In verses 3 and 4 Paul lists certain things not fitting for saints: “But fornication and all uncleanness or unbridled greedy lust, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; and filthiness and foolish talking or coarse jesting, which are not becoming, but rather giving of thanks.” Nothing is more damaging to mankind than fornication. Unbridled greedy lust is a lust full of greed and uncontrolled. Such evil things should not even be named among us, as is fitting for saints, for persons separated unto God and saturated with God, living a life according to God’s holy nature.
Instead of foolish talking or coarse jesting, there should be the giving of thanks. To give thanks to God is to speak God as truth, whereas foolish talking or coarse jesting is to speak the Devil as falsehood.
Verse 5 says, “For this you know, knowing that every fornicator or unclean person or person of unbridled greedy lust, who is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” The Greek word rendered know is oida and signifies subjective knowledge, whereas the Greek word rendered knowing is ginosko and signifies objective knowledge. What Paul speaks in verse 5 we are to know both subjectively and objectively. We must realize that no fornicator or unclean person or person of unbridled greedy lust has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. In the eyes of God, a person of unbridled greedy lust is actually an idolater, one who worships idols.
In this verse Paul speaks of the kingdom of Christ and of God. The kingdom of Christ is the millennium (Rev. 20:4, 6; Matt. 16:28); it is also the kingdom of God (Matt. 13:41, 43). The believers have been regenerated into the kingdom of God (John 3:5) and are, in the church life, living in the kingdom of God today (Rom. 14:17). Not all believers will participate in the millennium; only the overcoming ones will. The unclean, defeated ones will have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God in the coming age.
According to John 3, all those who are regenerated are in the kingdom of God. Romans 14:17 also indicates that in the church life we are in the kingdom of God today. However, the millennium will be the kingdom in a way that is more practical than what we are experiencing in the church today. Only in the millennium does the kingdom of Christ also become the kingdom of God. Therefore, the term the kingdom of Christ and of God refers not to the kingdom today in the church life, but to the manifestation of the kingdom in the coming millennium. Today all believers are in the kingdom of God, but not all of them will have an inheritance in the coming millennial kingdom. Both the defeated ones and the overcoming ones may be in the church as the kingdom of God. But only the overcoming ones will inherit the kingdom during the millennium. The fornicators, the unclean persons, and those of unbridled greedy lust will have no share in the reign of Christ in the millennium.
Verse 6 continues, “Let no one deceive you with vain words, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.” The wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience mainly because of the three evil things spoken of in verse 3. The sons of disobedience are the unbelievers. We, the believers, are beloved children of God. Nevertheless, some of God’s children behave as if they were sons of disobedience. Therefore, the wrath of God will come upon them. For this reason, in verse 7 Paul tells us, “Do not become partakers together with them.” We should be good imitators of God and not be partakers of any unclean thing.