1 Corinthians 5.1, 2, 13

Leviticus 20.11

“The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.”

1 Corinthians 5.1, 2, 13

This statute is especially important for us today in understanding how to apply the Law of God to the believing community, because of the incident recorded in 1 Corinthians 5. Here a man was having an affair with his father’s wife. The woman must not have been a believer because no sanctions were applied to her. The man, however, was in direct violation of this statute, and Paul meant for the Corinthians to honor it and to take action against him.

However, the Church does not bear the sword, and we live in the time of the Spirit, when the possibility of repentance is real. The offender was to be excommunicated, and none of the members of the Body of Christ in Corinth were to have any association with him. However, as it seems he came to his senses and repented, Paul instructed the Church in Corinth to receive him back into fellowship (2 Cor. 2.5-11).

This example does not argue for the elimination of the death penalty; rather, it teaches us that the Body of Christ must strive for holiness and repentance at all times, and must guard itself against the cancerous effects of undisciplined sin. Further, it must pray for the world, that God would work repentance in the hearts of those He is pleased to save.

T. M. Moore

The Law of God is the soil which, fertilized by the rest of God’s Word and watered by His Spirit, brings forth the fruit of Christian life. If you’d like to understand this process better, and how to make best use of the Law in your walk with and work for the Lord, order the book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, from our online store.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.