1Corinthains 5
Outline:
I. \\#1:1-4:21\\ In Answer to Chloe’s Report
A. \\#1:1-9\\ Introduction
B. \\#1:10-13\\ Report of Divisions
C. \\#1:14-4:21\\ Reasons for Divisions
1. \\#1:14-3:4\\ Misunderstanding of the Gospel Message.
2. \\#3:1-4\\ Misunderstanding of the Reader’s Maturity
3. \\#3:5-4:21\\ Misunderstanding of the Gospel Ministers
II. \\#5:1-6:20\\ In Answer to Common Reports
A. \\#5:1-13\\ Of Incest
1. \\#5:1-8\\ Deliver the Fornicators for Discipline
2. \\#5:9-13\\ Separate Yourselves from Immoral Believers
B. \\#6:1-11\\ Concerning Litigation Between Believers
C. \\#6:12-20\\ Lessons to the Believer
\\#5:1-13\\ Of Incest
I. \\#5:1-8\\ Deliver the Fornicators for Discipline
1Cor 5:1 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.
A. \\#1\\ What sad, sad words.
1. What is?
a. That sin was among the Corinthian church.
(1) Sin always damages those who are engaged in it.
(2) Even sadder was that it was "commonly reported"
in public that sin was among them.
b. Public knowledge of sin always damages the testimony
of the church it is within and thus damages the
testimony of Christ.
2. It should not be that sin should be among the saved.
a. We are all sinners and we all sin, but it should not
be that sin finds a home inside the people of God!
b. And it should never be that sin is reported in the
church as common, public knowledge.
(1) So common and public was this knowledge that Paul
had heard of it far away.
(2) We are no longer reading of the report that Paul
heard from Chloe.
(3) The reports of the sins mentioned in this section
had come to Paul—wherever he was—while he
travelled at large.
B. \\#1-2\\ The First Sins
1. I say "first sins" for more sins are yet to be dealt with.
1Cor 5:1 …that there is fornication among you….
2. The first sin was that fornication was among them.
a. Fornication means sexual sins.
b. Obviously fornication is not limited to just one mate
being unfaithful to another, for the sin mentioned
here is more than that.
c. Fornication is a term to cover all kinds of sexual
sin.
1Cor 5:1 …and such fornication as is not so much
as named among the Gentiles….
(1) And while their specific brand of fornication had
not yet been declared, Paul scolded them to say
it was worse than what the heathen would allow.
(2) How awful is a sin that even the lost will not
commit?
1Cor 5:1 …that one should have his father’s wife….
(3) As I have said before, I assume this is a son and
his step mother—not because there is any
evidence at all of this in the Bible; but
because I cannot even consider the alternative.
d. Would you imagine….
(1) Paul having to deal with this?
(a) the awfulness of the sin itself.
(b) hearing and knowing of it publicly.
(c) knowing the people involved.
(d) being miles away with nothing but a quill
and parchment to attempt to set it right.
(2) How graceful the reaction of Paul was to the
Corinthians over this sin?
(a) This is chapter 5 and had you not known it
was coming, reading of such a sin as this
would have come as a surprise.
(b) Paul had been very kind, gracious, and even
respectful of this church and its potential
in Christ.
(c) Yet, Paul had known this conversation was
coming!
(d) Even here, Paul dealt with the sins in a
stern, authoritative, manner, demanding
immediate attention to the matter; but with
Christian respect and grace.
(3) And would you consider how merciful the reaction
of God had been?
(a) The holy God could have already destroyed
this church and especially those in the
church that were guilty of such sins.
(b) The fact that God had not tells us that God
was more interested in helping these
sinners repent than He was even of the
reputation of the church.
(c) Perhaps sometimes we forget just how much
God cares for the sinner—saved or lost.
(d) Our rule of thumb might should be that if
they are still alive, God cares for their
soul. Be respectful.
e. But this is not the only sin Paul had to correct.
3. \\#2\\ The second sin was that the church was puffed up
about the first sin.
1Cor 5:2 And ye are puffed up, and have not
rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed
might be taken away from among you.
a. This is the fourth time Paul used the term, "puffed
up," \\#1Cor 4:6, 18, 19, 5:2, 13:14\\
b. Puffed up means proud. Just what was this church
proud of?
(1) Were the Corinthians proud that this sinful act
had come into their church? Did they think it
was some sort of sign of enlightenment?
(a) That is exactly the way people of the 21st
century are treating this type of sinful
behavior.
(b) Today they would want to ordain this man to
the ministry!
(2) Were they proud that they had tolerated this
sinful act? That they had "obeyed the words of
Jesus" and "not judged" anyone?
Mt 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
c. People have taken Jesus’ statement out of the context
of the entire Bible.
(1) First, it should be noted that God is the One who
established earthy judges and commanded men to
judge men.
Deut 16:18 Judges and officers shalt thou make
thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God
giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they
shall judge the people with just judgment.
19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt
not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a
gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert
the words of the righteous.
20 That which is altogether just shalt thou
follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the
land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
(2) Jesus’ own words are made plain in another
gospel.
Joh 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance,
but judge righteous judgment.
(a) Jesus was not saying that men should never
judge other men’s actions, but that such
judgment should not be made in haste,
without knowing all of the facts.
(b) Righteous judgment is RIGHT judgment.
(c) To judge another, whether in a court, within
the church, or to make a decision how to
pray for a person, we should make sure we
are looking at people like Jesus looks at
them.
4. The third sin was that the church had not done anything
about the first two sins.
a. Then Paul corrected this church for not having already
judged the sinner themselves.
1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we
should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of
the Lord, that we should not be condemned with
the world.
(1) If Christians do not judge ourselves (the
church), then Christ must.
(2) And if Christ must judge us, then He must also
chasten us.
b. And finally, in this passage Paul quickly judged both
the inactive congregation and the sinner within the
church.
C. \\#2-8\\ The Judgments
1. \\#2\\ They should have mourned.
1Cor 5:2 …and have not rather mourned, that he
that hath done this deed might be taken away from
among you.
a. Paul judged that the church’s reaction to this sin and
the people involved were wrong.
b. He implied that if they had responded correctly—with
mourning before God—the person who was doing the
wrong would no longer be among them.
c. I believe Paul was indicating that if they had mourned
before God, God would have told them how to deal with
the situation, and it would have been dealt with and
done by that time.
d. He was also indicating that God would have told them
to do exactly what he was about to tell them to do.
2. \\#3-5\\ They should have turned the sinner over to Satan.
1Cor 5:3 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,
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye
are gathered together, and my spirit, with the
power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 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.
a. \\#3\\ Although not physically there, Paul knew (had
judged already) what needed to be done.
b. \\#4\\ "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ - Paul
was signing this judgment with Jesus’ name to
indicate that he knew this was the mind of Jesus.
c. "and my spirit" - He was adding his name to indicate
that he was not in any way ashamed or hesitant to
declare that this judgment must be done.
d. \\#5\\ "Deliver this one to Satan"
(1) Satan, not God, will be the actual instrument to
carry out this judgment.
(a) Is it not strange how Satan so often both
the tempter and the executioner?
(b) No doubt he delights in doing both.
(2) "for the destruction of the flesh"
(a) This was a judgment of the human body not
the human soul.
(b) In fact, Paul seemed very confident of this
this man’s salvation. (See the next
thought.)
(3) "that the spirit may be saved in the day of the
Lord Jesus."
(a) Paul expressed no doubts of the man’s soul
who had committed this sin, probably
because he knew him well and witnessed the
proofs of his salvation.
(b) "that"
i. The use of this word would indicate a
cause-effect relationship.
ii. It makes me wonder if the reason God
sends Satan to end the lives of
sinning Christians ¿life is because
if He did not, at some point, God
would have to judge the sinner for
his sin.
iii. Yet, this is just me wondering.
3. \\#6-9\\ They should yet repent of their pride.
1Cor 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not
that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
a. \\#6\\ "Your glorying"
(1) That is in the present tense.
(2) The fact that this church had found something in
this situation to be proud of was not good.
(3) There was NOTHING there of which to be proud, but
such is the way of man’s carnal pride.
(4) It attempts to give honor and respect to sin,
rebellion, and evil.
b. "leaven leaveneth the whole lump"
(1) Paul gave a lesson of sin (pride) spreading.
(2) Pride in particular and sin is general are being
compared to leaven, a yeast agent.
(a) This is not just Paul’s comparison but
God’s.
(b) It is for this same reason bread was used in
in the Old Testament to picture the nation
of Israel (12 loaves of showbread) and that
most bread (perhaps all bread) used in the
worship of God was without leaven
\\#Ex 12:15-19. 13:7, 34:25, Le 2:11\\
(3) When yeast is added to flour and allowed to stay
through the kneading process, it mixes with the
flour and spreads throughout it, making it
impossible to remove.
(4) So does pride and sin.
4. \\#7\\ And they must remove the sin.
a. "Purge out"
1Cor 5:7 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:
(1) So REMOVE the leaven (sin)—as soon as it is
recognized!
(2) "that ye may be a new lump"
(a) Here, UNLIKE THE BREAD LOAF, the Christian
becomes a NEW LOAF in Christ once the sin
is removed.
(b) The loaf that had the yeast ripped from it
would only be a smaller version of the old
loaf.
(c) But because "Christ our Passover is
SACRIFICED for us," we are continually
renewed in Him.
i. Of course Christ is NOT presently
being sacrificed, but His atoning
work is continually being applied so
that when we confess our sins, we are
not the used-up, cleaned-up remains
of what Jesus originally saved.
ii. We are made completely new with every
confession of our sin so that it is
as if Jesus just died for us.
b. \\#8\\ "Therefore let us keep the feast" - Let us be
the new loaf in this celebration.
1Cor 5:8 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.
(1) "not with old leaven" - The Corinthian church had
already been corrupted by the sin of pride; but
if they remove it, they will be a new lump.
(2) "neither with… malice and wickedness" - Paul
may have anticipated these reactions to what he
had and would so; so he was warning them not to
allow these sins to corrupt them either.
(3) "but with… sincerity and truth" - If anything
was to be added to the loaf of bread called
Corinth, let it be these.
D. \\#9-13\\ Separate Yourselves from the Immoral Believers
1Cor 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to
company with fornicators:
1. \\#9\\ I wrote… not to keep company with
fornicators"
a. This is a reference to the first lost letter written
to Corinth.
b. Remember that there were at least four:
(1) The first one was lost.
(2) What we are reading is the second letter.
(3) The third letter was lost.
(4) Our 2 Corinthians was actually the fourth letter.
2. "with fornicators" - And this is not the first
conversation had with Corinth about sexual sins.
3. "not to keep company with"
a. Paul’s counsel had been that they not fellowship with
those who are engaging in sin.
b. He meant with Christians who are actively living in
sexual sin but obviously did not make that clear.
c. Paul used this occasion to clarify what he meant.
1Cor 5:10 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.
11 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.
(1) \\#10\\ But Christians cannot (and should not)
isolate themselves from all sinners.
(a) First, they cannot and live on this world.
(b) Second, they could not and be a witness to
the lost.
(2) \\#11\\ But Christians are NOT TO KEEP COMPANY
with those who call themselves Christians and
continue in sin of any kind.
(3) They are "not to eat" and pretend things are well
with a brother or sister when things are not
well.
(4) Although not stated, any Christian who is sinning
should be put out of the church.
(5) And again we ask, "Then what?"
1Cor 5:12 For what have I to do to judge them
also that are without? do not ye judge them that
are within?
13 But them that are without God judgeth.
Therefore put away from among yourselves that
wicked person.
4. \\#12-13\\ Then it is up to God to deal with them.
a. \\#12\\ "what have I to do" with those "without?"
Paul acknowledged that even he, an apostle, had no
more authority over them once they are put out of the
church.
b. \\#13\\ "But them that without God judgeth." - It is
up to God to do whatever God desires to do once the
church has done their job.
c. "Therefore put away from yourselves that wicked person"
(1) So do your duty.
(2) That command was also being given to answer the
question asked in verse 12, "do not ye judge them
that are within?"
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