We continue with what the apostle Paul was speaking about concerning those whose work would be burned up.

“Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Cor 5:5)

Who was the Apostle referring to here when he states that such a one would be delivered over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit might be saved in the Day of the Lord?

Once again, the context confirms that he was speaking to the anointed, “those sanctified in Christ Jesus”.

What did he mean by their being delivered over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh? Are they physically delivered over to Satan?

In the Tabernacle picture there were two goats tied to the door of the Tabernacle.

“The two goats standing at the door of the Tabernacle represent all of the Lord’s consecrated church at this present time, but show us that it consists of two classes. Both classes were consecrated alike, but both do not go through the same experiences. The one class (typified by the “lord’s goat”) follows precisely the experiences of the Lord, as the goat’s experiences corresponded to those of the bullock: but the other class, typified by the scapegoat, is the great company, who, while making a full consecration of self-sacrifice in the same manner as do the little flock, hold back, neglect to lay down their lives sacrificially…” (R4035:4)

“This scapegoat IS NOT sacrificed, does not come upon the Lord’s altar, but is sent away into the wilderness for the ‘destruction of the flesh.’ The wide difference between sacrifice (of the flesh) and destruction (of the flesh) must be observed and appreciated.” R4035

“And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat (the scapegoat). Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.” (Lev 16:20-22)

“Some have concluded (howbeit erroneously) that the antitypical “fit man” is Satan himself. Undoubtedly, they base their conclusions on the words of the Apostle found here in our text under consideration. Of course, it is recognized that in the type the “fit man” was merely anyone conveniently available to lead the scape-goat out of the Court, through and beyond the Camp, into the wilderness (land of separation), there to let him go.

“Lev 16:28 teaches that those principally instrumental in reproaching, reviling and destroying the humanity of Jesus (the bullock) and the humanity of his ‘little flock’ (the Lord’s goat) will have no special punishment for it, because they do it ignorantly—likewise Lev 16:26 teaches the same lesson relative to those who will be instrumental in bringing the trouble and consequent destruction of the flesh (death) upon the ‘great company’ represented by the scapegoat. Nevertheless, they will be obliged to obtain of the Lord special forgiveness for these wrongdoings, but eventually shall stand on the same footing as other men.” (T75, 76)

Many of these will be among those for whom the prophet Daniel spoke, who will awake “to shame and age lasting (the millennial age) contempt.” (Dan 12:2)

So, in essence it is not physically Satan who accomplishes the destruction of the flesh of these individuals, but nevertheless their fleshly destruction comes through or by means of his agencies.

What is this spirit spoken of and how would the destruction of the flesh insure its survival?

The spirit is the new mind, the creature in them, “they consecrated their justified human life, and God accepted that consecration and reckoned them, according to their covenant, dead as human beings and alive as new—spiritual— creatures. But, by their failure to carry out the contract of self-sacrifice, they cut themselves off from the ‘Royal Priesthood’—from membership in the Body of Christ. “Every branch in me that bears not fruit, he takes away.” —John 15:2 (T68, 69)

“So far as the great company is concerned, God’s permitting them to share in the trouble at the end of this age will be for their own development. Their covenant was unto death; and unless they lose their lives in obedience to the Lord, unless they prove faithful unto death, they will not be worthy of any position on any plane. Hence it will be to their own personal advantage that they suffer in that time. They are said to suffer for the iniquities, the sins and transgressions of the people of the world as the anti-typical scapegoat. Instead of allowing that merit of the great company to go for nothing, the Lord makes a credit of it, as it were, to balance the world’s account for willful sins.” (R5463:6–R5464:1)

We will continue with our next question in our next post.