Sin in The Church

Commentary

The sins Paul mentions in this passage are either the result of church division or caused by lax morality which disunity tends to produce (vv. 20-21).  Legalism and immorality are often frequent bedfellows (Philippians 3:3,19). If you don’t believe this is true, just look at the great number of legalistic churches today where the pastor or someone on staff has gotten involved in immorality with someone in the church. Then, this sin is often just “swept under the rug” by others. 
Paul lists what might be called the 11 marks of the “unchristian” Church. There are (1) debates that denote rivalry and discord; (2) envying which is the desire to have what is not ours to have. There are (3) outbursts of wrath which denote sudden explosions of passionate anger, for which afterwards you are bitterly sorry; (4) strife which describes that selfish and self-centered ambition which is in for what it can get out of it for itself. There are (5) backbiting and (6) whisperings. The first word describes the open, loud-mouthed attack, the insults against those whose views are different. The second is a much nastier word which describes the whispering campaign of malicious gossip. There are (7) swellings (conceits) where a man magnifies himself when he should magnify his office; (8) tumults which is the word for disorders and anarchy. Finally, there are the sins of which some of the Corinthians may not have repented. There is (9) uncleannesswhich describes the life of wallowing in the world’s ways and (10) fornication as when people did not regard adultery as a sin. Then there was (11) lasciviousness (uncleanness) that has no sense of the decencies of things.

Application

I must live differently than unbelievers, not letting secular society dictate how I am to treat others.