Church discipline is a very unpopular subject in our modern “feel good” Christianity, but it is clearly taught in Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul goes to great lengths to teach the need, method, reason, and sphere of church discipline. May God grant us “ears to hear” as we search His Holy Word on this vital subject!
Teaching Notes:
Church Discipline
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Intro:
In 1 Corinthians chapter 4, Paul was addressing a smaller group within the church who were arrogant and puffed up, and basically gave them the choice as to whether he would return in gentleness or with a rod. If they heeded his exhortations in this letter and repented he would come in love and gentleness. If they didn’t he would come with a rod. Well, here in chapter 5 we have an example of the rod. 1 Corinthians 5 is about church discipline, something none of us enjoys talking about, much less actually doing. However it is included in God’s inspired Word as an important means to correct and restore sinning members of the body. Many churches today have simply decided to ignore sections of Scripture like this, but we must not do this, as this would result in being unfaithful to our Lord Jesus Christ.
1. The Need for Church Discipline: 5:1-2a
A. The Immoral Man: 5:1
1) It is actually reported: Paul is shocked and aghast at what he has learned! Remember that Paul had been informed by Chloe’s people (1Cor 1:11) about some of the problems in the church of Corinth. One of those problems was divisions which Paul addressed in chapters 1-4. Now, he moves on to the 2nd problem he needs to address, which is that a man in the church is having illicit sexual relations with his father’s wife.
2) Does not even exist even among the Gentiles: this is a situation of incest. Even the pagans did not engage in this kind of illicit sexual behavior. This was a shock and an outrage to the apostle Paul. The testimony of the church was in danger of suffering a fatal blow. Something needed to be done immediately. In Mt. 18:15-17 Jesus outlines steps for church discipline that include a private one on one confrontation, and then a confrontation by two or three people, and finally a confrontation by the whole church. In this passage, the first two steps seem to be eliminated, and the sinning member is to be removed from the church. Probably the situation had become so bad for so long that drastic measures needed to be taken immediately.
3) someone has his father’s wife: the present tense of “has” speaks volumes. Paul did not say “had”, as if this was a one night stand for which the man had repented and grieved. No, it was an ongoing, persistent pattern for this man. The man’s father had evidently married, and then his wife had died or divorced him. He had remarried. Perhaps the stepmother and the son had an illicit affair, causing the father to divorce her. They then continued to live together as though they were man and wife. Paul calls for no discipline of the woman, probably because she was not a believer.
B. The Arrogant Congregation: 5:2a
1) You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead: Mourning was the godly response to the situation. We mourn when something terrible happens to those we love. Something terrible had happened to this man. He had fallen into gross sin and was continuing in it without repentance. Instead of mourning, they had become arrogant. Arrogant of what? My guess is that they had become proud and boastful of their tolerance, and non-judgmental attitude towards him. They could say they were loving, kind, and gentle to sinners. Those that refused to tolerate open persistent sin were labeled as harsh, judgmental, and legalistic. This still happens all the time. If you try to put into practice issues like church discipline, you will be labeled unloving, unkind, Pharisaical, and legalistic. However, if you exercise Biblical discipline in love, you will be faithful to your Lord!
2. The Method of Church Discipline: 5:2b-5
A. So that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst: This is the remedy for persistent, unrepentant sin. He must be removed from the church’s midst. Notice 5:5,7,13. 4 times this remedy is stated and called for by the apostle. This means that the immoral man would be excluded from all the activities and social life of the church (not even to eat with such a one) – vs.11. This man would no longer be welcome at any of the meetings of the church, nor would he be invited to any social get togethers. He must be totally excluded.
B. though absent in body but present in spirit, I have already judged him: even though they were arrogant, and lenient, Paul was not. Paul had already made a determination that this was evil and must be stopped immediately. Even though he was absent in body, yet it is as though he is present through this letter, and he is taking the lead in showing them how they must handle situations in which people are living in sin in the body. It is as if he is saying, “Imitate me in this. Follow my lead. You must judge this man as I am doing.”
Note: Mt.7:1 is the text everyone loves to quote, especially nonbelievers. “Judge not that you be not judged.” How then could Paul say “I have already judged him”? Evidently, there is a time when we must judge someone (5:12).
C. When you are assembled: Paul had something for them to do when they gathered together. Church discipline can not be done by an individual or privately. When it comes to excommunication, it must be done by the assembled church.
D. In the name of our Lord Jesus: This means that when they assembled they must do what Jesus would do if He were here in the flesh. Jesus gave instructions as to what they should do in Mt.18:15-17. They must carry out those instructions with His own authority.
E. With the power of our Lord Jesus: Jesus taught “whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. And if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst” (Mt.18:18-20). In other words, this church is not acting on its own. Heaven is backing up this decision. The power of Jesus is necessary for this transaction to take place.
F. Deliver such a one to Satan: what does Paul mean by this? Some scholars believe this means merely that the church withdraws its fellowship from this man, and so this man is now bereft of all Christian fellowship, and the blessings of the believing community. Remember, that at this time in history, there was 1 church in a city, and a believer who was excommunicated couldn’t just go down the street to the next church. He would have lost contact with all his close Christian friends, the privilege of worshipping with his brothers and sisters, hearing the Word taught and preached, and enjoying the Lord’s Supper. He would be delivered over into the realm in which Satan ruled, as the “god of this world” and the “prince of the power of the air.”
However, there are other scholars who believe there is something more going on here. On at least one other occasion, Paul delivered over Hymenaeus and Alexander to Satan so that they would be taught not to blaspheme (1Tim.1:18-20).
G. For the destruction of his flesh: this also can be understood in two different ways. “Flesh” may refer to this man’s fallen, sinful nature, and Paul be saying that by excluding this man from from all Christian fellowship and privilege may result in him repenting of the sin that has excluded him, and mortifying the deeds of the flesh, so that he may return.
The other view is that “flesh” refers to this man’s physical body. “Destruction of his flesh” then, refers to serious illness or even death. Something similar to this happened in Job’s life. In Job 2:5-7, the Lord hands Job over to Satan with only 1 condition. He must spare his life. So Satan smote Job with boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. So then, “delivering him to Satan” would mean that the church would agree in prayer as a last resort that the Lord would do what He did in Job’s life – remove all protection so that Satan can do whatever he wants to him. This is an extremely solemn decision and needs to be made with much prayer as a last resort in the restorative process.
H. So that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus: Notice that the whole reason for exercising this discipline is for the man’s salvation. We never exclude someone from our fellowship or hand him over to Satan because we are angry and want to get even with him! We only do this because we love the man, and realize that if he dies in this unrepentant state he will end up in hell. Love drives us to do the hard and uncomfortable thing. When Jesus comes back, Paul wanted this man to be one of the “sheep” on Jesus’ right hand, and he was willing to do anything so that he would be saved!
3. The Reason for Church Discipline: 5:6-8
A. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough: “Leaven” in Scripture represents influence, usually evil influence. Paul’s concern is that this man’s sin is going to influence the rest of the church toward evil. “One bad apple spoils the entire barrel.” God wants His church to be holy, and requires that His church discipline and even remove those from it who will not pursue holiness.
B. Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened: Cleaning out the old leaven refers to removing the wicked man from their midst (13). The church is unleavened, holy. They have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, “holy ones” by calling (1:2). Paul is merely calling them to put into practice what they already are in position. They are holy; thus be holy!
C. Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed: The Feast of Unleavened Bread began with Passover. Just as the Destroying Angel “passed over” all the Israelites who had obeyed Jehovah’s command to kill the lamb and put its blood on the lintel and doorposts, so Christ as the Lamb of God has died, so that all who apply His blood to their souls by faith, will be “passed over” when God’s wrath is poured out on the ungodly. Just as the Passover was followed by 7 days in which no leaven was to be found in the homes of the Israelites, so once a person has come to Christ by faith, he must remove the leaven of sin in his life. Holiness is not an option for a believer; it is the sure evidence that God’s grace has taken root in his life! Celebrating the feast refers to living out our Christian lives in holiness.
4. The Sphere of Church Discipline:
A. I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world: There had been a misunderstanding of what Paul had earlier written to the Corinthians. Paul had told them that they must not keep company with immoral believers. They mistook his meaning that they must not keep company with any immoral persons: covetous, swindlers, idolaters. Paul is saying that is impossible, for you can’t live in this world without associating with the ungodly.
B. Actually I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother: A “so-called” brother would be any person who professes to follow Christ. Since we can’t know a person’s heart, all we can do is treat a person according to his profession. If a person is involved in the life of the church and professes to be a Christian, they fall under the same disciplinary measures as anyone else in the church. As long as a person professes to follow Christ he must be held to the same standards as anyone else in the Church. Note: 2 additional sins are mentioned in vs.11 (revilers and drunkards), indicating that this is not an all-inclusive list of sins. Even a sin like “covetousness” comes under the discipline of the church!
C. What have I to do with judging outsiders? Here is the sphere of church discipline. It is not “outsiders” but “insiders”. We must leave the judgment of outsiders to God. It is none of our concern. But it IS of our concern to judge “insiders.” The church must be pure and holy for her Bridegroom.
Life Application:
Here at Stone Bridge there will probably come a time when we must apply this truths of this chapter. If or when someone in our midst begins to sin continually without repentance, we will have to take action. Normally the action begins with one believer going to him/her and reproving him. If no change takes place, the believer is to take one or two along with him so that there are witnesses should he not listen to them. If even that proves futile, the whole church is to confront the individual, seeking to bring him to repentance. And if even that does not produce the desired effect, the sinning member must be cut off from the body, both in hopes it will bring the individual to repentance and to protect the body from his corrupting influence.
God takes the holiness of church seriously! When some believers were observing the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner, the Lord brought sickness and even death in judgment. When Ananias and Saphira were bringing deceit into the early church, the Lord struck them dead. What was the result? 5:13 “But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number.” The result was that non-believers would not dare to join the church, but multitudes of true believers were added. Purity was the result! Church discipline is one of the primary ways that the church is kept pure! May God help us to be faithful in this regard!
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