and ethics, he went about with strong exhortation, even by strict warnings, that we as believers should keep a clean path in life. We are to be enemies of sin, even if we cannot manage to live in ‘Sinless Perfection’.
So, from here on I shall go through all of Paul’s warnings and teachings regarding this. It has to be based on his two epistles to the Church, Ephesians and Colossians. The so-called ‘Prison Epistles’.
Starting with Eph. 4:17-32, which is a strong passage telling believers how things are to be handled and practiced, NASB,
17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;
19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.
26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.
28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.
29 Let no * unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
This long passage, seen as an exhortation, is a continuation of Eph. 2:1-3 which I already commented on.
But in this latter passage, Paul found it right to go more into details, to be sure everybody would comprehend this. Not just as a repetition.
Ephesians 5:3-12 has more of the same, with a nuance to it, NASB,
«3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know with certainty, that no * immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth ),
10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.” (Editor’s emphasize)
Col. 2:18-23 is an exhortation for us to stay away from false teachings/philosophies…of which, in modern times, there are many. Cults and sects has come along over the centuries since Paul wrote his warnings,
«18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.
20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,
21 "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!"
22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use )-in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?
23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no * value against fleshly indulgence.”
Col. 3:5-14 is much the same as we found in Ephesians.
«5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,
7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.
8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him-
11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever * has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”
Paul could not have expressed himself better. He hits the ‘Bulls Eye’ straight on. And we better take heed to his exhortation.
Yes – I am fully aware of the Biblical fact that Jesus Christ abolished the Law of Moses on the cross, - and revealed this to Paul in 63 CE as he sat in jail.
And even if the Law and the ordinances are gone, the believer’s morale and ethics are not.
Thus we find all these instructions from Paul, so to stay out of trouble which comes from a sinful lifestyle.
In Ephesians and Colossians, we find Christ’s given norm regarding morale and ethics in Church. We must see to it, that we are obedient to this word of God through our apostle Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.
Eph. 4:30, 31 once again, NASB,
30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
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