Fellowship – BT9:  Divine limits to our Christian fellowship with others

 

 

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But just as with  unconditional-love, there are divinely-specified limits as to how far you can go with koinonia fellowship, especially with unbelieving, divisive, false teachers in the Church (a), especially that we should carefully, watchfully, be wary of the legalistic leaven of the Pharisees (b), even to “have nothing to do with this, do not be koinonia partners with this, flee this, destroy every argument and lofty opinion raised by them, taking every one of their thoughts captive to obey Christ, rebuke them sharply, silence them, and even charge them to stop” (c). Notes> a) Romans 16:17, b) Matthew 16:6, 11-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1; 1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9, c) Titus 1:11, 13; 1 Timothy 4:7, 6:10; 2 Timothy 2:14, 23; Titus 3:10; Ephesians 5:7; 2 Corinthians 10:5.

 

Paul doesn’t mince words!  Therefore closely watch so-called Christian teachers (a), even who you may ordain for ministry because you don’t want to koinonia co-participate in their sins (b), even closely watching yourself so you don’t lose your reward by lambano ‘taking hold of to receive’ people who “don’t abide in the teaching of/about Christ,” not even greeting them so as to koinonia co-participate in their wicked works (c).  There are definitely limits to your love and fellowship! <Notes> a) 1 Timothy 4:16, b) 1 Timothy 5:22, c) 2 John 1:8-11,

 

There’s certainly a divinely-specified limit how far our unconditional-love and koinonia fellowship with UNBELIEVERS can go!  Paul warns Christians to in-possibility-NOT be changed-sharers-together-with (a) the sons of disobedience for which God’s wrath is coming, [I strongly urge you to] ongoingly in-possibility-NOT sugkoinoneo co-participate-together-with the unfruitful deeds/works of darkness but rather reprove (b) them” (c).  One of those “unfruitful deeds” was common temple sacrifices to idols.  These sacrifices are actually to demons and so Paul thelo ‘strongly desires or wills’ that they absolutely-in-fact-NOT ongoingly have koinonia fellowship with demons” (d). <Notes> a) sun + metochos, b) elegcho: correct/convince with solid, compelling evidence, c) Ephesians 5:5-11, d) 1 Corinthians 10:19-20; Revelation 9:20.

 

Paul also strongly urges with the imperative:  “Ongoingly do in-possibility-NOT routinely/habitually unequally-yoke/harness/connect-together with (a) unbelievers, for what changed-sharing (b) has righteousness with lawlessness, or what koinonia fellowship has light with darkness” (c)?  The Lord’s voice warns Christians “to come out from Babylon in order that you definitively/wholly in-possibility-NOT sugkoinoneo co-participate-with her sins, lest you receive her punishing-calamities/plagues” (h).  Many prophecy experts have seen “Babylon the Harlot” as the corrupt Roman Catholic Church at the end of time before Christ’s return.  Many have seen the Vatican ties to corruption throughout the world.  The Vatican’s net worth is at least 15 billion.

 

<Notes> a) heteros + zugos = with different + harness that connects inexperienced animals with experienced animals for training purposes, or a disciple/student with a rabbi/teacher.  If mismatched animals, then the harness won’t work very well and/or the animals won’t learn from each other.  Either way, their training will be either take much longer or never happen to get the job done, b) metoche from metochos: changed due to sharing or being an active-partaker with, c) 2 Corinthians 6:14, h) Revelation 18:1-4.

 

But there’s even a limit to fellowship with so-called Christians!  1 Corinthians 5:9-13 says “in-possibility-NOT to ongoingly mix-to-identify-with (a) sexually-immoral people – not at all meaning the sexually-immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to leave this world, but now I am writing to you in-possibility-NOT to ongoingly mix-to-identify-with (a) anyone who bears the name of ‘brethren’ if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler – even in-possibility-NOT to eat with such a one.  For what have I to do with judging outsiders?  Is it not those inside the Church who you are to judge?  God judges those outside!  ‘Purge the evil person from among you!’”  Once again the teaching that “we should never judge anybody” is just a false “wind of doctrine” to mislead people!  See Unconditional-Love – BT16 for starters.  <Notes> a) sunanamignumi: with + up + mix, so mix closely/intimately-together with upward toward a purpose, thus to be identified with.

 

2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14 “orders (a) in the name/authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw/keep-away from any brethren who is routinely/habitually walking/living as a transient (b) and/coupled in-possibility-NOT kata down-from/according-to the tradition that you received from us . . . if anyone does absolutely-in-fact-NOT obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and/thus do in-possibility-NOT ongoingly mix-to-identify-with (c) him in order that he may be ashamed – see Donations & Ministry Finances.  <Notes> a) paraggello: orders or charges, as a commander his troops, b) ataktos: not + arranged/ordered, so out-of-line, disorderly, unruly, in context: that refuses to work for their own food/needs, c) sunanamignumi: with + up + mix, so mix closely/intimately-together with upward toward a purpose, thus to be identified with.

 

Reflections:

 

As Christian musicians, why are we judging non-Christian musicians more harshly than Christian musicians living in just about every sin imaginable?  Isn’t judgment supposed to start in the house of God?  I’m ashamed to say that I’ve been in worship-ministries for pastors that were actually teachers of the Law that were pointing the finger at every other church completely oblivious that Paul would have kicked them out of the Church for teaching Moses!  And when I said something about it, they said, “Maybe you need to find another place to worship?”  Then couldn’t admit that they violated the clear doctrine of the NT.  Some were teaching philosophy from an unbelieving world!

 

I had to write a resignation letter to all the elders of the Christ United Methodist Church in Tucson where I worked for a year because they were severely violating scripture in at least 4 ways!  I could no longer violate my conscience playing for a church involved in so much sin.  I could NOT koinonia share/co-participate-in or sugkoinoneo co-participate-together-with or be sunmetochos changed-sharers-together-with or sunanamignumi mix-to-identify-with in their sin!  Yes, there were good, godly people there, but the organization was tolerating abominable sin!

 

Yes, ALL Christians and churches need to judge/critique themselves for “borrowing” so much from the world, in violation of Romans 12:2, to help them become more “successful,” because these are just stones building The Great Wall quenching the Holy Spirit.  I’ve played in several big churches that were run more like a secular corporation, and I’ve worked for enough of those to know this well, than as a godly ministry.  I’ve seen what goes on behind the “Wizard of Oz” curtain!  If more Christians did, they would run from these churches!  I eventually did!  We have to come out from Babylon!  I know more unbelievers who are honest about than their problems, weaknesses, and sin than most Christians I’ve worked with!  Revival always begins out in the streets and some of the last ones to get it are the pastors!

 

 

 

 

 

Spiritual Education, Divine limits to our Christian fellowship with others, No fellowship with certain people, divisive false-teachers, Law-teachers, Christ-denying (anti-Christ) teachers, unrepentant brethren in wickedness sexually-immoral greedy swindlers idolaters revilers drunkards, brethren who won’t work for a living, paid-ministry was a sign of a false prophet in the Didache, with the sins of unbelievers, idol-worshippers, No unequal yoking with unbelievers, In the end the Catholic Church is Babylon the Harlot, Judgment begins in the Church