In 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, Paul addresses the sins of a particular person in the Corinthian church and the necessary consequences. This man had been in a relationship with his stepmother and the church had been tolerant of him even when they knew about what was going on. This wasn’t just a one-time thing, it was an ongoing relationship I believe. Paul deems this relationship as sexual immorality and he says that even the pagans wouldn’t have approved of this relationship. That’s crazy because the pagans had no moral compass in regards to sexual immorality. Paul rebukes the church even more, saying that they should be mourning and disciplining rather than being tolerant because they were even proud of their tolerance, thinking that it is love. Or maybe Paul was saying that they were arrogant because they thought their saved status made them too good for obedience to the law of God. Yes, Jesus tells us not to judge our fellow brothers and sisters, but He also says in Matthew 18 to go to them and confront them about their sins, first individually, but then in a small group and eventually the church, ultimately resulting in excommunication if they don’t comply. According to Paul, the Corinthians didn’t confront the man about his sins, so they were not doing their duty. Paul says that the man should be excommunicated and sent out into the domain of Satan, outside of the church, so that his flesh would be destroyed and he would be saved.
Paul then compares this situation to leaven and dough in verses 6-8. In Paul’s analogy, the sexually immoral man is the old leaven while the church is the lump. Paul says that even the smallest sin and tolerance for sin can permeate throughout the whole church. The Church is called to be holy and set apart for God, but how can it be when there is blatant sin and brokenness that leavens the whole dough? Paul calls the Corinthians, and us, to live in purity, sincerity, and truth by pointing everyone to the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
In verses 9-13, Paul clarifies when and when not to judge and discipline people for their sins. He explains that to the sinners and non-believers, we must point to Jesus but not judge them for their sins. If Christians were to dissociate with non-Christians, then there would be no evangelism or people coming to Christ through love. However, if someone is a Christian but is sinning, then the church should be more disciplining for those people. The Corinthians may have thought that it was loving to not judge the sinful man, but real love comes from truth.
What does this mean today? First of all, this passage is not telling us to excommunicate every sinner, because then nobody would be part of the church. I think this passage is talking about people who do ongoing sins and are non-repentant of them. This does not apply to many people, but I imagine that there are a few cases where this really happens. I think this passage is calling us to be mindful of our sins and how it impacts the church. Paul says that even the smallest leaven leavens the lump, meaning that even the smallest sins or tolerance can have big impacts. Paul calls the church to holiness and truth. It’s very awkward to point out the sins of our fellow church members, but it is necessary if we want to have a functioning, unified church.
Thankfulness:
• Talking to my friend today and last night
• Summer school first day
• Studying
• My parents
• Eye appointment
• God and spiritual growth