Because
there was “fornication”
in the church in Corinth, Paul the apostle had to carry out
discipline which included “delivering”
the person “unto Satan for the
destruction of the flesh”.
This would allow for the person's “spirit”
to “be saved in the day of the Lord
Jesus”,
and in chapter five and verse seven of
First Corinthians, Paul told the church members in Corinth to,
“purge out the old leaven”
where we read:
Purge
out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as you are
unleavened.
For
even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
The
verse begins, “Purge
out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are
unleavened.” Paul
began with the words, “Purge out”
which means
“cleanse out and thoroughly” “therefore”
or “then, accordingly, consequently and these things being so”
“the old leaven”
which means “the ancient, worn by use and worse for wear inveterate
mental and moral corruption viewed in its tendency to infect others”,
“that you may be”
or “that he church members might and should become” “a
new lump”
which refers to “recently born and youthful substance or mass”,
“as you are unleavened”
or “because the church members were unfermented and free from fault
or iniquity”. Paul told the church members to “clean out” the
“inveterate mental and moral corruption” to “become” new
again because they were “free from fault and iniquity”.
The
verse goes on to say, “... For
even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:”
Paul added
the words, “For even” which
means “even as, indeed, no doubt, seeing then, verily and
therefore” “Christ” or
“the anointed one, the Messiah and Son of God”
“our passover”
which means “Paul and the church members' paschal lamb” “is
sacrificed”
or “is immolate, slain, killed and slaughtered” “for
us” which
refers to “Paul and the Corinthian church members”.
Jesus became
the “sacrificial paschal lamb” who was “slain and slaughtered”
for the Corinthian church members and Paul.
When
we think through these words from Paul, we discover his purpose to
rid the Corinthian church of the “fornicator” who was
among them. They were made “clean” by their faith and trust in
Jesus Christ, and they did not need for someone to remain in the
church who would be like “leaven” among them. Jesus is as
the “passover lamb” which was “sacrificed” for
our sins, and we should not let anyone or any sin keep us or our
church from the cleansing Jesus provides. Let us keep in mind that
this action not only purified the church, but was also intended to
affect the “eternal spirit” of the one “purged”.
Next
time Paul tells the church members, “let
us keep the feast, not with old leaven”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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