Sexual Sin and the Church

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother.

2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.

3 Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man

4 in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus.

5 Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.

6 Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?

7 Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.

8 So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth.

9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.

10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.

11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.

13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

I- THE PROBLEM MUST BE ADDRESSED. (1 Corinthians 5:1-2a)

1 I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother.

2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.

A- Perversion repulsive to the lost world. (1 Corinthians 5:1)

1 Corinthians 5:1 (NLT)

I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother.

Ὅλως ἀκούεται ἐν ὑμῖν πορνεία, καὶ τοιαύτη πορνεία ἥτις οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὥστε γυναῖκά τινα τοῦ πατρὸς ἔχειν.

1- There was a man in the church who was involved in sexual immorality with his stepmother.

a. It was an offence that shocked Paul. (καὶ τοιαύτη πορνεία= “And such fornication” (Climactic qualitative pronoun showing the revolting character of this particular case of illicit sexual intercourse.)

b. It was an offence that was repulsive to pagans,

ἥτις οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν = As is not even among the Gentiles.

Height of scorn. The Corinthian Christians were actually trying to win pagans to Christ and living more loosely than the Corinthian heathen among whom the very word “Corinthianize” meant to live in sexual wantonness and license.

ὥστε γυναῖκά τινα τοῦ πατρὸς ἔχειν. = “So as (usual force of ὡστε ) for one to go on having (ἐχειν [echein], present infinitive) a wife of the (his) father.” It was probably a permanent union (concubine or mistress) of some kind without formal marriage

“even of pagans were so shocked by it that Cicero alludes to such a crime in the words, “Oh, incredible wickedness, and—except in this woman’s case—unheard of in all experience’ ” (‘Pro Cluent.,’ 5).

c. Forbidden by scripture.

( Lev. 18:17; Deut. 27:20)

Leviticus 18:17 (NLT)

“Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. And do not take her granddaughter, whether her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives, and this would be a wicked act.

Deuteronomy 27:20 (NLT)

‘Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with one of his father’s wives, for he has violated his father.’

And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’

B- Pride toward what should have caused grief. (1 Corinthians 5:2)

1 Corinthians 5:2 (NLT)

You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.

καὶ ὑμεῖς πεφυσιωμένοι ἐστέ, καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἐπενθήσατε, ἵνα ἀρθῇ ἐκ μέσου ὑμῶν ὁ τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο ποιήσας;

1- The Corinthians were proud of the shameful behaviour they should have been broken and mourning over.

πεφυσιωμένοι= “to puff up, blow up, inflate” (from phusa, “bellows”), is used metaphorically in the NT, in the sense of being “puffed” up with pride

οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἐπενθήσατε = The very least that they could have done (μᾶλλον ) rather than be puffed up) was to mourn for shame (πενθεω [pentheō], old verb for lamentation) as if for one dead.

(Proverbs 14:34)

Proverbs 14:34 (NLT)

Godliness makes a nation great,

but sin is a disgrace to any people.

(Psalm 51:17)

Psalm 51:17 (NLT)

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.

You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

II- THE GODLY PLAN FOR DISCIPLINING THE WAYWARD BELIEVER SHOULD BE FOLLOWED. (1 Corinthians 5:2b- 5)

You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.

3 Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man

4 in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus.

5 Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.

A- The person is to be disciplined. (1 Corinthians 5:2c)

1 Corinthians 5:2 (NLT)

You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.

1- “You should remove this man from the fellowship.”

B- The method of the discipline. (1 Corinthians 5:3-4)

3 Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man

4 in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus.

1. Jesus gave a path to be followed. (Matt. 18:15–17).

“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.

16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.

17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

2. A special meeting of the church is to be held for the disciplinary action.

(1 Tim. 5:20)

1 Timothy 5:20 (NLT)

Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others.

C- The purpose of the Discipline. (1 Corinthians 5:5)

1 Corinthians 5:5 (NLT)

Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.

1- The expulsion is designed to withdraw the support and encouragement of the church from the offender to expose them to then harshness of Satan’s realm and produce shame and repentance.

(Colossians 1:13)

Colossians 1:13 (NLT)

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

(2 Thess. 3:14.)

2 Thessalonians 3:14f (NLT)

Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.

2- The withdrawal of fellowship had the desired effect on the one disciplined.

(2 Co 2:5–10)

I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me.

6 Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough.

7 Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement.

8 So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.

9 I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions.

10 When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit,

11 so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.

III- THE PRINCIPLE OF SEPARATION MUST BE UNDERSTOOD IN ITS PEOPER CONTEXT. (1 Corinthians 5:6-13)

6 Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?

7 Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.

8 So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth.

9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.

10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.

11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.

13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

A- Sin affects the whole church. (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)

6 Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?

7 Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.

8 So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth.

1- Sin in the camp soon infects the whole church.

B- The principle of separation needs to be clearly understood. (1 Corinthians 5:9-13)

9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.

10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.

11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.

13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

1- While we are not to participate in the world’s sin, we are to remain in the world. (1 Corinthians 5:9-10)

9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.

10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.

a- The only way we can evangelise the world is to be in the world.

(Matthew 28:18-20)

Matthew 28:18–20 (NLT)

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

(Acts 1:8)

Acts 1:8 (NLT)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

2- We are to separate from professing believers who live in sinful lifestyles. (1 Corinthians 5:11-13)

11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.

13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”