First Corinthians 5 Part 1 Immorality In The Church Requires Spiritual Discipline

The Holy Spirit guided Paul to address a sexual sin situation that was tarnishing the reputation of the church at Corinth.

Nothing much has changed in almost two thousand years, as sexual sins are still a problem in our churches today. 

Again and again, we see how timely and relevant the scriptures are for addressing modern sins and as well as ancient ones.

Enticement to sexual sin is a favorite tool of the Devil

1 Corinthians 5:1  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. 

A church that tolerates known sin by its members is a very dysfunctional church. 

It is a sad commentary that Paul heard about this sin indirectly. 

The Corinthians who wrote to him about other issues that Paul addressed, did not directly mention this particular sinful situation.

The phrase "It is reported commonly" means that this sin was well known by church members and leadership. 

It also means that unbelievers outside the church knew about the sexual immorality going on in the church. 

King David's sin with Bathsheba tarnished the Holy name of God.

2 Samuel 12:11-14  Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 12)  For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. 13)  And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 14)  Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. 

Most of us are probably familiar with the sordid affair of King David with another man's wife (See 2 Samuel 11).

Bathsheba was the wife of David's loyal soldier named Uriah the Hittite. One day, when kings were normally out going to war against their enemies, David tarried at the palace.

On a hot spring evening, David was on the palace rooftop and saw Bathsheba bathing not far away. The King brought her to his abode and committed adultery.

When he found out that she was pregnant, David had Uriah sent home and he attempted to get Uriah drunk so that he would lay with Bathsheba and think that he was the baby's father.

When that ploy did not work, David arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle, and then he took Bathsheba for his wife.

Jehovah did not overlook David's sin. He sent Nathan the prophet to condemn the king and pronounce judgment from God.

The reason for the judgment that David received is found in Jehovah's words spoken by Nathan. 

King David would be judged for his sin because through his sin "thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme."

God must judge sin because He is holy, just and pure. The church at Corinth was actually enabling this particular sin by refusing to enforce church discipline.

A Corinthian Christian committed flagrant sexual sin. 

1 Corinthians 5:1  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. 

The Corinthians knew about this man's sexual sin and did not seem to care that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ was being blasphemed.

This particular sin caught the attention of pagans at Corinth, because they would not think of committing it. 

The sin was a son having a sexual relationship with his father's wife. 

This would be his stepmother and this was happening while his father was still living (See 2 Corinthians 7:12).

The church did not exercise discipline because they were puffed up.

1 Corinthians 5:2  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. 

How did the Corinthian church react to this flagrant sin? Paul tells us that they were "puffed up" which means they had a proud, lofty attitude about this man's sin.

The right response to this man's sexual sin was to mourn that the name of Jesus Christ and His church was blasphemed by the sin. 

It would be right to pray to have God remove the sinner from their midst as He sees fit. God's intent in this is seeking to lead the sinner to repentance and restoration. 

The right response to sin in our midst is to mourn over the sin being committed by a brother or sister in Christ.  

If we are the one who sinned, then we must repent by confessing and forsaking our sin (Proverbs 28:13).

Our Father is just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

However, this had not happened at Corinth and Paul is going to pass a judicial sentence for the church to carry out. 

The Lord Jesus Christ gives us the pattern for church discipline.

Matthew 18:15-17  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16)  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17)  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 

Jesus gave us the blueprint for church discipline. In this case, it begins by meeting with the brother who sinned against us and giving him an opportunity to make it right.

If he fails to repent, then we are to go to him again with two or three witnesses to verify that the offending party has been given an opportunity to repent and be restored.

If he still refuses to confess and forsake his sin, then the matter must be brought before the whole church.

If the sinning party still refuses to repent and confess his sins, then he is to be shunned by the church.

He would not be allowed to take communion or participate in worship.

Jehovah judged Israel's fornication and idolatry. 

Numbers 25:1-9  And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 2)  And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 3)  And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. 4)  And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel. 5)  And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor. 6)  And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7)  And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; 8)  And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. 9)  And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. 

Paul will reference this incident in 1 Corinthians 10. Israel committed sexual sin with Moabite women and then committed idolatry. 

God does not wink at sin. Through Moses, Jehovah commanded that all the men who engaged in these sins were to be killed. About 24,000 were killed that day.

God is holy and He cannot allow His holy name to be dragged through the mud of our sin.

The believer in Christ has had his or her sins fully judged at Calvary. The Christian who sins will be chastened by the Father if we fail to confess, forsake and repent of our sins. 

This is the action that the Corinthian leaders should have taken but they did not.

The sinner must be shunned until he repents.

1 Corinthians 5:3-5  For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, 4)  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5)  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 

Paul used the gift of discernment that God gave to His apostles (See Acts 5:1-11). The indwelling Spirit of God helped them discern truth from lies as in the matter of Ananias and Saphira. 

In this case, Paul saw clearly the nature of the sin and what must be done, so that the name of Jesus Christ is not blasphemed. 

Paul's Spirit guided judgment was to deliver this man over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit might be saved from eternal condemnation. 

Ananias and Saphira forfeited their lives for lying to Peter.

Acts 5:1-11  But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2)  And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3)  But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4)  Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5)  And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6)  And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7)  And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8)  And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9)  Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10)  Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. 11)  And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. 

Ananias and his wife conspired to lie to the apostle Peter about the amount of money they received from selling their property. 

When the Spirit of God gave Peter discernment about the lie, Peter accused Ananias of lying to the Holy Spirit and he forfeited his life.

The same judgment fell on Saphira when she came in later and repeated the same lie. 

The early church was purified from the sin, and a right fear of God was maintained. 

A false prophet was blinded by Paul for hindering the gospel.

Acts 13:8-12  But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9)  Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 10)  And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11)  And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 12)  Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. 

Paul preached Christ to a Roman official at Salamis on the island of Cyprus, but a Jewish false prophet names Barjesus opposed Paul. 

This man also known as Elymas, sought to turn the deputy way from faith in Christ. Paul turned and called for the Lord to blind this man and he was immediately blinded. 

In writing to Timothy, Paul mentioned that he turned over Hymenaeus and Alexander to Satan for blasphemy.

There are many lessons we can learn from the Corinthian church.

First, let us be always ready to confess and forsake our sin as God instructs us to do.

Second, let us mourn for other believers who are living in sin. Let us pray for their repentance and restoration.

Third, let us remember that God is holy and He has called us to be holy (See First Peter 1:13-25).

He has called us to walk a worthy walk as Christians (See Ephesians 4:1).

Let us therefore call upon the indwelling Spirit of God to help us, that He might lead us on the paths of truth and righteousness.

Bob