1 Corinthians 5:6-13 “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? (7) Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover was sacrificed for us. … (11) But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person. (12) For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? (13) But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "Put away from yourselves the evil person.”
The Holy Spirit teaches us in the passage quoted above, that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. He is specifically talking about sin in believers being able to impact the lives of fellow believers. The reason that can happen is because we are all from the same lump, as we are all part of the body of Christ. Unbelievers are not part of our lump so to speak, and therefore their sin cannot affect us. Notice that the Holy Spirit counsels us to cut ties with these believers and to not even share a meal with them. The reason He says that, is because sin can be likened to a virus, and that virus can spread in the body, unless it is quarantined. And so, if we are not to share meals with believers that are practicing sin, then we are certainly not to lay hands on them to bless them either. Clearly we are to be obedient to the Holy Spirit’s admonition in scripture, and we are not to lay hands hastily on anyone.
Michael E.B. Maher
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