Paul, like a spiritual father, admonishes the Corinthians whom he regards as his spiritual children.
• He cares for them like a nursing mother and corrects them like a father would, urging them to walk in a manner worthy of God. (cf. 1 Thess 2:7,11)
• Paul taught them in word and by his example, showing them the way of life that Christ has taught and lived.
When they err, Paul has to correct them. He addresses now in chapters 5-6 the wrongs that have been taking place in the church:
• 5:1-13 – their complacency towards a case of incest in the church
• 6:1-11 – their dragging of church matters into secular courts
• 6:12-20 – their promiscuous lifestyle of some among them, their sexual immorality
As the church of God, then and now, we need to watch our conduct and witness before the world.
1 Cor 5:1-5 ESV
1It 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. 2And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
3For 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. 4When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5you 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.
The first thing Paul highlighted was this blatant immorality within the church – “a man has his father’s wife”. (5:1) Phrasing it this way implies his stepmother.
• Someone was having an ongoing sexual relationship with his stepmother, and it was common knowledge in the church.
• Paul was shocked to hear of this because such a thing would not be “tolerated even among pagans”.
And they are arrogant about it! We have been hearing this “arrogance” many times.
But how can they be proud of this? A few possibilities.
• They are blinded to what shames them. Anything bad is ignored or denied. They pretend that it is not there and choose to see only what makes them feel good. DENIAL.
• Or they pride themselves on being the most welcoming church in town. “We love and accept everyone and anyone, regardless.” Living in DECEPTION.
• And if the man who had committed incest is a man of status or influence or great wealth, then all the more he is welcome.
• Dr Chan mentioned that we sometimes do not dare to reprimand a rich member for fear that he will leave and we will lose their big financial support for the church.
Pride has a way of blinding us to the obvious. It blinds us to the truth of God’s Word.
• A little girl said to her teacher, ”Miss Tan, I don’t want to scare you, but my dad said, If my grades don’t improve, someone is going to get a spanking!”
• Still could not see that the father was talking about her, not her teacher. The fault is always somebody else.
Paul did not mince his words. He gave them a clear directive: “Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” (5:2)
• The Corinthians may not be happy about this because Paul is not with them. He is making this judgement from Ephesus where he is writing.
• Paul anticipates that and says “I am present in spirit”. “You have my word on this. I have written the judgment in this letter and it is the evidence of my stand on this.”
Paul gave no room for this man to continue in his sinful relationship within the church.
• Not doing anything would destroy this man’s life and damage the witness of the church.
Listen to what Paul instructs them to do:
4When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5you 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.
THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE FOR THE SINNER
The LORD is mentioned 3 times – gather in the Name of the LORD Jesus, with the power of our LORD Jesus, and the hope that this man may be saved in the day of the LORD.
• This is done for Christ’s sake, under His authority and for His glory.
• We are not doing this because Paul says so, or that this is the decision of the church leaders, but it is the Lord’s will. We are here in His Name and with His authority.
• It is not about whose view is better but the Lord’s view on this.
At first glance, the judgment seems harsh. It always feels that way when we discipline someone.
• But the truth is, discipline is redemptive and not punitive (punish) or vindictive (vengeance).
• Look closely at what Paul said. He gave two reasons for this action.
5:5 5You are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh…
• It is not merely, “let’s punish him! He deserved it! Give him up over to Satan!”
• It is quite unfortunate that we often think of discipline only as a punishment.
• Paul is saying, let’s deliver this man out of the church and put him back into the world, the arena of Satan. We are to cut off any fellowship with him.
But Paul stresses, “…for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”
• Putting him out of the church stamps the point that his conduct is not acceptable here - not acceptable to Christ and His church.
• Hopefully, that would potentially awaken his dull spirit and help him realise his sin, “so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord”.
• John MacArthur says we regard him as “an evangelistic prospect rather than as a brother.”
Paul did not see this action as condemnation or punishment but as a redemptive step.
• “We are trying to save his life. To let him be is to give up on him.”
• To remain status quo would mean this man will continue as he is. To expel him and remove this false sense of security - that he is fine and in the fellowship of Christians - will potentially awaken him hopefully to the error of his ways.
• It is done with the desire to see him saved!
• Cutting him off forces him to recognise what he has done; he cannot ignore it or pretend that it is not there. The church has cut off ties with him.
In reality, this drastic step will be his hope and salvation.
• The expulsion has to be as public as the sin is.
Jesus gave us instructions on what to do when a person sins in the church.
• Matt 18:15-17 15“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
• 16But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
• 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
• He cannot be a brother or sister in fellowship if he/she continues to sin.
The four-step progression – from the private rebuke to the corporate expulsion from the congregation – reveals the goal of discipline: “to gain your brother”.
• The aim is to correct the brother and win him back.
Parents would understand this well when they discipline their children.
• It’s not giving up on them but disciplining in love with the HOPE that they will understand and learn, correct and change their behaviours.
Warren Wiersbe: “Church discipline is not a group of ‘pious policemen’ out to catch a criminal. Rather, it is a group of brokenhearted brothers and sisters seeking to restore an erring member of the family.”
THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE FOR THE CHURCH
The action is also redemptive for the church, so to speak. It protects the church.
• His sinful relationship is not good for the church. The purity of the church and her witness is at stake.
• Paul needs to remove the “cancerous tumour” from the Body of Christ and set the church back onto her rightful role as the faithful witness of Christ and the Gospel.
1 Cor 5:6-8 ESV
6Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8Let 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.
Paul uses the analogy of leaven to make the point: A little leaven can affect the whole dough; a little sin can contaminate the whole church.
• Now that we have been cleansed by Christ and made new, we need to rid ourselves of the “old leaven” of sin and not let it contaminates the new dough.
• If left there, it changes the dough. The “old leaven” needs to be removed to protect the purity of the church.
• All “cancerous tumours” left unchecked in the body will destroy and kill the body.
Paul uses the context of the Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread.
• On the first day of the Feast of Passover, the Israelites are to remove all leaven from their houses as a symbol of their liberation from the sins of Egypt.
• Deut 16:3-4a “3You shall eat no leavened bread with it [the Passover sacrifice]. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. 4No leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory for seven days…”
• Leaven is a symbol of sin and the Passover lamb points to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, where “Christ, our Passover lamb has been sacrificed”. (5:7b)
Those who have believed in Christ and are cleansed of their sin must not return to it.
• Those who profess to be saved must live like one who is saved.
• 5:8 “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.”
• That’s the witness of the new life we have in Christ before a lost world.
----------------------------------
Paul concludes with a clarification of what he has written to them earlier and then adds on an emphasis:
1 Cor 5:9-12 ESV
9I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people — 10not 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. 11But 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. 12For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
Paul had written a letter earlier to them about not associating with immoral people.
• The Corinthians misinterpreted his words to mean all “sexually immoral, greedy, swindlers or idolaters” that they come into contact with.
• But that would mean they have to get out of this world, Paul says. Society is full of such people.
“I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of these sins…”
• He is talking about a professing Christian who is not a practising Christian, a believer “who bears the name of brother” but is willfully sinning.
• Don’t associate with him. “Purge the evil person from among you.” Cut off your fellowship with this person.
CONCLUSION
Let us appreciate the Discipline of the Lord.
• It seeks to awaken the sinner and redeem his life
• It protects the purity and witness of His church
• It instructs us on the truth and ways of God
2 Cor 7:1 NIV
“… let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit,
perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
May the world see, clearly and without distortion, the beauty of Christ in us and through His church.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we ask for your grace and strength to live in obedience to your will and walk in righteousness. We thank you for your discipline over the years, through Your Word and our spiritual mentors in the church. Help us stay humble and teachable. This we pray in Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
You can listen to this audio sermon with slides at https://youtu.be/9Rt2eR-vgZk
Earlier audio sermons are available at https://tinyurl.com/KTCC-EnglishService
