A STUDY OF THE BOOK OF 1 CORINTHIANS
SERMON # 8
“Church
Discipline”
1 Cor. 5:1-13
That the church in Corinth was having some
problems in the area of morality is hardly surprising. God used the Apostle Paul to plant
a church in one of the most wicked immoral cities on the face of the earth Corinth. But
the issue is not the immorality in Corinth, but the immorality in the church in Corinth.
Church discipline is dealing with individuals
with the church who persist in serious sin and refuse to repent.
First, There Is A Scandal (v. 1)
“It is actually reported that
there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named
among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife!”
In the New King James translation “actually” expresses the Apostles shock at what is
happening in the church. But the same term is translated “commonly”
in the King James Version, placing the emphasis on the fact that what is happening in the
Corinthian church is common knowledge.
Personal I believe that Paul wants to get
both the nuances across, that Paul is shock at this immorality and that it was common
knowledge that no one doubts.
But notice just how scandalous this thing is, “such… as is not even named among the Gentiles” this
is such a great wickedness that it shocking to an unbelieving world. This is a case of
incest, a sexual relationship with possibly his mother, or more likely, his step-mother.
But in either case it is so flagrant a sin that even lost people know that it is wrong.
Perhaps most importantly of all, this is not a
one night fling, because he says, “someone who has his
father’s wife.” The tense of the verb translated
“has” (Present active) which denotes that this sin is still going on
even as Paul writes. What should be the most horrifying for us, is the realization that
believers are still capable of committing terrible sins. Just think of David, he broke as
many as seven of ten commandments in his sin with Bathsheba.
One can almost imagine what kinds of diagnosis
would be given today to this man living with his father’s wife. We could delve into
his psychological make up and undoubtedly find so excuse for “abuse.” Those who
have confidence in the therapeutic method would no doubt prescribe long intensive and
expensive therapy. But for Paul, the diagnosis was simple and so was the prescription. The
problem was sin and the prescription is to remove him from the fellowship.
Secondly, There Is A Solution (vv. 2-5)
“And you are puffed up, and
have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among
you. (3) For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as
though I were present) him who has so done this deed. (4) In the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord
Jesus Christ, (5) 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.”
Paul would have agreed with the writer of the
old hymn “Rescue the Perishing” when he wrote, “weep over the erring
one – lift up the fallen , Tell them of Jesus the Might to save… Back to the
narrow way patiently win them…” [Praise! Our Songs and Hymns. (Grand
Rapids, Zondervans, 1979) #515]
What we have to understand is that church
discipline is a process. Here in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul speaks of the final step in
discipline. More than any other text Matthew 18 spells out the process of discipline. We
need to turn to Matthew 18 because it spells out the full process of church discipline,
from the private rebuke to the collective expulsion from the congregation by the whole
church.
Matthew 18:15-18 says, “Moreover
if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If
he hears you, you have gained your brother. (16) But if he will not hear, take with you
one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be
established.’ (17) And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he
refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
(18) “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Let me see if I can explain how this works out
in the modern world. Let's say I hear a report that one of our deacons (I'll call him
Simon – because as far as I know we don’t have a Simon in this church) has left
his wife and is living with another woman. The first step that should be taken is to go to
Deal in private first. There is no need for
exposure. Only broaden the circle of knowledge if there is no response.
Perhaps when that is done, we will find that
yes, Simon did move out of the house, but only temporarily because he moved in with his
mom to take care of her while she recovers from surgery. We need to make sure that we have
our facts straight.
Or it may be that we find out that yes,
Another
possibility is that Simon will say, "Yes, I'm having an affair. But so what? I just
don't love my wife anymore and who I sleep with is my business, not yours."
If Simon responds that way, then we have to
go to Step two. Now one or two other
people are asked to go as a group to talk with Simon. Perhaps at this time he may have a
different attitude. After listening to what the representatives of the church have to say,
he may respond by saying, "Guys, I guess you
are right. I've been acting like a jerk. I need to repent and make things right with God
and with my wife."
Or, he may tell the representative to get
Paul
says the end result is that the individual is to be “turned
over to Satan.”
What does it mean to turn him over to Satan? J. David Hoke comments, “That sounds pretty bad
doesn’t it? Well it is! But he’s not saying turn him over to Satan so Satan can
take him to Hell…. What he’s saying is simply this. If this guy persists in his
sin and doesn’t respond or repent, then put him out of the fellowship and have
nothing to do with him. Let him see the full end of his chosen course. In other words,
quit propping him up, quit encouraging him. When he falls, quit lifting him up. If he won’t
repent, then let him fall and lie there. Let him hit the wall. Quit putting the mattress
between him and the wall. Let him see what it’s like to exist outside of the
Christian community–– outside of the fellowship of the brothers and sisters in
Christ who love him. Let him see what it’s like to live with Satan for a while.”
[J. David Hoke. “Recovering
Accountability” - www.horizonsnet.org/sermons/1cor14.html]
Perhaps as a result
they may come to themselves, like the Prodigal son did. Why did the Prodigal change, he
came face to face with where his bad choice had lead him. He was suffering the
consequences of his bad choices. That can be a real revelation to some people.
In Galatians 6:1-2 Paul tells the believers, “Brethren, if a man is
overtaken in any trespass, you who are
spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also
be tempted. (2) Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law
of Christ.” The word “restore” used in Galatians 6:1 means to repair. When
someone is caught up in sin – the mature Christians are to try to repair the brother
or sister.
So what happened in the case of the man
reported in 1 Corinthians 5, although I cannot say for sure I believe he is the man spoken
of in 2 Corinthians 2:6-11. The New Living Translation of these verses
reads, “He was punished enough when most of
you were united in your judgment against him. (7) Now it is time to forgive him and
comfort him. Otherwise he may become so discour-aged that he won't be able to recover. (8)
Now show him that you still love him. (9) I wrote to you as I did to find out how far you
would go in obeying me. (10) When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I
forgive him (for whatever is to be forgiven), I do so with Christ's authority for your
benefit, (11) so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are very familiar with his evil schemes.” It would seem
that the guy in 1 Corinthians 5 finally made it right and was restored.
Third, There Is A Clarification (vv. 9-13)
“I wrote to you in my epistle
not to keep company with sexually immoral people. (10) Yet I certainly did not mean with
the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or
idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. (11) But now I have written
to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or
covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to
eat with such a person. (12) For what have I to do with judging those also who are
outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? (13) But those who are outside God judges.
Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”
What Paul has said in the past about
separation is being twisted. Here he sits the matter straight, he is not telling to avoid
contact unbelievers. We are not to avoid the world, we are sent to be the salt and light
to the world (Matt 5:14). We are not to pass judgment on the lost world; God will do that!
Church discipline is not for the lost, it for
the saved who stubbornly continue in sin.
Let Me Close by sharing this thought.
“Think gently of the erring;
You know not of the power
With which the dark temptation came
In some unguarded hour;
You may not know how earnestly
They struggled, or how well,
Until the hour of weakness came
And sadly thus they fell.
Think gently of the erring;
Oh, do not now forget
However darkly stained by sin,
He is your brother yet;
Heir of the self-same heritage,
Child of the self-same God.
He has but stumbled in the path
Which you in weakness trod.
Speak gently to the erring;
You yet may lead them back,
With holy words and tones of love,
From misery’s thorny track;
Forget not you have sometimes
sinned,
And sinful yet may be;
Deal gently with the erring, then,
As God has dealt with thee.”
[J. A. Fletcher, “Grace at Work” - www.bible.org/illus/churchdiscipline]
Three Principles To Remember
1. Church discipline is for those who have
refused to repent.
2. Church discipline is for believer’s not unbelievers!
3. Church discipline has as a goal restoration.