“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (rf. II Corinthians 6:14-18 MEV)
The Apostle Paul here is teaching a principle echoing the words of Jesus in John 15:19 which says, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, the world therefore hates you.” For both Jesus and Paul the concept of Jesus’ followers being distinctly different is a very important one. In many respects, Jesus’ expectation of us as His people is a radical departure from the present perception among Western Christians, in particular, that we should be as “relevant” and connecting to society and culture as possible, that our commonalities should far outshine and outpace our differences.
Paul lived in a time when his surrounding culture was profoundly pagan and wicked by Scriptural standards. The church at Corinth to whom the text above was written was enveloped and oppressed by spiritual darkness. Temples to various Greek and Roman gods dotted the landscape along with the drunken and sexual orgies that accompanied their worship. Cults and other religious sects thrived as did the veneration of the Emperor and the Empire. It was, indeed, a dark backdrop to the work of Christ in that cosmopolitan city.
Notice that Paul did not encourage making the Gospel “relevant” or to disclose faith in Christ as just another color in the religious “rainbow” of the Gentiles. Rather, Paul is clear that followers of Christ should be distinct from the world around them. As he puts it, “what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial (the Devil), or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?” Instead of playing along with the culture, Paul’s encouragement to his fellow Christians is to “come out from their midst and be separate”. Why the need for distinction? Only as light is separated from darkness is the difference between the two clearly seen. Those who are spiritually alive must not be acting like corpses; otherwise, how will the spiritually dead know that they are dead if not by the comparison with those who are truly alive in Christ.
Even today, Western culture is quickly returning to the paganism of old; gods in the past have been exchanged for a plethora of gods in the present. Around us, especially during this time of year, we see clear expressions of spiritual darkness. Evil acts and representations abound with the air of fun and the promise of excitement. It is as if someone truly opened Pandora’s Box and all manner of wickedness now flourishes and is socially acceptable.
Since the present is becoming more reflective of Paul’s context, it is incumbent upon us as believers in Christ to follow closely Paul’s admonition above. Only when we shine the light of Christ in our lives by being separate, different and distinct from the world around will those trapped in its evil grip know and see that there is a better way of living. We must renew the call to “come out…and be separate”, shining our light brightly for all to see while being committed to not being a part with or supportive of the world around us that relishes in darkness. Only when we do so are we truly fulfilling His call to be His disciples and reflective of His reality in us.
No comments:
Post a Comment