Koinonia of a Different Color
I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.” Revelation 18:4-5 NASB
Participate – Leave Babylon behind. For that matter, leave Sodom behind too. The risen Lord calls to His people, “Come out of her.” If we don’t, we are destined to share in her plagues.
The Greek text uses a familiar word in an unfamiliar context. Sugkoinoneo is a verb that means “to participate in something with someone.” It is made up of the preposition sun and the verb koinoneo. We often think of koinonia as the fellowship of the saints, but here this verb implies there is another fellowship – a fellowship with sinners. It isn’t necessary to actually commit the sins of these wicked people. It is enough to be in their company. “Come out,” before the judgment on them also falls on you.
Paul says that same thing in Ephesians 5:11. Children of the light cannot be associated with children of darkness. “Do not participate,” says Paul. Do not share in their corruption. Paul’s advice is to expose their wickedness. He tells us that it is disgraceful to even speak of things done in secret. What Paul means is connected with a deep rabbinic principle. Participation in wickedness profanes the name of God and the rabbis taught that this sin was so heinous that it could not be forgiven. Paul is very serious indeed in his exhortation to “come out.”
It’s unlikely that any of us will object. We understand perfectly the rationale behind these warnings. But that doesn’t mean we actually do what the Scriptures tell us to do. Bolstered by a Greek worldview that claims knowing the “truth” is enough, we often allow our guilt to be expunged by the theology that says Yeshua died for my sins past, present and future. We know we need to “come out” but we say, “Not yet.” We don’t have the dose of Scriptural reality injected by the rabbis. We believe God will forgive anything.
As a result, our lives are compromised. Since we don’t have the immediate symptoms of the plague, we act like Adam. We aren’t dead yet, so we reason that the prohibition (“in that day you shall surely die”) must not be completely true. What we haven’t noticed is that we did die. Life did slip into addictive imprisonment. We aren’t whole. We lost joy. We settled for survival. And all the while the Master is calling, “Come out.” There is nothing so paralyzing as intentional blindness.
Topical Index: participate, sugkoinoneo, come out, Revelation 18:4-5, Ephesians 5:11
NOTE ON SACRIFICE: There have been a lot of good blog comments on the last two TWs regarding sacrifice and offering. Some of those comments required me to rethink the TW and I have added corrections and additions in the blog. I encourage you to read the remarks there. Just go to the web site and click on the calendar day for July 4 and July 5.
Skip,
Stopping mid-stream seems to miss some salient points. While not participating in sin is a general requirement, this passage is more specific: “Come out of her . . . do not participate . . . render to her as she rendered to others . . . Pay her back double for what she has done! . . .Use the cup in which she has brewed to brew her a double-sized drink! . . . Give her as much torment and sorrow as the glory and luxury she gave herself! . . .”
So who is this “her” that is referred to, this “great city that rules over the kings of the earth” (17:18) earlier described as “Babel, great mother of whores” (17:5)?
See all the positive actions that are required. Not only come out, but render as she has rendered, pay back double, etc. This indicates “not participating” is not enough. The same Sha’ul who wrote Eph. 5:1 also wrote these words: “3 For although we do live in the world, we do not wage war in a worldly way; 4 because the weapons we use to wage war are not worldly. On the contrary, they have God’s power for demolishing strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah.” (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
It seems faith needs to be a little more proactive than it is.
Amen, Ian “proactive faith.” I like it. Intentionally,purposefully- “today” I will walk by faith, not by sight. Why? Biblical instruction- straight from the Source- the living and active word(s) of G-d. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him.” Where did this come from? From the word of G-d. I’m not making this stuff up,- dear brothers and sisters- “it is written.” This not my opinion, neither is it the opinion of any man- it is written for “whosoever will”- “walk by faith.” Looking for a new way of walking? A new way of talking? The right way of living? Looking for love (in all the wrong places?) Looking for life? For laughter? For joy? For peace (shalom)? Want to know the will of G-d? Want to know the wisdom of G-d? Want to know the ways of G-d? Look in His book. (and look no further..) Go to the Source. Drink from the springs of living water- the words of G-d. His book. His instructions for life (both) here and there, (both) now and later, yesterday, today and forever- the word of the LORD liveth and abideth forever. Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words will not pass away. “And the words of ADONAI are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.” (Psalm 12.6) “Every word of God is flawless/tested/tried/pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” (Proverbs 30.6)
Faith. We walk by faith- NOT by sight. NOT by our (limited) understanding- NOT by our intellect. NOT by the opinions of man, any man. We shema the words of our ADONAI. We listen-we obey. Whatever He says unto us (in His written, clearly revealed word,) we shema. This is faith: G-d speaks, we listen, our right-response is obedience. Whatever He says unto us- we do. (John 2.5) And it was these servants, (the ones who obeyed the instructions of the Master) who witnessed the water become wine. The ordinary became extra-ordinary. -Is this true?
Jesus fellowshipped with sinners to bring His Life and Light into their lives. He answered the Pharisees question of why did He eat with tax collectors and sinners was because those who are healthy do not need a physician for He came not to call the righteous to repentance, but the sinnersthe righteous. It’s in Matt. 9:11-13. Also that we are to go and make disciples and He talks about going to be salt. People come to know Him through getting to know Him in us. So how are you relating those factors too? He didn’t live with the sinners according to their way of life but He ate with them and went out to them, which shows me I need to go love the sinner, without participating in their sin which does involve fellowship.
Fellowship is much more than “hanging out” with sinners. It’s a mind/heartset. To be in “alignment with them, or “ECHAD”. The sinner is requested to change his mind and actions, not God. Yeshua went to the sinners to bring them home, not to dwell with them in their sin.
You’re right, but “come out” is about extracting myself from a way of living and a way of thinking, not cutting off all contact. Even when the people went into captivity, God instructed them to participate in the life of Babylon – but not as Babylonians. The point is not monasticism. It is visible difference.
Grandma use to say “birds of a feather flock together.”
“It isn’t necessary to actually commit the sins of these wicked people. It is enough to be in their company. “Come out,” before the judgment on them also falls on you.”
Skip,
Could you elaborate on what it means to be “in their company”? Where do we draw the line concerning being not of this world, but without turning to an aesthetic lifestyle like the Essenes? I would love input from anyone in the community….
Thanks,
RickY
Think of the instructions in Proverbs. Consulting with men who do not share a view of the sovereignty of God, practicing patterns of behavior that do not glorify God, aligning interests with those who disavow God’s priority – right down to the specifics – is one of the warnings of Proverbs. You’re right. We are not to becomes cloistered monks. We are to engage the world, but not from the world’s point of view. Think about your daily ordinary patterns of life. Ask yourself if these are driven by a Torah outlook and code of conduct or if they are simply traditions and unexamined patterns of the world.
Thanks very much:)
“We are to engage the world, but not from the world’s point of view.”
You are correct, Skip. I have never met a believer(s) who has engaged the world from the world’s point of view and not become like the world…..i.e. the “church.” 🙂
Jimmy
A quick rule of thumb might be: when you consider a problem or a goal, what is your FIRST thought about how to approach it? Then ask yourself if that first approach has a basis in Torah. If it doesn’t, you’re probably stepping into the world’s point of view.