The Truth in Print Vol.
31, Issue 9, Oct. 2025
A Publication of the
Valley church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street,
Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Is Living With Another or Others Sin?
When
you seek first the kingdom of God you seek His righteous standard revealed in
His word, the New Testament (Matt. 6:33; Rom. 1:16-17). God’s standard differs
from what civil government considers civil disobedience, from political
parties’ misuse of the Bible to promote political agendas, and from what the
world often thinks of Christians. A “good report” can be someone’s hatred of
you for being faithful to Christ!
Does I Thess. 5:22 say living with another or others
is sin?
KJV 1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of
evil.
NKJV 1Th 5:22 Abstain from every form of
evil.
Notice the NKJV. The abstaining is from what is
actual evil, not what some disputant says while declaring it means appearance
and applies to housing (living quarters), and if someone lives with another or
others even though they aren’t having sex it’s sin. They’ve just made up their
own doctrine! (Cf. Jo 7.24; Matt 7:20) There could be no end to that kind of
thinking by surmising what might be
going on, and there are any number of combinations of who lives with whom. (Cf.
I Tim. 6:4 evil surmisings).
If
one puts I Th 5:22 with Eph 5:3 and says even if no sex is involved living with
another or others is evil, what have they done?
Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness,
or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;”
NKJV Eph 5:3 But fornication and all
uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting
for saints;
There are other things in the list (Eph 5:3-8). These
things are not even to exist among saints is the meaning.
Fornication was the condemnation of the brother in
the church at Corinth. The word “named” in Eph 5:3 is the same word as when
fornication had been commonly reported among the members of the church in
Corinth. There was an actual
truthful present report of fornication in the church at Corinth. What is said
is said about actual sin. This isn’t in the form of a warning that something
might happen. Nor is it one’s personal advice.
1Co 5:1 It is actually reported that there
is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even
named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father's wife!
The
NASB translated this way: 1Co 5:1 It is
actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a
kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's
wife.
If one is wrong about what the first verse they use
says by assuming I Th 5:22 teaches
living together with another or others is sin, and then gives Eph 5:3 to back
up a developing argument that even if no sex is involved living with another or
others is sin they make up a false charge! They might give a list of verses
that are supposed to “fit” their “appearance” explanation (based on what others
might surmise is happening) but they got it wrong! When you get it wrong and
hold on to the wrong for your premise you can’t get it back right while holding
to the wrong! Use as many verses as you like--- in keeping the wrong, you’re
wrong! This strife is costly on the church – calling something sin when there
is no evidence of actual sin leads to heresy. Don’t go there!
There are many verses stating Christians are to be
examples to others. If they use this false understanding and argument and say
living together with another or others is a poor example — what’s their poor
example? — well, of course, they go right back to I Th. 5:22. But their explanation of I Th. 5:22 was wrong to begin
with!
If they claim, somehow, that the outcome of being in
this so called sin and then praying to God to help them in a situation they put
themselves in is tempting God and presuming on God’s mercy—they’ve added
nothing that changes their error and wrong use of I Th. 5:22.
Heresies are choices made and parties formed against
sound doctrine—these bring disunion. Heresies must come so that those who are
approved might be made manifest (I Cor. 11:19). If others give in to false
teaching they fail when tested! A heretic after the first and second admonition
is to be rejected, understanding the person has endorsed error, is sinning, and
is self-condemned (Titus 3:10-11).
The Widow Of Zarephath In Sidon Had Elijah
Dwelling With Her And Her Child.
1Ki 17:9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs
to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for
you."
“Provide” [H3557 to sustain] – included his own
separate room to live in!
When her son died:
1Ki 17:19 And he said to her, "Give me
your son." So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper
room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.
“Room” H5944 indicates a stairway or loft room.
Elisha And The Shunammite Woman And Her Husband In
Shunem (2 Ki 4:8).
2Ki 4:9 And she said to her husband, "Look
now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us
regularly.
2Ki 4:10 Please, let us make a small upper room
on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a
lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in
there."
“Upper room” or “chamber” H5944 indicates a stairway
or loft room.
When Her Son God Blessed Her With Was Working With
His Father And Was Injured.
The Son Died And She Laid Him On Elisha’s Bed:
2Ki 4:32 When Elisha came into the house, there
was the child, lying dead on his bed.
2Ki 4:33 He went in therefore, shut the door
behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.
In time the child was raised up from the dead * 2 Ki
4:36-37.
At Philippi Lydia And Her Household Were The First
Converted.
Luke is with Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
Act 16:15 And when she and her household were
baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be
faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded
us.
The word “stay” or “abide” means dwell, live [G3306
stay, dwell, live].
And after they lived there she was still faithful to
the Lord as well as they!
At Corinth Paul Abode With Acquila And Priscilla.
Act 18:1 After these things Paul departed from
Athens, and came to Corinth;
Act 18:2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila,
born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that
Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
Act 18:3 And because he was of the same craft,
he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were
tentmakers.
The word “abode” or “stayed” means dwell, live [G3306
stay, dwell, live].
Was Aquila and Priscilla and Paul living in sin!
If the one so using I Th 5:22 says one living with
another or others is a stumbling block – that they reinforce christians are
hypocrites – that a weak christian may believe sin is Ok because they are
sinning – that they are setting up temptation and allowing the devil to use it
– that they are making provision for sin, etc., etc., that all ties to starting
out wrong folks! The one so arguing does not understand I Th 5:22.
We all know no christian should justify the excuse
for doing sinful things that others are so why can’t they do them too. Now that
truthfully is something to expose! Corinth had the adulterer. What does leaven in
bread do? Corinth’s members along with the adulterer had the bad leaven of
malice ( from an evil, vicious mind and the opposite of sincerity), and
wickedness (evil deeds that are the opposite of deeds done in righteousness).
I Th. 5:21 says test all things and hold fast to that
which is good. Have you ever had hard time and had to live with a married
couple and that make three? Has a husband and wife ever had to live with the
friend of one or both of them and that make three? That’s
care and benevolence not sin!
Let The Context Define The Charge When You Use
Certain Verses In Context.
If one wants to back up such an assumption on housing
and living arrangements using Rom.14:13,
then Rom. 14 says don’t judge one another in what context (Rom 14:3,5)? — while
offering a warning not to put a stumbling block. Eating vegetables or eating
meat, and observing days or not keeping them is not housing!
If one wants to back up such an assumption that
living together is sin based on I Cor. 8:9 and 10 – the warning against eating
meat sacrificed to idols is not a charge against where you live! You can read I
Cor 10:25-31 where Paul tells them when not to eat.
Anyone
eat meat sacrificed to idols in the presence of one having just left idolatry
this week? Where are the weak brethren in our churches having just come out of
idol’s temples?
If
one emphasizes Satan often uses other persons to tempt into fornication—that’s
a good warning but I Th 5:22 and Eph 5:3 do not teach living together with
another or others is sin!
If
one wants to allude to making provision for sin (Rom 13:14) –that’s forethought
or preplanning so you can sin. Have they ever heard of asking? -- asking rather
than making false assumptions about what another is doing and trying to
foretell the future!
The Valley Church of
Christ
2375 W. 8th Street,
Yuma, AZ 85364
(928) 782-5058 ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services –
Classes ~10:00; Assembly 10:50 am; Evening: 6:00 pm.
Wednesday evening –
7:00 pm
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