By Nabil Habiby:
I am not one to focus on isolated Bible verses. I would rather reflect on entire passages and connective ideas throughout the text. But one particular verse has been on my mind ever since I preached from 1 Corinthians in my local church earlier this year.
No, it is not “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” or some other deep theological verse. The verse that brought me much joy and conviction is 1 Corinthians 5:12: “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?” These two rhetorical questions shape a biblical understanding of how Christians should engage people of drastically different beliefs, values, and lifestyles. We need to let these questions sink in if we want to be people of the Scriptures.