Sin in The Church

II Corinthians 12:19–21
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The writing of this letter  was to pave the way for Paul’s coming to Corinth. He made it clear that sins in the church must be dealt with in a Biblical way. To “sweep them under the rug"only makes matters worse. Sin in the church is like cancer in the human body and it must be cut out. Paul tells the Corinthians that when they think he is trying to defend himself he is really doing it for their good (v. 19). The sins he 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. (1) There are (1) debates that denote rivalry and discord about place and prestige; (2) envies which are the desire to have what is not ours to have. There are (3) outbursts of wrath which denote sudden explosions of passionate anger that sweep a man into doing things for which afterwards he is bitterly sorry; (4) strife which describes that utterly selfish and self-centered ambition which is in everything for what it can get out of it for itself. There are (5) backbites and (6) whisperings. The first word describes the open, loud-mouthed attack, against those whose views are different. The second is a much nastier word which describes the whispering campaign of malicious gossip.

Application

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