1 Corinthians Chapter 5.

1 Corinthians Chapter 5.

Church Discipline, especially in the matter of a serious case of sexual immorality.   

Where incest was condoned in the Christian community (v.1-2).  Paul was unhesitating in judgment on this man (v.3-5).  The failure to exercise discipline must corrupt the moral standards of the whole Christian community (v.6-8).  So he recommends that they put away the wicked person (v.9-13).

           

This chapter is not a "blue print" or pattern for every form of church discipline.  (See Gal.5:10; 2.Thess.3:6,14; and Titus 3:10).  It is especially concerned with their gross forms of wickedness.  For it portrays a man in an unlawful and shocking relationship.  There is no repentance on his part, and not even the church itself was deeply grieved.  This man was prepared to continue in his evil relationship.  See 5:1, "hath," implies a continuing relationship, whether marriage or some form of concubine. See also 5:3, "so wrought, "the tense implying, "perpetuated."  In 5:11 the evil-doer enumerated designate men who practice such things.  It is not the case of a brother who has slipped and then repents, but men who can be designated by such terms as fornicators, covetous men and idolaters, etc.

           

This man was one who met with the Church and was accepted as one of its members, but his conduct was such as to throw doubt upon the reality of his Christian life.  He is a so-called brother or a so-called Christian. 5:11. However, his behaviour is a denial of his confession and he can no longer be recognized as such.  See 6:9-10, and Gal.5:19-21.  Men who do such things have no part in the kingdom of God.

           

When the necessity arises the Church dare not shrink from the responsibility to put away such an evil-doer.  However, it is a dreadful task and must only be done after every effort has failed to bring the sinner to repentance and to assure the repentant man of the Divine forgiveness.  Prolonged prayer by the Church, with its self-examination that self-righteousness, pride and retaliation be removed from us, is the first essential thing.  We are only fit to put away a person, when we can only do so with grief and mourning.  We are then in a right spirit to do a thing when we feel his sin is the sin of us all.  It is the unrepentant person, the man who refuses to repent, who must be put away for his evil doing.  The aim of all discipline is repentance and restoration.  Its ultimate aim is the sinner's salvation.

             
Paul was confident that if there was any reality in this man's profession of faith, then he would be found among the saved in the Day of the Lord (Jesus).  Verse 5 and the context implies some doubt about the reality of the man's Christian calling.  His conduct was a denial of the reality of his relationship as a Christian brother but Paul had some confidence that he should finally be found genuine, and among the saved in the Day of the Lord (Jesus).

           

Sundry comments :

           

5:5.  It is not wholly clear if the consigning of the man to Satan was entirely an apostolic act or an action in which Paul led the Church.  The nature of this act is also not wholly clear.  It involves excommunication, but does it imply more?   Does it mean that excommunication puts him back into the realm of Satan's power and deprives him of the protection that membership of the Church gives. (See 1.Tim.1:20).

           

The Church may have owed much to the Synagogue as to discipline, where the elders dealt with evil-doers.  The young Church at Corinth may have had no presbytery.  It is wisdom that, where there is an eldership, such handle occasions for discipline and guide the Church to sound decisions. But the act of discipline should have the ratification of the Church.

           

5:6-8.  To stir the Church into action and warn against complacency, Paul quotes a well-known proverb, "A little leaven leaventh the whole lump."  He does not mean that the sin of one man made the local church ceremoniously or positionally evil.  The New Testament does not contemplate the excommunication of the Church.  Neither does Paul imply that this man's bad example would be followed by everyone.  But their very complacency in respects of such an offence in their midst was proof that the Church as a whole was infected by a spirit of moral laxity.  Their pride and boasting in the face of this great sin was proof their moral ideals were poor.  Their moral standard and behaviour were in peril of deteriorating even more.  That which gave him so much concern was the spirit of pride, complacency and indifference found among them, even though such a crime had been perpetuated in their midst.

It had been no moral shock to them but, rather, they were puffed up.  Their inflated knowledge lacked moral sensitivity.  A true awareness of the Christian sentiment and demand would have thrown them into mourning.  If they had mourned, the proper course would have become clear to them.  The Christian conscience should have made them aware that such a man was lost to them.  An elated spirit lacks moral sensitiveness to evil.  Instead of mourning they were self-satisfied.  This was the leaven, a force destructive to the moral standards of the community.  The "old leaven" of the verse means their old way of living.  The words, "purge out" refer to the old way of living rather than to excommunicating people.  It is the old corrupting influence of their former life that must be thoroughly cleansed away.  This was a call to all to practice holiness.

           

The Christian Community was a new lump or bread of a new baking.  The reference to the Passover points to the consecration of the Church.  The Christian life begins at the Cross.  It is there we begin the festival of unleavened bread.  This festival is a symbol of the Christian life in its consecration to God.  We must keep this festival all our days.  The Corinthian saints, as called to holiness, were unleavened, but they must become, what they are.  This is Christian realism.  Paul alludes to the Old Testament festival or type to underline the need of consecration, but he makes no attempt to build the procedures of discipline upon any Old Testament type.  Much harm can be done through basing procedures of discipline upon typology.

           

5:9-13.  The apostle again takes up the matter of putting away the wicked person.  Paul reminds them that their indifference to loose living people and mingling with them was inexcusable. In a letter that Scholars now name the previous letter, he had warned them not to mingle with fornicators.  They misconstrued Paul's words and scornfully replied that such a demand was impracticable, as they would have to go out of the world.  Paul corrects any misunderstanding. It was impossible to avoid all association with such people, for then how could they be won for Christ.  But Paul insists that he is not talking of the pagan world, but concerning those who profess to be Christians who do not practice the moral demands of the Christian faith.

           

The word, "called" in the A.V. of 5:11 is translated "any so-called Christian" in the N.E.B.  Paul writes of a man who professes to be a Christian brother but whose conduct denies his profession.  The reality of his Christian calling stands in doubt, for those who practice such evil deeds do not share in the kingdom of God.

           

If there be in the fellowship of the Church any so-called Christian brother, who is a fornicator, covetous, idolater, reviler, drunkard or swindler, the Church members are not to keep friendly company nor eat with such a person.  The eating is not to be restricted to the Lord's Supper, but eating together is a symbol of friendly association.  Friendly contact are to be avoided for the man sins against the truth.  Since his evil conduct denies his profession we can no longer recognize his standing as a Christian brother, but we continue to hope that this experience in the Church will have left some impression upon him and that the refusal of fellowship to him will bring him to repentance.

           

Darby said that if such a person was hungry, he would not dine with him.  Sometimes a member of a Christian family has to be removed.  The family must continue to recognize the relationship, acting with wisdom.  Darby cites the case of a Christian wife whose husband has been excommunicated, she must continue to recognize her relationship to her husband.  Darby writes, "her action is one of subjection to authority."

In the final verse, the church is called upon to put away the wicked man.  Paul describes him as "the wicked man" and does not write, "your brother."  How could we drive away a Christian brother?