There are some problematic verses in the Pauline epistles which can cause misinterpretation and loss of the assurance of eternal salvation.
No. 1
1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. The Corinthian saints were unrighteous but, they were washed, sanctified and justified (1 Corinthians 6:11) ; being justified, they should live accordingly. They were bought at a price and therefore, should glorify God (1 Corinthians 6:20).
No. 2
1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Believers are not saved unto eternal life by keeping the gospel in memory, but by simply believing the gospel of our redemption in Christ (Romans 3:21-26 1 Corinthians 1:21).
The salvation in view in 1 Corinthians 15:2 is that of being saved from the error of false doctrine. There were some saying there was no resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12); this was the error the Corinthians needed to be saved from. Their faith and work for the Lord was being undermined by this false teaching; Paul exhorted them to be stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).
No. 3
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The Galatians were being misled in reverting back to the law (Galatians 5:4) to overcome the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19). Paul was admonishing them to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16).
Paul was enumerating the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 in contrast to the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 and charging them to crucify the flesh as being dead and freed from sin in Christ (Romans 6:6-7).
No. 4
Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Paul was imploring the Ephesians to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2) and to not let the sins of unrighteousness be named among them as becoming who they were, saints in Christ (Ephesians 5:3). Paul in Ephesians 5:7 was beseeching the saints not to be partakers with them who are named in Ephesians 5:5 but rather, to walk, or conduct their lives, as children of light (Ephesians 5:8), proving what is acceptable unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:10), and to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11) as named in Ephesians 5:5.
No. 5
Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Believers were being entreated to live worthy of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work (Colossians 1:10).
Paul wanted to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28) according to the knowledge that we have hope according to the gospel (Colossians 1:5), that we have been translated into the kingdom of the Son (Colossians 1:13) and have redemption through the blood of Christ, even the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:14).
In Light of all this, we should strive to present ourselves unblameable and unreproveable in his sight by our lives and walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing (Colossians 1:10) out of thankfulness (Colossians 1:12).
No. 1
1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. The Corinthian saints were unrighteous but, they were washed, sanctified and justified (1 Corinthians 6:11) ; being justified, they should live accordingly. They were bought at a price and therefore, should glorify God (1 Corinthians 6:20).
No. 2
1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Believers are not saved unto eternal life by keeping the gospel in memory, but by simply believing the gospel of our redemption in Christ (Romans 3:21-26 1 Corinthians 1:21).
The salvation in view in 1 Corinthians 15:2 is that of being saved from the error of false doctrine. There were some saying there was no resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12); this was the error the Corinthians needed to be saved from. Their faith and work for the Lord was being undermined by this false teaching; Paul exhorted them to be stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).
No. 3
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The Galatians were being misled in reverting back to the law (Galatians 5:4) to overcome the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19). Paul was admonishing them to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16).
Paul was enumerating the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 in contrast to the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 and charging them to crucify the flesh as being dead and freed from sin in Christ (Romans 6:6-7).
No. 4
Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Paul was imploring the Ephesians to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2) and to not let the sins of unrighteousness be named among them as becoming who they were, saints in Christ (Ephesians 5:3). Paul in Ephesians 5:7 was beseeching the saints not to be partakers with them who are named in Ephesians 5:5 but rather, to walk, or conduct their lives, as children of light (Ephesians 5:8), proving what is acceptable unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:10), and to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11) as named in Ephesians 5:5.
No. 5
Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Believers were being entreated to live worthy of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work (Colossians 1:10).
Paul wanted to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28) according to the knowledge that we have hope according to the gospel (Colossians 1:5), that we have been translated into the kingdom of the Son (Colossians 1:13) and have redemption through the blood of Christ, even the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:14).
In Light of all this, we should strive to present ourselves unblameable and unreproveable in his sight by our lives and walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing (Colossians 1:10) out of thankfulness (Colossians 1:12).
