<1 Co 5>
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality (Greek: “porneia”) among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? 3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. 4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
1. Spiritual problem of Pride and Moral Laxity.
- “Some of you have become arrogant” <1 Co 4:18>.
- Proud <1 Co 5:2>; boasting <1 Co 5:6>.
- Proud of their freedom and grace in Christ.
- “I have the right to do anything” <1 Co 6:12; 10:23>.
- Proud of their ‘compassion’ toward sinners.
- Proud, yet powerless to deal with sin.
- Response after sinning: Proud vs Mourning
- And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning? <1 Co 5:2>
- “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”? <Mt 5:4>
- “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret…See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done…” <2 Co 7:10-11>
2. A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.
- Sin can spread swiftly.
- <1 Co 3> 16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
- Must not stumble others and destroy the testimony of God’s church.
- For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. <1 Co 5:7-8>
- Cannot claim Christ as our Saviour yet continue to live in sin.
3. Importance of church discipline.
- Lack of discipline Stumble Christians and unbelievers.
- Opposite of discipline Tolerance.
- Some do not exercise church discipline due to false humility.
- Church has responsibility to restore sinners and bear good testimony for Christ.
- 2 concerns:
- Purity of the church
- Restoration of the sinner
- <v5> hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
- Hand the person over to Satan’s sphere of influence, i.e. the world (outside the church).
- Satan only has power to destroy the flesh, but he is not authorized to destroy the person’s spirit (example of Job).
- Purpose of church discipline is not final judgment, but it aims for final salvation.
- <v11> ‘do not associate with…do not even eat with such people’
- Not referring to repentant Christians who are actively battling with sins.
- “such people” – “…anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler” <v11>
- Unrepentant “Christians”.
- Discipline is a form of tough love.
- <2 Thes 3> 14 Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.
- Caution: Paul was harsh in this case due to a public and grave sin not even tolerated by pagans not to be copied for every case
- <Mt 18> 15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
Reflection
- How do you usually respond to a sinning brother/sister? Turn a blind eye to sin because of “tolerance”? Confront him/her? What steps would you take to ensure the goal of repentance and restoration is achieved?
- Are there areas of your life where you may be tolerating sin? How can you cultivate a deeper sense of mourning over sin, so that it leads to repentance and spiritual growth?
