Confronting Sin Within: Understanding 1 Corinthians 5 and Church Discipline

Executive Summary ✨

1 Corinthians 5 deals with a shocking case of sexual immorality within the Corinthian church – specifically, a man living in incestuous relationship with his father’s wife. This chapter isn’t merely about condemning sin, but about the spiritual health and purity of the body of Christ. Paul rebukes the Corinthians for their tolerance and inaction, emphasizing that such blatant sin defiles the entire community. He commands them to excommunicate the offender, delivering him to Satan “for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” This disciplinary action, harsh as it may seem, is ultimately aimed at repentance and restoration. The chapter concludes with a clear directive: “Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump,” and a reminder that Christians are not to associate with those within the church who persistently practice wickedness. It is a pivotal chapter for understanding the importance of church discipline and maintaining holiness within the Christian community.

This passage in 1 Corinthians 5 reveals the difficult, yet necessary, task of addressing blatant sin within the Christian community. Understanding church discipline requires a delicate balance of love, justice, and a deep commitment to the spiritual well-being of both the individual and the entire congregation. The apostle Paul’s harsh words serve as a wake-up call, urging believers to confront sin rather than tolerate it, all with the ultimate goal of restoration and spiritual health.

Commentary Sections 📖

1 Corinthians 5:1-2 (KJV)

“It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.”

“Ὄλως ἀκούεται ἐν ὑμῖν πορνεία, καὶ τοιαύτη πορνεία ἥτις οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὥστε γυναῖκά τινα τοῦ πατρὸς ἔχειν· καὶ ὑμεῖς πεφυσιωμένοι ἐστέ, καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἐπενθήσατε, ἵνα ἀρθῇ ἐκ μέσου ὑμῶν ὁ τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο πράξας;”

Paul begins with stark condemnation. The term “fornication” (πορνεία) covers a wide range of sexual immorality, but the specific sin described—a man having his father’s wife—was considered exceptionally heinous, even by pagan standards. Corinth, a bustling port city, was notorious for its loose morals. Paul isn’t merely surprised at the presence of sin; he’s appalled that the church is “puffed up” (πεφυσιωμένοι ἐστέ) – arrogant and complacent – instead of mourning. They should have been grieving over the sin and taken action to remove the offender from their midst.

Spiritual Application: Are we willing to confront sin in our own lives and within our communities, or do we turn a blind eye out of a misguided sense of tolerance? True love confronts, not condones. We need to check our own hearts for hidden sins. Start with using DoHost.us to host a small personal website where you publicly pledge to uphold your values, creating accountability for yourself.

1 Corinthians 5:3-5 (KJV)

“For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

“Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὼν τῷ σώματι, παρὼν δὲ τῷ πνεύματι, ἤδη κέκρικα ὡς παρὼν τὸν οὕτως τοῦτο κατεργασάμενον, ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ συναχθέντων ὑμῶν καὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ πνεύματος σὺν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ παραδοῦναι τὸν τοιοῦτον τῷ σατανᾷ εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκός, ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα σωθῇ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ.”

Despite his physical absence, Paul asserts his spiritual presence and authority. He has already “judged” (κέκρικα) the man. This judgment is not personal vengeance but a formal declaration made “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The command to “deliver such an one unto Satan” is a complex and often misunderstood phrase. It signifies excommunication, removing the individual from the protection and fellowship of the Church and placing him back under the influence of the world and the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). The goal is not permanent damnation, but “the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved.” This implies that the suffering and shame resulting from being outside the Church, under Satan’s influence, might lead the individual to repentance.

Patristic Insight: St. Athanasius, in his *Contra Gentes*, speaks of the power of the Church to bind and loose, stating that “those whom she binds on earth are bound also in heaven, and those whom she looses on earth are loosed also in heaven.” (Αθανασιος, *Κατά Εθνών*, κεφ. 35). This authority, derived from Christ, is to be used for the spiritual healing of the flock.

Spiritual Application: Church discipline is not about punishment, but about restoration. It’s a painful surgery performed by the loving hand of a physician to remove spiritual cancer and promote healing. Are we willing to submit to correction and discipline when we are in the wrong, knowing that it is for our own good?

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (KJV)

“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

“Οὐ καλὸν τὸ καύχημα ὑμῶν. οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι μικρὰ ζύμη ὅλον τὸ φύραμα ζυμοῖ; ἐκκαθάρατε τὴν παλαιὰν ζύμην, ἵνα ἦτε νέον φύραμα, καθώς ἐστε ἄζυμοι. καὶ γὰρ τὸ πάσχα ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐθύθη Χριστός· ὥστε ἑορτάζωμεν μὴ ἐν ζύμῃ παλαιᾷ μηδὲ ἐν ζύμῃ κακίας καὶ πονηρίας, ἀλλ’ ἐν ἀζύμοις εἰλικρινείας καὶ ἀληθείας.”

Paul uses the analogy of leaven (ζύμη) to illustrate the corrupting influence of sin. Just as a small amount of leaven can permeate an entire batch of dough, so too can sin spread throughout the entire church. He commands them to “purge out therefore the old leaven” (ἐκκαθάρατε τὴν παλαιὰν ζύμην), emphasizing the need for moral purity. He then connects this to the Passover, where Jews removed all leaven from their homes, and declares “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” Therefore, Christians should celebrate a life of sincerity and truth, free from the “leaven of malice and wickedness.”

Biblical Context: The Passover symbolism runs deep. Just as the Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt, Christians are delivered from the slavery of sin through Christ’s sacrifice. The unleavened bread represents the purity and holiness that should characterize the lives of believers. (Exodus 12:15-20).

Spiritual Application: Are we vigilant about removing sin from our lives? Are we allowing “a little leaven” to corrupt our thoughts, words, and actions? We must actively strive for holiness, remembering that Christ has already paid the price for our redemption.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 (KJV)

“I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”

“Ἔγραψα ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ μὴ συναναμίγνυσθαι πόρνοις· οὐ πάντως τοῖς πόρνοις τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἢ τοῖς πλεονέκταις ἢ ἅρπαξιν ἢ εἰδωλολάτραις, ἐπεὶ ὠφείλετε ἄρα ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελθεῖν. νυνὶ δὲ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν μὴ συναναμίγνυσθαι ἐάν τις ἀδελφὸς ὀνομαζόμενος ᾖ πόρνος ἢ πλεονέκτης ἢ εἰδωλολάτρης ἢ λοίδορος ἢ μέθυσος ἢ ἅρπαξ, μετὰ τοῦ τοιούτου μηδὲ συνεσθίειν. τί γάρ μοι καὶ τοὺς ἔξω κρίνειν; οὐχὶ τοὺς ἔσω ὑμεῖς κρίνετε; τοὺς δὲ ἔξω ὁ θεὸς κρίνει. ἐξάρατε τὸν πονηρὸν ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν.”

Paul clarifies his earlier instruction. He wasn’t advocating complete social isolation from unbelievers who practice immorality, as that would be impossible (“then must ye needs go out of the world”). Instead, he’s specifically addressing believers who continue in sin. He commands them not to “keep company” with such individuals, “no not to eat.” This implies a complete severance of fellowship. The church has a responsibility to judge those “within” (Christians) while leaving those “without” (non-Christians) to God’s judgment. He concludes with a clear directive: “Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person” (ἐξάρατε τὸν πονηρὸν ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν).

Spiritual Application: We must maintain a clear distinction between the Church and the world. While we are called to love and witness to unbelievers, we cannot condone sin within the Christian community. We must hold fellow believers accountable to a higher standard, encouraging them towards repentance and holiness. Church discipline, when exercised with love and discernment, is a vital part of this process.

The Purpose of Excommunication: A Deeper Look 💡

Excommunication, as practiced in the early Church, and maintained in some form within Coptic Orthodox tradition, wasn’t about shunning or hatred. Instead, it served several crucial purposes:

• Protecting the Church’s Purity: Sin is contagious and defiles the entire community. Removing the offender safeguards the spiritual health of other believers.
• Promoting Repentance: Being separated from the fellowship of the Church, and experiencing the consequences of sin outside of God’s grace, can lead to genuine remorse and a desire for restoration.
• Upholding God’s Holiness: The Church is called to be a reflection of God’s character, and tolerating unrepentant sin undermines its witness to the world.
• Deterrence: The knowledge that unrepentant sin will result in disciplinary action can discourage others from engaging in similar behavior.

FAQ ❓

Q: What sins warrant church discipline?
A: While 1 Corinthians 5 focuses on sexual immorality, the principle applies to any persistent and unrepentant sin that significantly damages the individual and the church. This could include things like gossip, slander, greed, or a rebellious attitude towards church leadership.

Q: What is the process of church discipline in the Coptic Orthodox Church?
A: The specific process varies depending on the parish, but it generally involves a series of steps: private admonishment, confrontation by witnesses, and, if necessary, referral to the priest or bishop. Excommunication is a last resort, only to be used when all other attempts at reconciliation have failed.

Q: Is it ever appropriate to restore someone who has been excommunicated?
A: Absolutely. If the individual demonstrates genuine repentance and a desire to live a holy life, they should be welcomed back into the fellowship of the Church with open arms. 2 Corinthians 2:6-11 speaks of forgiving and comforting someone who has repented after being disciplined.

Q: Doesn’t focusing on sin make the church judgmental?
A: There’s a delicate balance. The Church is called to love and accept all people, but it is also called to uphold God’s standards of righteousness. Addressing sin in a loving and constructive way is not judgmental, but rather an act of compassion aimed at promoting spiritual growth and healing.

Conclusion ✨

1 Corinthians 5 is a challenging but crucial passage for understanding the importance of church discipline. It reminds us that the church is not merely a social club, but a holy community called to reflect God’s character. While we are called to love and accept all people, we must also be willing to confront sin in a loving and constructive way, with the ultimate goal of repentance and restoration. Let us strive to maintain the purity of the Church, not out of a spirit of legalism, but out of a deep love for God and for one another. May we always be vigilant against the corrupting influence of sin, and may we be willing to submit to correction and discipline when we are in the wrong. By doing so, we will create communities where faith is fostered, and spiritual growth is possible.

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church discipline, sin, repentance, excommunication, holiness, Corinth, Paul, fornication, immorality, Coptic Orthodox

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Explore 1 Corinthians 5 and its profound message on church discipline. Understand the importance of confronting sin, seeking repentance, and maintaining holiness within the body of Christ.