Immorality Must Be judged
October 16, 2021
Commentary
A report came to Paul of a serious sin in the church at Corinth that was not being dealt with. The issue concerned a church member who was carrying on an incestuous affair with his stepmother. This kind of relationship was prohibited in the Old Testament (Lev. 18:8) and in Roman law. Paul gives them three specific instructions to follow when administering discipline as a church:
1. Mourn over the sin (vv. 1-2). Paul states that even godless, unsaved Gentiles would turn in shame from such a sin. Instead of mourning, the church members at Corinth were boasting that their church was so “broad-minded” that even fornicators could still be members in good standing. The response should have been grief for this brother, confronting him with his sin.
2. Judge the sin (vv. 3-5). By the authority vested in him as an apostle, Paul passed judgment on the offender and asked that they take action by calling a meeting and expelling him from the church, according to divine instructions (Matt. 18:15-20). Of course, this was to be done in love and with the purpose of restoration.
3. Purge the sin (vv. 6-13). Paul left no doubt that a church member committing open sin should be removed from the fellowship of the assembly. The sinning church member was like a piece of yeast; he was defiling the whole congregation. This should not be applied to those outside the church as such a stand would necessitate leaving this world.
You may be wondering how things worked out in Corinth. Let’s look to 2 Corinthians 2:4-8 for the answer. This whole matter of church discipline tells us something about the seriousness of sin. Sin in the church is so serious that Paul tells the Corinthians, “If this man will not repent of his sin, then deliver him unto Satan.” That’s pretty serious!
Application
The Bible instructs us not to criticize people by gossiping or making rash judgments but, at the same time, we are admonished to judge and deal with sin in our lives and the lives of others. Lord, help me to be more concerned about any sin that may be in my life than that in the lives of others.
1 Corinthians 5:1– 13 (NET)
1 It is actually reported that sexual immorality exists among you, the kind of immorality that is not permitted even among the Gentiles, so that someone is cohabiting with his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you have been deeply sorrowful instead and removed the one who did this from among you? 3 For even though I am absent physically, I am present in spirit. And I have already judged the one who did this, just as though I were present. 4 When you gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch of dough—you are, in fact, without yeast. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 So then, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of vice and evil, but with the bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. 10 In no way did I mean the immoral people of this world, or the greedy and swindlers and idolaters, since you would then have to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 12 For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you.