Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 6:14—7:1; 11:2-4
Ⅰ
"We are the temple of the living God"—2 Cor. 6:16:
A
God is our sanctuary, our dwelling place (Isa. 8:14a; Psa. 90:1), and we have been made a part of this sanctuary, so in the Epistles we are told that we are God's temple—1 Cor. 3:16; Rev. 21:2-3, 22.
B
In order to be the temple of God in reality, we have to be separated absolutely and thoroughly from anything which is against the divine nature and holy character of God so that we may perfect holiness in the fear of God—2 Cor. 7:1; 2 Pet. 1:4; 2 Tim. 2:22; Ecc. 4:9-12.
C
Because of their divine nature and holy standing the believers should not be yoked together with the unbelievers—2 Cor. 6:14:
１
The believers are righteousness, light, Christ, and the temple of God, and the unbelievers are lawlessness, darkness, Belial (Satan the devil), and idols—2 Cor. 6:14-15.
２
Paul's charge in 2 Corinthians 6:14 for the believers not to become dissimilarly yoked with unbelievers refers to Deuteronomy 22:10 which forbids the yoking together of two dissimilar animals, of a clean animal with an unclean animal:
ａ
If we intend to live in a holy way, we need to exercise care concerning our contact with people—1 Cor. 15:33.
ｂ
In Leviticus 11 the things we eat signify people, and eating signifies our contacting of people—Acts 10:11-15, 28:
⑴
Beasts that divide the hoof and chew the cud signify persons who have discernment in their activities and who receive the word of God with much reconsideration—vv. 2-3.
⑵
Aquatic animals having fins and scales signify persons who can move and act freely in the world and at the same time resist its influence—v. 9.
⑶
Birds that have wings for flying and that eat seeds of life as their food supply signify persons who can live and move in a life that is away from and above the world and who take the things of life as their supply of life—vv. 13-19.
⑷
Insects having wings and having jointed legs above their feet for leaping on the ground signify persons who can live and move in a life that is above the world and who can keep themselves from the world—vv. 21-22.
Ⅱ
"I am jealous over you with a jealousy of God; for I betrothed you to one Husband, to present a pure virgin to Christ"—2 Cor. 11:2; Exo. 34:14:
A
All the believers are virgins to Christ and are part of the corporate virgin to Christ, the bride for the Bridegroom (John 3:29), the wife of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7):
１
The subject of the entire Bible is a romance between God and His elect; the content of God's economy in brief is God falling in love with His chosen people—John 3:16; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7-8; Rev. 21:1—22:5.
２
As virgins to the Lord, we need to have a personal, affectionate, private, and spiritual relationship with Him—S. S. 1:1-4; Matt. 25:4, 9.
B
Today's "Judaizers" stir up questions to distract the believers from the precious person of the Lord Jesus, but the genuine ministry stirs up our love for the Lord Jesus as our Bridegroom so that we may enjoy Him to the uttermost as our Husband—2 Cor. 11:2-3:
１
The goal of the Lord's recovery is not to recover doctrine or theology but to recover Christ Himself as the unique Husband for us to love.
２
The apostle was fearful that the Corinthians would be distracted by the teachings of the Judaizers and would be separated from the genuine appreciation, love, and enjoyment of the precious person of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself as their life and everything—2 Cor. 11:2; 1 Tim. 1:3-4:
ａ
In the garden of Eden the eyes of Eve were opened, showing us that it is better to have our eyes closed unto the simplicity which is toward Christ, so that we are blind to everything except Him—Gen. 3:5-7; Acts 9:8.
ｂ
We should have the attitude that we do not know anything except the simplicity concerning Christ being our Savior, our Lord, our life, our Husband, and our everything, concerning the church as the unique expression of Christ, and concerning the practice of the church life on the unique ground of oneness—1 Cor. 4:10a.