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More I Corinthians commentaries
I Corinthians 2:1-5
Sharing the Gospel
I Corinthians 2:6-9
How to Have Spiritual Wisdom
I Corinthians 2:10-16
Bible Doctrine Steers the Spiritual Ship
I Corinthians 3:1-9
The Diet of a Growing Christian
I Corinthians 3:10-15
The Foundation of a Christian Life
I Corinthians 3:16-23
Avoid Worldly Wisdom
I Corinthians 4:1-5
Whose opinion really matters?
I Corinthians 4:6-13
God is looking for genuine humility
I Corinthians 4:14-21
Discipline in Love
I Corinthians 5:1-13
Immorality Must Be judged
I Corinthians 6:1-11
Don’t Sue the Brethren
I Corinthians 6:12-20
Stay Sexually Pure
I Corinthians 7:1-11
Counsel for Christians married to Christians
I Corinthians 7:12-24
Counsel for Christians married to non-Christians
I Corinthians 7:25-40
Counsel for the Christians who are not married
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Immorality Must Be judged
I Corinthians 5:1–13
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
A man on the staff of a large well known church got sexually involved with his secretary. The church chose not to handle it in public, but rather deal with this privately. The next year, 17 marriages of senior leadership people in that church broke up! Paul is clear that when a l … More
A report came to Paul of a serious sin in the church at Corinth that was not being dealt with. The issue concerned a Corinthian 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 as a church:
- 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 and exercising church discipline.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
I Corinthians 5:1-13 (English Standard Version)
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler--not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you."
View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) »
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