Forged For Unity Series

Last week, we opened the new series called Forged by reviewing our alternative worldview presented by Paul in the statement “we preach Christ crucified” and I would add resurrected, ascended and scheduled to return again to collect his adopted sons and daughters.

This week we continue the discussion of this alternative worldview by looking at the role of the body of Christ and our response to developing character in our lives that reflects Jesus to the world around us. To begin, let’s open our primary textbook to the first letter Paul wrote to the Corinthians. Please turn to 1 Corinthian 5. We will be reading the chapter. While you are pulling it up on your app or finding the book which comes after Romans, let me give you a little background. The apostle Paul wrote this roughly 3 years after his extended stay with the new church plant. The letter was written during his second missionary journey and he is trying to get this band of believers to stop their infighting, misunderstanding and creating of factions to return to a church of unity.

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality 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.”

While the sexual sin is the catalyst for this section of the letter, there is a larger “forging” concept being extolled here. The action Paul is suggesting seems harsh. Why cast him out? How does that show love? It seems cold and callous. Some of you are thinking if they cast him out, will you cast me out if they know all my secrets? It doesn’t seem correspond with all loving being. However, we need to keep the context of this situation in the forefront of our minds. This man wanted the benefits of being called a Christian but didn’t actually want to change his life or his activities. Obviously, there is a much larger point on display.

The world outside the doors of the church always lives to a different standard. It’s been this way since man began relating with God. Today, it has become more individualistic than almost any time in the past. The singer/songwriter James Taylor wrote a line from years ago, “if it feels nice don’t think twice.” All is acceptable as long as nobody gets hurt. What’s good for you is fine as long as it doesn’t impact my life. Unfortunately, this is not God’s way. The Godhead, a theological term which means the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit always works in perfect unity. It is the model for all of us to live as one community with a single purpose. Paul makes it clear that anyone who claims to be a Christian and acts inappropriately affects the whole body.

To fully understand the concept, We have to remember that the early Christian community was the minority. It was the primary place of all social and economic relationships. Survival and reputation were determined by the group you primarily hung out with. Who you associated with mattered. It still matters.