7:1) This
verse so evidently belongs to the preceding that we append it here. Accordingly, having these promises,
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every stain of flesh and spirit,
bringing to its goal holiness in God’s fear! The fervency of 6:11–13
appears in the address “beloved,” the verbal of ἀγαπᾶν (on ἀγάπη see 2:4). This is not a mere term of
affection since on Paul’s part it implies the love of true understanding and of
purpose according therewith. The great promises, all of which are pure gospel,
are the motivation to which Paul appeals.
The
subjunctive καθαρίσωμεν is hortative: “let us cleanse,” and is
properly the aorist to express a cleansing that actually cleanses. Call it the
effective aorist. This aorist does not denote a single act as some suppose who
then stress the idea of its being single and compare it with the single act
when God cleanses in baptism and in justification. We see the force of this
aorist when we note what the present subjunctive or imperative would say,
namely enjoin a constant cleansing, a working at it all the time, which would
rather imply that the filth is never removed or that it multiplies as fast as
we cleanse it.
Some also
express surprise that Paul includes himself; but this is unwarranted. Paul
writes plainly about himself in Phil. 3:12–14, compare 1 John 1:8–10. Neither
Paul nor John were perfectionists. Believers cooperate with God, and one of the
activities in which they do this is in keeping themselves clean, “keeping
themselves unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). They refuse to touch
anything unclean (6:17). They resist temptation. It is about this
self-cleansing that Paul speaks. With it goes repentance for sin that we still
commit, which brings God’s cleansing, who is “faithful and righteous to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity” (1 John 1:9). We are, indeed,
clean (John 13:10; 15:3; 1 Cor. 6:11), and yet we need to wash our feet (John
13:10); every branch must be purged to bear more fruit (John 15:2), we must
fight sin and temptation.
“From every
stain of flesh and spirit” = from everything that would defile either body or
soul. The question is raised whether Paul could write this phrase, and the
answer given is negative. First, there is the rare word (found only here in the
New Testament) μολυσμός; but in 1 Cor. 8:7 Paul has the verb μολύνω, and the noun appears in the LXX, in Plutarch, and in
Josephus. It may happen to any writer that even in a large volume he uses a
certain word only once.
Next, here is
stain “of flesh and of spirit,” and it is asked how flesh can still be stained,
and how it is possible to stain the spirit. The matter is almost elementary: σάρξ = the body in its material substance of flesh; πνεῦμα = the immaterial part as distinguished from the material (see C.-K.
946, at the bottom, where our passage just precedes). In English we usually say
“soul” to refer to man’s immaterial part; our “soul” approaches the Greek πνεῦμα and rises considerably above ψυχή, which is often used to designate only the “life” that animates the
body.
The genitives
may be regarded as objective; there are sins that stain our bodily flesh, all
those that need our bodily members for their commission, and there are sins
that stain the spirit or soul such as thoughts, wrong ideas, philosophies,
false doctrines, etc. Away with all of them! The latter are worse than the
former, less readily regarded as sins, less easily cleansed away.
The fact that
the aorist subjunctive, while it is effective, denotes a process appears from
the present participle: “bringing to its goal holiness in God’s fear.” Ἁγιωσύνη, which is one of those words that are derived from an
adjective by means of the suffix -σύνη in order to express quality, is not the action of sanctifying: Heiligung, but the
resultant quality of holiness: Heiligkeit. “In God’s fear” (see 5:11) = in this ethical sphere.
The objective genitive names God as the one who is feared.
Although it is
called a low motive, one that is no longer used by Christians today, it is not
only found throughout Scripture but belongs to the highest Christian motivation
even as Paul uses it here. It goes hand in hand with love: love is the positive
side, fear the negative; love prompts one to do what pleases God, fear prompts
one to refrain from what displeases God. Neither can dispense with the other;
neither functions alone. Fear in the sense of “terror” is quite another matter.
This could not be called the beginning of wisdom, Prov. 9:10; Ps. 111:10; it is
the deadly dismay which the wicked experience when God’s judgment finds them out.
Ἐπιτελεῖν = ἐπί plus τέλος, “to bring to a goal.” The durative tense is
iterative, and the participle modifies the main verb in the aorist. Thus: we
cleanse ourselves effectively when in every instance that presents itself we
turn from the stain of flesh and spirit and thereby ever and again reach the
goal, which is holiness in God’s fear. In each case the holiness is the one
attained in that case. The durative participle excludes sanctification that is
attained by one act; moreover, our
actions are here stated and not an action by which God totally sanctifies us in
one instant.
Now a word
regarding the “criticism” which would remove 6:14–7:1 from its place in this
epistle irrespective of the suggestions that are offered as to what to do with
this paragraph. Every known text has this paragraph where it is. The style and
the substance are Pauline. The rare words that occur offer no basis for doubt.
The question raised can be based only on the idea that this paragraph does not
fit properly into the connection. But this doubt is raised by the critics
already in regard to 6:11–13, yes, and 6:3–13. But this raising of doubt should
raise another question, namely whether these critics have followed Paul’s
thought in its whole connection with 6:1, 2. We have seen how 6:3–10 is exactly
in line with what precedes, and how 6:11–13 is due to 6:3–10. This is true also
with regard to 6:14–7:1, a paragraph that is beautifully wrought in detail and
exactly in place.
Opening their
hearts wide to Paul and to his assistants in reciprocity for the way in which
Paul has opened his own and his assistants’ hearts for them can mean only one
thing, namely separation from all cooperation with unbelievers no matter who
they may be. This is not merely stated, it is elaborated, and exactly as Paul
would elaborate it, namely by going to the bottom of what such cooperation
would mean and by casting also the full light of Scripture upon what it means.
Those are mistaken who think that this paragraph repeats 1 Cor. 8 and is aimed
only at idols, or that it is aimed only at Judaizers and opponents of Paul.
Since they are believers, indeed, who have become God’s righteousness in Christ
(5:21), who have not received God’s grace in an empty way (6:1), who recognize
the day of salvation (6:3), who appreciate Paul’s example (6:3–10) and thus
reciprocate his appeal to them (6:11–14), the Corinthians will drop and shun
all wrong connections and embrace God’s great promises with Paul and his
assistants and will cleanse themselves and in every instance bring their
holiness to its goal. In this whole letter we find what 7:1 again reveals: Paul
joins the Corinthians to himself: “let us cleanse ourselves.” He does not pose
as a saint who rebukes them because they are unclean. He wins them by doing
what he asks them to do. See the full beauty of this mutuality and appreciate
its effect on the Corinthians themselves when they read these words. (R.
C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul's First and Second Epistle to
the Corinthians [Minneapolis: Minn.: Augsburg Publishing House, 1963],
1090-94)