THE KING’S BUSINESS
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many rich” (cf, ch. 8:9; 1 Cor. 1:5; Acts 3 :6 ); he had “nothing” of , this world’s wealth, yet he “possessed (the Greek word is a very strong one, denoting firm posses sion, holding fast) all things.” If we are in Christ, all things are ours (1 Cor. 3:21, 22; cf. Rom. 8:17; John 17:22)1 Friday, February 22 . 2 Cor. 6 : 11 - 13 . Paul had been charged With a, lack of frankness in his dealing with the Corin thians, but he repudiates this charge. He ' says, “our mouth is open unto you,” i. e., I use no concealment whatever, but use all frankness and Openness of speech. But he adds what was better still, that his mouth being open, his “heart” was- “enlarged,” i. e., there was no narrowness or smallness of affection toward them (cf. 1 Kings 4:29; Ps. 119:32). The openness of mouth came from the largeness of heart (cf. John 15:15). The straitness,,or constraint, which they felt toward him was not because of anything in him (any nar rowing of love'on his part), but it was' because of the narrowing of their own ' affection toward him (v. 12, R„ V.). How often we fancy that'there is in some one we love a strange constraint;'when in reality the constraint is"in ourselves. Paul pleads with them to pay “in like kind” (R. V.) his largeness of -heart toward them. Paul is very tender in his way;of putting it, he says, “I speak as unto my children.” Saturday, February 23 . 2 Cor. 6 : 14 - 18 . Paul here makes a strong plea for sepa ration. It was greatly needed in Corinth: it is equally needed today. He uses a figure taken from the Mosaic laW, “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers” (Deut. 22:10). These words forbid all alliances between the one who has a heart faith in Jesus Christ, with any one who has not such a faith. For example, it forbids the marriage of a regenerate person to one who is unregenerate (c f.' 1 Cor. 7:39;, Deut. 7:3).. I-t forbids business partnership of a Christian with one who is not. It forbids > all alliances in secret organizations of saved
and unsaved people. Paul gives five con clusive reasons for this prohibition. His reasons are: (1) That there can be no fellowship between righteousness. (and every believer is righteous in the sense that he is justified, accounted righteous, Acts. 13:39) with iniquity, and every one who has not accepted Christ is a rebel against God (Heb. 11:6; John 6:29; 3:36). (2) There can be no communion between light (and all believers are “sons of light,” 1 Thess. 5:5, R. V.) and darkness (and all unbelievers are in darkness, John 3:18, 19). (3) There can be no concord between Christ and Belial (i. e., worthlessness, a name here given to Satan and all that is opposed to Christ. The believer belongs to Christ, the unbeliever to Belial. There can therefore be no agreement of utterance between them). (4) A believer and unbe-. liever can have no common “portion” v. 15, R. V.). (5) A believer is a temple of God (cf. 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19) and there can be no agreement (accordance of sentiment) between Mm and idols (by which the world is governed, cf. Eph. 5:5). How foolish then for a believer to be associated in the close relations of marriage, or other intimate relations with an unbeliever. All of us who believe are “a temple of God.” Godi has said, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them” (Lev. *26:12; John 14:23). He has furthermore said, “I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Lev. 26:12; Jer. 31:33; 32:38; Ezra 37:26, 27). Since this is true, our part is clear: “Come ye out from among them, and be ye sepa rate (separated)” (Isa. 52:11; Hos. 5:17). We must not even touch any unclean thing. Whatever has a taint upon it, in business, social life, amusement, or anything else, do not touch it. That settles the theater question, the dance question, the card play ing question, the tobacco question, and many other questions. When we take this stand God will receive us unto Himself. The Greek verb translated “receive” in verse 17 is much stronger than merely receive, it is difficult to translate. Receive unto (or receive into) myself, is the
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