Lesson 3 Choice 2

 I choose to do choice 2 this week.  Honestly I was wondering about this when I read thru this chapter.  It just seemed like it was too specific to only be talking about fornication.  But as I go along that word had a little bit different meaning in Pauls time

11.       Read the institute student manual commentary for 1 Corinthians 5: 1, 11 “Did Paul use the word Fornication as we use it Today?”  Write a few sentences comparing the moral condition of ancient Corinth with the moral condition of our day.

a.       Honestly it is very similar.  According to the institute manual the word fornication had a much broader use during Pauls time than now.  Now we think of it as sexual intercourse between 2 unmarried people.  “But the word which Paul used is porneia (the root word for our pornography) and meant any extramarital intercourse.”  Anything that aroused the sexual feelings that should only be used in marriage.  It went on to talk about how Corinth was very worldy and the temple of Venus was there with thousands of basically glorified prostitutes under the cloak of religious worship.  In our day today there is so much sex all around us.  We can’t get away from it.  Its on our TV and our billboards in magazines.  You have to try very hard to avoid it.  I am scared for my kids because there is no avoiding it.

22.      Read 1 Corinthins 5:7-13.  Describe in writing what Paul suggested the saints do to be protected against sin.  How do the Savior’s teachings in Matthew 5:29-30 apply to these principles?

a.       Paul suggests that we avoid it at all costs.  Mainly that we don’t spend time with people who do those things.  These principles are applies in Matthew 5:29-30 well because those things really do offend our spirits.  I think though that it is important to also realize that there are people who struggle with sins and that by just out casting them we are not being very Christlike either.   We have to be very careful to not participate in sin but also remember that everyone is either our brother or our sister and we need to love them as such.