Everybody Knows

The small group session this week is called "Stand Your Ground" and the main point is, "Never compromise when the issue is a matter of right and wrong." This sermon can really serve as a bookend to Session 3's sermon. Last week we talked about how to give ground on an issue that was not of primary importance (whether or not it was acceptable to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols). But there were other issues in the church in Corinth that were clear-cut and absolute. We'll look at one of them today.

Introduction

In the culturally sensitive time we live it has become very common for Christians to look the other way when clear Biblical violations are seen in the church.

We have even redefined sin to sanitize it.

We don't want to be seen as judgmental or insensitive.

in fact we will quote

Matthew 7:1 KJV 1900

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

but the context is hypocritical judging

Matthew 7:5 KJV 1900

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary A. Failure to Discipline a Sinner (Chap. 5)

Pride is the opposite of love because it produces self-concern, while love responds to the needs of others. Corinthian pride had produced not only disunity but also indifference and an unwillingness to exercise discipline within the church

Pride is the opposite of love because it produces self-concern, while love responds to the needs of others. Corinthian pride had produced not only disunity but also indifference and an unwillingness to exercise discipline within the church

Last week we talked about how we don't have to get our own way to solve a conflict. We might have strong opinions on certain issues. We might even be completely convinced we are right. Last week, we studied how Paul knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was nothing wrong with eating meat sacrificed to idols. He was secure in his Christian liberty. However, he was very aware that  exercising his liberty could cause a younger Christian or less mature Christian to stumble into sin. So we talked last week about responding in love when we have differing opinions on areas the Bible is not explicitly clear on.

Well, the answer is the same.

We still respond in love. However, the way that love is expressed is very different when there is a clear-cut, explicit, absolute word from God that a certain behavior is wrong. So today, we are going to skip back to and see how Paul responded when he was faced with such an issue.

I. A Scandal with Two Sides ()

A. The scandalous behavior (v. 1)

reported Commly -

not even the gentiles

his fathers wife

Paul was horrified to hear that a man "had his father's wife." This probably meant his stepmother, since the woman is not referred to as his mother. She was most likely not a church member, since Paul says only to expel him and not her as well (V. 5, 13)

As permissive as Corinthian culture was, incest was taboo even for them. For God's people, it should have been unthinkable (see ;)

The verb tense in the phrase "has his father's wife" suggests an ongoing relationship, not a one time thing; and no hint of repentance.

Believer’s Bible Commentary B. Immorality among Believers (Chap. 5)

Here it was a very extreme form of sin, one that was not even practiced among the ungodly Gentiles. Specifically, the sin was that this man had had illicit intercourse with his father’s wife. The man’s own mother had no doubt died and the father had married again. So his father’s wife, in this case, would then refer to his stepmother. She was probably an unbeliever, because nothing is said about taking action against her. The church did not have jurisdiction in her case.

Here it was a very extreme form of sin, one that was not even practiced among the ungodly Gentiles. Specifically, the sin was that this man had had illicit intercourse with his father’s wife.

The man’s own mother had no doubt died and the father had married again. So his father’s wife, in this case, would then refer to his stepmother.

She was probably an unbeliever, because nothing is said about taking action against her. The church did not have jurisdiction in her case.

Everybody know and its seems OK!

Illustration - we someone that was removed from membership that the non redeemed at Walmart thought the sin was grievous.

B. The scandalous reaction (v. 2)

Paul seemed to be less shocked by the incest itself than he was by the church's reaction to it. They were proud.

Verse 6 suggests they even boasted about it.

They might have been boasting about their open-mindedness. Or their forgiving spirit.

This doesn't seem too far-fetched today, as we think about "tolerance" being one of the most celebrated virtues of out modern society.

Paul is shocked that the church wasn't filled with grief over this situation. As we talked about last week, since we are all members of Christ's body, the actions of one person impact the entire body.

The Holman New Testament Commentary points out that sorrow for the sins of others is an appropriate biblical response (see ; ; ) (Pratt, 74)

Romans 9:2–3 KJV 1900

2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

Genesis 6:5–6 KJV 1900

5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Ezra 10:1 KJV 1900

1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.

ezra

Illustration - the church accepting gay marriages, couples living together, etc …

Statements like - everybody is welcome here.

We accept everybody

This is sometimes done with pride and arrogance

Illustration - if you have any biblical requirement for marriage you are subject to lawsuits and anger for the general public.

They were puffed up - proud of themselves

They should have been morning

C. The redemptive response (v. 3-5)

Believer’s Bible Commentary B. Immorality among Believers (Chap. 5)

5:3 In contrast to their indifference, the apostle states that even though he was absent, yet he had already judged the matter as if he were present.

5:4 He pictures the church being assembled to take action against the offender. Although he is not present bodily, yet he is there in spirit as they meet in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus had given authority to the church and to the apostles to exercise discipline in all such cases. Thus Paul says he would act with the power (or authority) of our Lord Jesus.

5:5 The action he would take would be to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Commentators disagree on the meaning of this expression. Some feel that it describes the act of excommunication from the local church. Outside the church is the sphere of Satan’s dominion (1 Jn. 5:19). Therefore, “to deliver to Satan” would be simply to excommunicate from the church. Others feel that the power to deliver to Satan was a special power granted to apostles but no longer in existence today.

Again, there is disagreement as to the meaning of the expression the destruction of the flesh. Many feel that it describes physical suffering that would be used by God to break the power of sinful lusts and habits in the man’s life. Others feel that the destruction of the flesh is a description of slow death, which would give a man time to repent and be spared.

In any case, we should remember that the discipline of believers is always calculated to bring about their restoration to fellowship with the Lord. Excommunication is never an end in itself, but always a means toward an end. The ultimate purpose is that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. In other words, there is no thought of the man’s eternal damnation. He is disciplined by the Lord in this life because of the sin he has committed, but he is saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Exactly what this means is less clear. NIV 1984 translates the phrase "so that the sinful nature may be destroyed." There have been two interpretations to this:

"Hand over to Satan" meant the death of the man's physical body, similar to Ananias and Sapphira in ); with the confidence that his spirit would be saved on Judgment Day. According to the NIV Application Commentary, "the severe discipline is to prevent the man from committing full-fledged apostasy and to ensure that he still will be saved in eternity" (Blomberg, 105).It could also mean the destruction of the flesh, or sinful nature. Blomberg points out that when Paul teaches on the conflict between flesh and spirit (the two words used in verse 5), he usually isn't talking about body/soul but to old nature/new nature. Compare , where Paul talks about two believers being handed over to Satan in order "to be taught not to blaspheme." This would imply expulsion from the body (the church) for a limited period of time, with a view toward reconciliation at a later point. Many scholars suggest that the repentant sinner in ; is the same guy that was expelled here (Blomberg 105-106).

5:3 In contrast to their indifference, the apostle states that even though he was absent, yet he had already judged the matter as if he were present. it was a clear on open case

5:4 He pictures the church being assembled to take action against the offender.

Although he is not present bodily, yet he is there in spirit as they meet in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus had given authority to the church and to the apostles to exercise discipline in all such cases. Thus Paul says he would act with the power (or authority) of our Lord Jesus.

5:5 The action he would take would be to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Commentators disagree on the meaning of this expression. Some feel that it describes the act of excommunication from the local church. Outside the church is the sphere of Satan’s dominion ().

1 John 5:19 KJV 1900

19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

Therefore, “to deliver to Satan” would be simply to excommunicate from the church.

Again, there is disagreement as to the meaning of the expression the destruction of the flesh.

Many feel that it describes physical suffering that would be used by God to break the power of sinful lusts and habits in the man’s life. Others feel that the destruction of the flesh is a description of slow death, which would give a man time to repent and be spared.

In any case, we should remember that the discipline of believers is always calculated to bring about their restoration to fellowship with the Lord.

Excommunication is never an end in itself, but always a means toward an end.

Application Idea:

Compassion and tolerance may seem admirable on the surface, and may actually be admirable in situations where there is godly sorrow that leads to repentance.

But looking the other way when there is known immoral behavior is nothing to be proud of. Celebrating such behavior as evidence of your freedom in Christ is even worse.

Celebrating such behavior as evidence of your freedom in Christ is even worse.

II. Explaining the expulsion (vv. 6-8)

So for the sake of the purity of the body, the old leaven of immorality, malice and wickedness had to be removed.

In ancient times, yeast was scarce and leaven was the popular alternative. Leaven was actually just an old piece of dough that had begun to ferment. When added to a new batch of dough, it spread its fermentation throughout the whole loaf, making the bread lighter. The longer the process continued, the greater the danger that the dough would become spoiled and poisonous. When the dough became bad, it all needed to be thrown away, and the process begun again (Pratt, 80).

Paul's audience in Corinth may or may not have picked up on all the connections of unleavened bread to the Jewish Passover. But they did understand that Christ, their Passover, had been sacrificed for them.

So for the sake of the purity of the body, the old leaven of immorality, malice and wickedness had to be removed.

One bad apple will spoil the whole bunch!

Proverbs 22:10 KJV 1900

10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; Yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 5:6

There was, of course, no excuse for the Corinthians’ pathetic behavior. Paul reminded them of a truth they already knew but were failing to practice—a little yeast soon permeates the whole batch of dough. A small sickness can eventually kill a body. The need for church discipline is based on the same principle.

5:7–8. As the literal yeast was removed from the house during the Festival of Unleavened Bread (Ex. 12:15–20; 13:1–10), so that which it illustrated, sin, was to be removed from the house of God, the local church, during its “Festival of Unleavened Bread,” a continual observance for a Christian who has found in Christ’s death on the cross the once-for-all sacrifice of the Passover Lamb (cf. John 1:29; Heb. 10:10, 14). This was nowhere more true than in the celebration which commemorated that sacrificial act, the Lord’s Supper, the quintessential act of fellowship for Christians. Probably Paul meant to exclude the unrepentant Christian from this meal in particular

5:6 There was, of course, no excuse for the Corinthians’ pathetic behavior. Paul reminded them of a truth they already knew but were failing to practice—a little yeast soon permeates the whole batch of dough. A small sickness can eventually kill a body. The need for church discipline is based on the same principle.

5:7–8. As the literal yeast was removed from the house during the Festival of Unleavened Bread (; ), so that which it illustrated, sin, was to be removed from the house of God, the local church, during its “Festival of Unleavened Bread,” a continual observance for a Christian who has found in Christ’s death on the cross the once-for-all sacrifice of the Passover Lamb (cf. ; , ).

This was nowhere more true than in the celebration which commemorated that sacrificial act, the Lord’s Supper, the quintessential act of fellowship for Christians. Probably Paul meant to exclude the unrepentant Christian from this meal in particular

Application idea: We may still not completely get the idea of not letting a batch of dough become spoiled by a little bit of yeast.

But most of us have had some experience somewhere among our family or friends with cancer. And we wouldn't want a doctor who said, "It's just a little tumor. It will be a long time before this spreads to anything really important." Or, "We should all try to be a little more understanding of tumors. After all, they're cells, too." Surgery might be painful, but it is necessary for the health of the body that the malignancy be removed.

III. Clarifying some confusion (vv. 9-13)

Believer’s Bible Commentary B. Immorality among Believers (Chap. 5)

5:9 Now Paul explains to them that he had previously written in a letter that they were not to keep company with sexually immoral people. The fact that such an epistle is lost does not affect the inspiration of the Bible at all. Not every letter Paul wrote was inspired, but only those which God has seen fit to include in the Holy Bible.

5:10 The apostle now goes on to explain that in warning them to have no company with sexually immoral people, he did not mean to imply that they should separate themselves from any contact at all with ungodly men. As long as we are in the world, it is necessary for us to do business with unsaved people and we have no way of knowing the depths of sin to which they have descended. In order to live a life of complete isolation from sinners, you would need to go out of the world.

So Paul says that he did not at all mean complete separation from the sexually immoral people of this world, or the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters. Covetous people are those who are convicted of dishonesty in business or financial affairs. For instance, anyone who is found guilty of tax fraud is subject to excommunication for covetousness. Extortioners are those who enrich themselves by using violent means, such as threats of harm or death. Idolaters are those who are given over to the worship of anyone or anything other than the true God, and who practice the terrible sins of immorality that are almost always connected with idolatry.

5:11 What Paul really wants to warn them against is having fellowship with a professing brother who engages in any of these terrible sins. We might paraphrase his words as follows:

What I meant to say and what I now repeat is that you should not even eat a common meal with any professing Christian who is sexually immoral, or a covetous man, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner.

It is often necessary for us to have contact with the unsaved, and we can often use these contacts in order to witness to them. Such contact is not as dangerous to the believer as having fellowship with those who profess to be Christians and yet live in sin. We should never do anything that such a person might interpret as condoning his sin.

To the list of sinners mentioned in verse 10, Paul adds revilers and drunkards in verse 11. A reviler is a man who uses strong, intemperate language against another. But we would add a word of caution here. Should a man be excommunicated from the church if on one occasion only he should lose his temper and use unguarded words? We would think not, but would suggest that this expression refers to habitual practice. In other words, a reviler would be one who is known as being characteristically abusive toward others. At any rate, this should be a warning to us to exercise control of our language. As Dr. Ironside has mentioned, many people say that they are just careless with their tongue, but he points out that they might just as well say that they are careless with a machine gun.

A drunkard is one given to excess in the use of alcoholic beverages.

Does the Apostle Paul mean that we are not even to eat with such a Christian who engages in these practices? That is exactly what the verse teaches! We are not to eat with him at the Lord’s Supper, nor are we to enjoy a social meal with him. There may be exceptional cases. A Christian wife, for instance, would still be obligated to eat with her husband who had been disfellowshiped. But the general rule is that professing believers who are guilty of the sins listed should be subjected to social ostracism in order to impress on them the enormity of their transgression and to bring them to repentance. If it is objected that the Lord ate with publicans and sinners, we would point out that these men did not profess to be His followers, and in eating with them He did not recognize them as His disciples. What this passage teaches is that we should not fellowship with Christians who are living wicked lives.

5:12 Paul’s two questions in verse 12 mean that Christians are not responsible for the judgment of the unsaved. Wicked men in the world about us will be brought into judgment by the Lord Himself in a coming day. But we do have a responsibility as far as judging those who are inside the confines of the church. It is the duty of the local church to exercise godly discipline.

Again, if it is objected that the Lord taught, “Judge not that you be not judged,” we would reply that there He is speaking about motives. We are not to judge men’s motives because we are not competent for that type of judgment. But the word of God is equally clear that we are to judge known sin in the assembly of God so as to maintain its reputation for holiness and so as to restore the offending brother to fellowship with the Lord.

5:13 Paul explains that God will take care of the judgment of those who are outside, that is, of the unsaved. In the meantime, the Corinthians should exercise the judgment which God has committed to them by putting away the evil person from among themselves. This calls for a public announcement in the church that this brother is no longer in fellowship. The announcement should be made in genuine sorrow and humiliation and should be followed by continual prayer for the spiritual restoration of the wanderer.

5:9 Now Paul explains to them that he had previously written in a letter that they were not to keep company with sexually immoral people.

5:10 The apostle now goes on to explain that in warning them to have no company with sexually immoral people, he did not mean to imply that they should separate themselves from any contact at all with ungodly men.

So Paul says that he did not at all mean complete separation from the sexually immoral people of this world, or the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters. Covetous people are those who are convicted of dishonesty in business or financial affairs. For instance, anyone who is found guilty of tax fraud is subject to excommunication for covetousness. Extortioners are those who enrich themselves by using violent means, such as threats of harm or death. Idolaters are those who are given over to the worship of anyone or anything other than the true God, and who practice the terrible sins of immorality that are almost always connected with idolatry.

5:11 What Paul really wants to warn them against is having fellowship with a professing brother who engages in any of these terrible sins. We might paraphrase his words as follows:

What I meant to say and what I now repeat is that you should not even eat a common meal with any professing Christian who is sexually immoral, or a covetous man, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner.

railer - slanders

extortioner

sexually immoral

It is often necessary for us to have contact with the unsaved, and we can often use these contacts in order to witness to them.

Such contact is not as dangerous to the believer as having fellowship with those who profess to be Christians and yet live in sin. We should never do anything that such a person might interpret as condoning his sin.

A drunkard is one given to excess in the use of alcoholic beverages.

Does the Apostle Paul mean that we are not even to eat with such a Christian who engages in these practices?

That is exactly what the verse teaches! We are not to eat with him at the Lord’s Supper, nor are we to enjoy a social meal with him.

There may be exceptional cases.

A Christian wife, for instance, would still be obligated to eat with her husband who had been disfellowshiped.

But the general rule is that professing believers who are guilty of the sins listed should be subjected to social ostracism in order to impress on them the enormity of their transgression and to bring them to repentance.

If it is objected that the Lord ate with publicans and sinners, we would point out that these men did not profess to be His followers, and in eating with them He did not recognize them as His disciples. What this passage teaches is that we should not fellowship with Christians who are living wicked lives.

5:12 Paul’s two questions in verse 12 mean that Christians are not responsible for the judgment of the unsaved.

Wicked men in the world about us will be brought into judgment by the Lord Himself in a coming day.

But we do have a responsibility as far as judging those who are inside the confines of the church. It is the duty of the local church to exercise godly discipline.

Again, if it is objected that the Lord taught, “Judge not that you be not judged,” we would reply that there He is speaking about motives. We are not to judge men’s motives because we are not competent for that type of judgment. But the word of God is equally clear that we are to judge known sin in the assembly of God so as to maintain its reputation for holiness and so as to restore the offending brother to fellowship with the Lord.

5:13 Paul explains that God will take care of the judgment of those who are outside, that is, of the unsaved. In the meantime, the Corinthians should exercise the judgment which God has committed to them by putting away the evil person from among themselves.

Conclusion

Sin is to be grieved over, not celebrated. Pray that we will see sin as God sees it. And not primarily the sin we see in other people, but the sin we see in ourselves.Discipline is to be redemptive, not punitive. However our church practices church discipline [Pastor, you may choose to educate your people on how your church does this], the goal is always to help bring a fallen brother or sister to conviction and repentance.

Galatians 6:1 KJV 1900

1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.