**After a busy weekend, I'm going to read three chapters today and three tomorrow to catch up. Anyone who has been following along can just keep moving at the same pace.
1. What stood out to me from this chapter?
Next to John 3:16, the next most quoted verse of the Bible by nonbelievers and believers alike is "Judge not lest ye be judged." Although usually quoted without any knowledge of who said it or in what context it was shared, it does connect with a theme throughout especially the new testament. We are not God, and we are supposed to let God judge all people. Yet at what point are we supposed to remind people of behaviors that comply with God's scriptural outline rather than conflict with it? Is that judging? Here in these chapters, Paul makes a helpful (although not easy) clarification. We are not supposed to judge the behaviors of those outside the church, but we are to let God be their judge. However, we are supposed to judge the behaviors among people inside the church. We are not supposed to tolerate ungodly behaviors (specifically sexual immorality in chapters 5-6) within the church. Even though we are not playing eternal judge, we are using judgement to strengthen each other and the church as a whole.
2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?
In Ecclesiastes 3:17 we read, "I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.” The writer of Ecclesiastes also knew, like Paul, that we aren't supposed to pass judgment on every deed of every person, because God will hold every person accountable to what they did. Paul says a similar thing in 1 Cor. 4:4-5.
3. What does this mean for my life?
In 1 Cor. 6:19-20, we are told that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we should honor God with our bodies. Although it is in the context of sexual immorality, I tend to also apply this more broadly to taking care of ourselves. We need our bodies to continue to allow God to use us here on earth, so to take care of them is to honor God who dwells within us.
4. What questions do I have about this passage?
Are some of the instructions in this passage meant for a certain church at a certain time? Or are they all timeless? Specifically, I wonder about the idea of expelling someone from the church for certain sins. Is that still something that should happen. If so, how and for what offenses?
Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!
In Christ,
Dan
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