1 Corinthians 5 (3)

Pray Psalm 51.10-13.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

Sing Psalm 51.10-13.
(Passion Chorale: O Sacred Head, Now Wounded)
Create in me a clean heart, renew me from within!
Take not Your Spirit from me because of all my sin.
Salvation’s joy restore, LORD, and keep me in Your hand;
thus shall I tell Your strong Word to sinners in the land.

Read 1 Corinthians 5.1-8; meditate on verses 6-8.

Preparation
1. How was Paul using the idea of “leaven” here?

2. What did he want the Corinthians to become?

Meditation
Ouch! Paul rebukes their “glorying”—taking pride in not condemning scandalous and public sin. Can they be so obtuse as not to realize the effect this sin will have on all of them (v. 6)? That the more sin is allowed to fester, the greater harm it will do?

Purge it out, Paul insisted, before the leaven of wickedness turns the whole church away from the Lord (v. 6). Christ died that we might be done with sin, not that we might take it into our lives. He is our Passover, the sacrifice for our sins, that through Him we may feast on His life and be renewed (vv. 7, 8). But we must be cleansed of all “old leaven”—every lingering sin—before, as an unleavened lump, we can be leavened with His grace and power for new life.

There is no time to waste. The Corinthians should come together and rediscover their oneness of mind and heart to cleanse the Body of Christ of sin, that they may be “a new lump”, ready for the leavening of cleansing, forgiveness, renewal, and grace that comes through Jesus alone.

What is true of churches is likewise true of us as individuals. If we harbor sin in our lives, not only will God not hear our prayers (Ps. 66.18) but sin will spread to other aspects and facets of our lives, until we have altogether lost our newness and look like “old leaven, old lump” Corinthians, boasting and glorying of their tolerance, their spiritual lives draining away to nothing.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Paul was telling the Corinthian church to get out their big grip crayons, connect the dots, and come to the realization that their overpowering sin would have disastrous consequences (1 Cor. 1.6).

He was also appalled by their spiritual obliviousness and their obtuse ability to continue their “happy, clappy glorying” amidst this scandalous and public sin.

Private and personal sins are just as unacceptable to God; but this monstrosity was known church- and community-wide. And nothing was happening; no one was dealing with it. Such a horrible testimony!

We are not saved by our behavior; but we proclaim our salvation through our righteous behavior.

“In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity;
and by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil” (Prov. 16.6).

“If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn. 14.15).
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love,
just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (Jn. 15.10).
“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (Jn. 15.14).

Who do we think we are? Can we live the Christian life differently from Jesus?
How do we think we can manage it without doing what He says?
Why would we ever want to stray from God’s care and love?
What could possibly cause us to not want to be Jesus’ friend?

Any way you look at it we are lumps (1 Cor. 5.7). We might as well be the right kind.
Old leaven purged, new leaven leavening—cleansing, forgiving, strengthening, and expanding—to become more like Jesus every day.

Leavened lumps, God-fearing friends, of our loving, sacrificed, Passover, Savior (1Cor. 5.7).

For reflection
1. What is your approach to keeping yourself free of “old leaven”?

2. How can believers help one another to be a “new lump” every day?

3. How can the weekly service of worship help you to keep free of the “old leaven”?

Just as the sin of one person contaminates many, if it is not dealt with once it is known, so also does the sin of the many who know what is happening and either do not turn away from it or pretend that they have not noticed it. Sin does not look like sin if it is not corrected or avoided by anybody. Ambrosiaster (fl. 366-384), Commentary on Paul’s Epistles

Pray Psalm 51.1-9.
Linger in silence before the Lord to hear if He would convict you of any sin. As He does, purge the old leaven of sin by confession and repentance, and seek the Lord for grace to follow Him today.

Sing Psalm 51.1-9.
(Passion Chorale: O Sacred Head, Now Wounded)
Be gracious to me, Savior, according to Your love!
According to Your mercy, my sins, my sins remove!
O wash me, precious Savior, and cleanse me from all sin;
look on me with Your favor, and cause my grief to end.

Against You only, Savior, have I become unclean;
thus just the condemnation which You pronounce on me.
LORD, I was born to sinning, while You seek truth within;
to wisdom my heart winning, release me from my sin!

In Jesus’ blood and mercy, LORD, cleanse my evil heart!
Let me washed, cleansed, renewed be and pure in whole and part.
Bring joy again and gladness; look not upon my sin.
Deliver me from sadness; renew me yet again!

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.

Support for Scriptorium comes from our faithful and generous God, who moves our readers to share financially in our work. If this article was helpful, please give Him thanks and praise.

And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 103 Reynolds Lane, West Grove, PA 19390.

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.