sexual immorality in Corinth

[Achilles6129]

For that to be a good example, God would have to strike down everyone who worshiped him incorrectly, and He doesn't do so.

Not necessarily true at all. Not everyone had Nadab/Abihu's experiences. Everyone's different. They seem to have been in a very privileged state and then fallen - that might have something to do with it.

 

[Achilles6129]

If you can't give us an example of a specific sin, then your point is irrelevant. We can determine from these examples that God's sense of righteousness is perfectly absolute, and that deviation from it is deserving of death, but none of this tells us that any specific act we might commit today is going to bring instantaneous death or is any way what John was talking about.

A "sin unto death" might not be a specific sin but might involve an individual in a specific state who commits a sin grave enough to cause his immediate destruction. Nadab and Abihu would be an example, as would Moses (who died because he disobeyed God at Meribah). Other examples abound throughout Scripture.

Here's my question for you: if it's referring to spiritual death here then why would he only be talking about a specific type of sin? Why wouldn't he be talking about all sin? All sin (conscious, at least) leads to spiritual death as far as I'm aware - unless you want to claim that the sin that he's talking about that leads to death is any conscious act of sin.

 

[RDKirk]

A "sin unto death" might not be a specific sin but might involve an individual in a specific state who commits a sin grave enough to cause his immediate destruction. Nadab and Abihu would be an example, as would Moses (who died because he disobeyed God at Meribah). Other examples abound throughout Scripture.

Moses did not die immediately--he lived a long, healthy, and fruitful life. Nadab and Abihu are very much a specific case, closer to the case of Uzzah than anything else. They did a specific thing that God had specifically warned against and died instantly in the middle of the act. No, deaths similar to Nadab and Abihu do not "abound" in scripture by any means.

Here's my question for you: if it's referring to spiritual death here then why would he only be talking about a specific type of sin? Why wouldn't he be talking about all sin? All sin (conscious, at least) leads to spiritual death as far as I'm aware - unless you want to claim that the sin that he's talking about that leads to death is any conscious act of sin.

What specific type of sin? Please specify it.

 

[Meowzltov]

Not necessarily true at all. Not everyone had Nadab/Abihu's experiences. Everyone's different. They seem to have been in a very privileged state and then fallen - that might have something to do with it.

Please define exactly what the sin was that Nadab and Abihu did that got them killed then, because I'm sure I don't understand you. Whatever it is, it has to be similarly punished across the board. If it is exclusive to them, then it makes no sense for John to bring up the subject.

 

[Achilles6129]

Please define exactly what the sin was that Nadab and Abihu did that got them killed then, because I'm sure I don't understand you. Whatever it is, it has to be similarly punished across the board. If it is exclusive to them, then it makes no sense for John to bring up the subject.

It doesn't have to necessarily be similarly punished across the board because everyone's different and every situation is different.

 

[Achilles6129]

Moses did not die immediately--he lived a long, healthy, and fruitful life.

He died because of the sin at Meribah. It was therefore a sin unto death.

Nadab and Abihu are very much a specific case, closer to the case of Uzzah than anything else. They did a specific thing that God had specifically warned against and died instantly in the middle of the act. No, deaths similar to Nadab and Abihu do not "abound" in scripture by any means.

Absolutely they do. Look at Korah/Dathan/Abiram and their 250 followers. Look at the high priest on the day of purgation where he has to raise the incense to cover the ark or he dies instantly. As a matter of fact, if you even looked at the ark of the covenant during the wilderness march you would die! Look at the incident with the golden calf. Look at King David, whose death apparently had to be substituted by the death of his son. Look at Jeremiah's opponent Hananiah. Look at Ezekiel's opponent Pelatiah. These sort of things abound in Scripture.

What specific type of sin? Please specify it.

Look at the passage - he's clearly not talking about all sin, because he differentiates between the "sin unto death" and sin not unto death. I'm asking you what the "sin unto death" is. It's clear that it has to be a specific type of sin because all sin is not the "sin unto death" that our author is talking about. Let's look at the passage again just for clarity:

"16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death." 1 Jn. 5:16-17 (NASB)

 

[Meowzltov]

It doesn't have to necessarily be similarly punished across the board because everyone's different and every situation is different.

Okay Achilles. As far as I'm concerned, if it's a sin exlusive to just a couple people, it makes no sense for John to address it. Thanks anyways for the chat.