Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!sdd.hp.com!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: hudson@athena.cs.uga.edu (Paul Hudson Jr) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: PCUSA report on human sexuality Message-ID: Date: 10 May 91 07:21:35 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Georgia, Athens Lines: 40 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu When Paul said that we were not under law, he did not tell us to "continue in sin that grace may abound." This saying "not under law" can be taken out of context (of the Torah.) In I Corinthians 9, Paul explained that when he was among them without law, he bacame as one without law, not as being without law to God, but under the Law of Christ.) James describes our law as the "law of liberty." But notice in the letter in Acts which explained that we were not under the Law, we are given certain commands. No idolatry, no fornication, no eating blood. We should keep ourselves from sexual immorality. Unfortunately, there were some in the early church who did not believe this. From what I have read, there was a group in the early church called the Nicolatians who as a take-off on Paul's preaching of liberty said that it was okay for Christians to worsip idols and commit fornication, because God would forgive it. They are mentioned in Scripture. Revelation 2:14-16 This is Jesus speaking, "Nevertheless, I have a few thinngs against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by commiting sexual immoralit. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitians. Repent therefore! Otherwise I will son come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth." Jesus coming against them with the sword of his mouth. Why could he not do this today? Also read Peter's discussion of the "way of Balaam" In II PETER 2. Notice that it would have been better for those who turned from the gospel to these teachings to never have known the way of righteousness. It reminds me of the parable of the servant who knew the lord was returning and began to eat and dring with the drunken and beat his fellow servants. The servant who did not know was beaten with fewer stripes. I think we can conclude that the one who turns from the truth to following the way of Balaam will have a greater damnation than the one who never recieved the gospel. Think about it.