Aug 9 – 1 Chronicles 28, 1 Chronicles 29 1 Corinthians 5 Psalm 93:1-5
1 Cor 5:1-2
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?
Wow. Ok, where to begin. There was some shady stuff going on in Corinth – such sexual immorality that it would make a pagan blush!!
Clearly whatever this guy was up to, it was not good and is rightly condemned by Paul. But I don’t want to focus on that – or one particular sexual sin, that can almost distract form the point. Paul picks on this one case, but he’s saying there was a lot of sexual immorality going on in the church.
And the main focus of Paul’s anger? The fact that the church was allowing it. The church was condoning it. The church didn’t see it as a problem. He’s telling them, you should have dealt with this! You should have put this guy out! Yet they were boasting about how well they were doing as a church!
It’s totally ridiculous! Paul is asking them, what are they thinking? They need to disassociate themselves form sexual sin.
Now – very important – disassociate themselves from it, when it’s present in the church. He’s not saying to just the world or disassociate with the world – because if we did – we’d have to leave it – sexual sin is all around! God will judge them. It’s not for us to.
He’s saying when it’s present in someone who calls themselves a Christian we cannot condone, accept or put up with that kind of behaviour. Don’t even eat with them, because they will take that as condoning.
And it’s not just sexual sin – it’s swindlers, idolatrous people – we can’t allow that behaviour in church. It’s just not right. Sometimes we try so hard to be nice and inclusive we that we forget to be holy and righteous. Had though it is, we must be prepared to expel the wicked person from amongst us. (Incidentally, there is a difference between allowing someone to attend and hopefully get convicted by the Gospel and considering them part of the fellowship)
