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.
We should walk as described in verses one, two, and four because "this ye know!” The people characterized by these sins have no inheritance. That word is crucial. It reveals that this verse cannot be talking about salvation, because salvation is not an inheritance. It is a gift, as was established in 2:8-9. By definition, an inheritance is earned by actions and can be denied. As such, what these sins threaten are the rewards mentioned in I Corinthians 3, not eternal salvation. Notice too that this inheritance is related to the kingdoms. Both are found in this verse – the literal, physical Kingdom of heaven with Christ on the throne, and the spiritual Kingdom of God. To be stained by these sins does not deny entrance to those kingdoms for the church-age believer, but it does deny benefits within those Kingdoms.
As for the nature of the sins included here, we would once again benefit from defining them clearly. The term “whoremonger” appears only in the New Testament, and is always included within a list of sins that carry clear and severe consequences. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary states that this term describes “one who practices lewdness.” It is, of course, associated with “whoredom” and “whores,” which carry additional significance in Scripture beyond sexual sin; the term is often used to describe idolatry, notably in Ezekiel 16:36 and Ezekiel 23:7.
The concept of “unclean” first appears in Leviticus. While it can be used to describe literal, physical uncleanness, Leviticus 10:10 makes the use of the word more significant: “And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean.” The parallel structure shows a connection between uncleanness and unholiness (rather than limiting the term to merely the physical).
“Covet” is often associated with the ten commandments in the twentieth chapter of Exodus, but the first appearance is actually in Exodus 18:21 (showing that God’s standards did not suddenly change at the dispensation of the law even though His chosen means of dealing with mankind did). White provides us with the best definition: “the action of eagerly wanting something within one’s reach.” This is not inherently negative; I Corinthians 12:31 uses “covet” in a positive sense. However, the overwhelming majority of passages that include the word use it in the negative sense – an eager desire for something God has forbidden.
The structure of the sentence in verse five leaves some ambiguity with to which sin “idolater” also applies. A cursory reading might overlook that idolatry is connected to at least one other sin in the verse; when it is noticed, one might assume that it applies to the covetous man, since that is the most immediate context. However, I would argue that “idolater” can and does apply to the entire list. Notice that each sin is singular: the verse is talking about one hypothetical person. If we consider the meaning of each sin listed, there is a common thread that allows us to apply the label of “idolater” overall. A “whoremonger” is already associated with idolatry, but even in its literal sense we are faced with the sin of worshipping the creation more than the Creator through sexual sin (Romans 1:25). “Uncleaness” can carry a dual meaning with the physical and the spiritual, as does “covet” (“thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife” in Exodus 20:17). So while each of these sins can allude to a physical sin, it would seem they find their common denominator in idolatry: placing something physical above God, and reaping the physical consequences thereof.
All that being said, meditating on this verse has forced me to accept that I simply do not have as much light on it right now as I need in order to exposit on it fully. I recognize that I am assuming that the kingdom inheritance is the same as the rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ with very little ability to support that assumption at this time. I also do not yet understand how to differentiate between the inheritance here, and that mentioned in Ephesians 1:1, assuming that they even need to be differentiated! It certainly seems so to me, but I cannot say so with absolute confidence. I also freely admit this verse causes me to ask, “What qualifies a person as sinning to the degree that he or she receives one of these labels and will be denied an inheritance?” But I also recognize that question is being asked by a faulty heart: it is a question looking for how much I can sin, rather than seeking to utterly avoid it. In short, I must follow wise advice given by Pastor James Knox: when you encounter a verse that you do not fully understand yet, do not try to force it to mean something; be honest and leave it alone until God provides more light on it at a later time.
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