1 Corinthians 5 (1)

Pray Psalm 119.25-27.
My soul clings to the dust;
Revive me according to Your word.
I have declared my ways, and You answered me;
Teach me Your statutes.
Make me understand the way of Your precepts;
So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.

Sing Psalm 119.25-27.
(Festal Song: Rise Up, O Men of God)
My soul clings to the dust; revive me by Your Word!
My ways I have declared to You; teach me Your statutes, LORD!

Make me to understand Your precepts and Your ways,
as on Your works I meditate with wonder and with praise!

Read and meditate on 1 Corinthians 5.1, 2.

Preparation
1. What problem did Paul bring up to the Corinthians?

2. How had they responded to this situation?

Meditation
Having dealt with the root problem the Corinthians were experiencing—spiritual pride, immaturity of faith, a judgmental and divisive spirit—Paul moved on to other issues which had been brought to his attention. First in order, a man—presumably, a member of one of the churches in Corinth—was sleeping with his father’s wife (v. 1). It appears from the context that the wife was not a church member, because no action was recommended concerning her.

This was no “secret sin.” It was a public scandal. How had the Corinthians responded? By refusing to condemn the man, even taking pride in their tolerance! After all, weren’t they all sinners? Had not they all received grace for salvation and forgiveness? Who were they to judge a fellow believer?

Paul called out this sin by appealing to the Law of God (cf. Lev. 18.6-8; Deut. 22.30; 27.20). In Paul’s mind, the Law of God, while it will not save us, continues valid as a standard for Christian morality (cf. Rom. 3.31). Perhaps the Corinthians, touting their grace standing in the Lord, had determined that they were “not under law, but under grace” and so did not need to consult or follow the Law of God concerning this situation.

Wrong. It is fashionable today, in some “evangelical” circles, to set aside the teaching of God’s Law on a variety of moral issues, following the spirit of the times rather than the Spirit of God. There can be no doubt concerning how Paul would respond to this situation. Or Jesus (cf. Matt. 5.17-19).

The Corinthians should have disciplined this member by sending him away from the church for a time (v. 2; cf. vv. 4, 5). The Church does not bear the sword and so cannot execute scandalous sinners; but sending them “away from the altar” for a season is an even more powerful judgment, as we shall see.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.
“Everyone is talking about the terrible thing that has happened there among you,
something so evil that even the heathen don’t do it:
You have a man in your church who is living in sin with his father’s wife.
And are you still so conceited, so ‘spiritual’?
Why aren’t you mourning in sorrow and shame and seeing to it
that this man is removed from your membership?” (1 Cor. 5.1, 2 TLB)

Where are the Pauls and Nathans the church so desperately needs today?

When David was caught out in a similarly heinous sin, Nathan said to him:
“You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel:
‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul….
Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight?
You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword;
you have taken his wife to be your wife…’” (2 Sam. 12.7, 9).

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5.19-21).

Paul wrote this to the church then, but he could just as easily be writing it to the church today. It is the Word of God. True then, true now.

“But if you are led by the Spirit… [the fruit you will bear will be] love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Gal. 5.18, 22, 23).

We dare not tolerate sin in our own lives nor in the lives of other believers, as the effects of such are disastrous, both personally and corporately. Sin is no joke, and allowing it is the devil’s playground.

There is only one way to successfully live like Jesus, and Paul spells it out clearly and plainly:
“And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5.24, 25).

Following God’s Law, which never changes.

For reflection
1. How would you explain to a new believer what is needed to keep from falling into sin?

2. How can we know when we have fallen into sin? Does Psalm 1 offer advice in how not to fall into sin?

3. What are the consequences of failing to deal with sin in our lives or churches?

Party spirit, and a false notion of Christian liberty, seem to have saved the offender from censure. Grievous indeed is it that crimes should sometimes be committed by professors of the gospel, of which even heathens would be ashamed. Spiritual pride and false doctrines tend to bring in, and to spread such scandals. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on 1 Corinthians 5.1-8

Pray Psalm 119.28-32.
Listen for the Holy Spirit to show you any unconfessed sin. Confess it, repent, and commit yourself to following the Lord in all your ways. Thank Him for His mercy and grace, which is ours in Jesus Christ.

Sing Psalm 119.28-32.
(Festal Song: Rise Up, O Men of God)
My soul weighs down with woe, I need Your strength, O LORD!
Remove from me all lying ways; grant me Your holy Word!

I choose the way of truth; Your judgments I proclaim.
Your testimonies I embrace, LORD, put me not to shame!

Command my course, O LORD; Your gracious truth impart.
I cling to You and know You will enlarge my seeking heart.

T. M. and Susie Moore

The Church in Corinth was in need of revival. But there was much to be done before that would happen. The Church today is in need of revival, and the same is true for us. Our book, Revived!, can help us to discern our need for revival and lead us in getting there. Order your copy by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter, available by clicking here.