4. I have not sat with vain persons. True
citizens have no dealings with traitors. We need to see, and speak, and trade
with people of the world, but we must on no account take our rest and solace in
their empty society. Not only the profane but the vain are to be shunned by us.
All those who live for this life only are quite unworthy of a Christian’s
friendship. It is well to keep from tolerating the vain, lest we should come to
admire the wicked. Neither will I go in with dissemblers. Since I know
that hypocritical piety is double iniquity, I will cease all acquaintance with
pretenders. This clause is in the future tense; the writer felt no desire to
begin an acquaintance with characters whom up till then he had shunned. Those
who would be transfigured with Jesus must not be disfigured by conformity to
the world. As there are vain people outside the church, so there are
dissemblers in it, and both are to be shunned.
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