1st Cor 5:12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside.
This is promptly followed by a command to "drive out the wicked from among you".
The critical distinction here being between those who have chosen to be of the church versus the rest of us unwashed Heathens. There is nothing here, in Paul's own words, to indicate that all the world is bound by his pronouncements. Only those who believe as he has taught them are under geas to follow Paul's commands.
The same is true of the old testament. Only the sons of Israel are bound by the 613 Mitzvot. In fact, for anyone outside the community to observe the mitzvot is wrongful, and, in the days of the Sicarii, a gentile could find himself suddenly dead at their hands should he, as an uncircumcised pagan, even discuss torah.
(If the gentile was lucky, he would only suffer immediate circumcision w/o benefit of anesthesia.)
To whit, the rules only apply to those WITHIN the organization.
It is clear that Paul would love everyone to join, in fact we would lie, cheat, and steal, if necessary towards that end, (How positively Machiavellian of him!) ;D
1st Cor 9:19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law)*, so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (NIV)
This is promptly followed by a command to "drive out the wicked from among you".
The critical distinction here being between those who have chosen to be of the church versus the rest of us unwashed Heathens. There is nothing here, in Paul's own words, to indicate that all the world is bound by his pronouncements. Only those who believe as he has taught them are under geas to follow Paul's commands.
The same is true of the old testament. Only the sons of Israel are bound by the 613 Mitzvot. In fact, for anyone outside the community to observe the mitzvot is wrongful, and, in the days of the Sicarii, a gentile could find himself suddenly dead at their hands should he, as an uncircumcised pagan, even discuss torah.
(If the gentile was lucky, he would only suffer immediate circumcision w/o benefit of anesthesia.)
To whit, the rules only apply to those WITHIN the organization.
It is clear that Paul would love everyone to join, in fact we would lie, cheat, and steal, if necessary towards that end, (How positively Machiavellian of him!) ;D
1st Cor 9:19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law)*, so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (NIV)
As I am, of my own free will, (unless you're a reformed xtian. But today is not about election, or ultimate depravity), am not a member of the body of christ, I am not bound by your laws, and have no desire to be so bound. And I resent, to put it mildly, your insistence that I, as a member of a country whose government is solidly based on purely secular principles, be bound by your religious laws.
*So Paul is NOT under the law (god's), Yet a sentence later he is NOT free of god's law, but is under christ's law. Parse that if you please.... Hmm... This is an interesting distinction which might have repercussions regarding trinitarian thought and the unity of the godhead.
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