Sin in the Church

One of the goals of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was to address a serious problem with sin in the church. The situation described in chapter 5 seems to be private and personal, but it has infected the whole church nonetheless.

Congregational arrogance (1 Cor. 5:1-2). Paul begins this section with an indignant tone: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife” (1 Cor. 5:1). What is going on in the church in Corinth is shocking by every standard. Corinth was a wicked city that did not blush at sin, but even here there were limits. Greek, Roman, and Jewish law all condemned incest and had harsh penalties for offenders. This relationship between a man and his stepmother was sinful and was a rare case where even the nonbelievers knew better. Evidently, this had been going on for some time. It was public knowledge and word had spread to the church, the community, and even Paul at a distance (cf. HCSB “it is widely reported” and KJV “it is reported commonly”).

 

It’s bad enough that this is happening among them, but we can understand the possibility of a single bad actor. Every group has a minority of people who don’t follow the rules and cause trouble or otherwise don’t represent the beliefs and practices of the rest of the group. What makes the situation in Corinth so much worse is that they were proud of this man and his sin! What could make a church distort God’s law so dramatically?

 

We don’t know the thinking of the Corinthians, but the common rationale is that freedom in Christ liberates us from the consequences of sin without necessitating a change in behavior. It’s likely that the Corinthians believed that their so-called “open-mindedness” toward sin was an expression of the blessings they had in Christ. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom. 6:1-2)

 

Keeping the church pure (1 Cor. 5:3-8). Paul reveals how serious the matter is and pronounces his judgment on the sinner. Since the law of God was clearly broken, Paul is right to be this definitive.

 

At this point, the Corinthians need to do far more than encourage or warn their brother. His sin is flagrant, public, and stubborn. He has no place among them and must be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. This should be done while they are assembled together in the name of Jesus—it is a somber and official act of the whole church.

 

What is the purpose of this drastic action? Paul gives two reasons. First, the “destruction of the flesh” is designed to help him avoid the wrath of God in the final judgment. Withdrawal is a difficult and emotional process, but it could be the shock that he needs to reconsider his choices. Second, the church’s purity is protected. So long as the church condones and celebrates the man’s sin, they take on his guilt and the corruption in his life will spread and change the church like yeast changes a lump of dough. The church must remain pure—Christ died for it!

 

A higher standard (1 Cor. 5:9-13). This standard of behavior that they should apply to the man is stricter than the standard they apply to people of the world. We cannot be surprised when those who have never come to Christ sin. It is what they know and who they are. Disciples are different—we have been forgiven and regenerated. We have “tasted the heavenly gift” and “shared in the Holy Spirit” (Heb. 6:4). We are expected to know better, and when we stubbornly sin, we show our rejection of God’s blessings. It is appropriate and necessary for us to hold each other accountable more than we do the people of the world.

 

There is a tough application here. Sometimes we Christians spend all our time taking the easy way out—bemoaning the ever-increasing evil of the world around us. It is good for us to call out sin and to preach the gospel, for that is how people will learn that there is a better way. However, if we only sit in our pews looking down on the world, we fail in our duty to encourage and admonish one another. The harder conversations are when we need to address sin in the church, but it must be done.

 

Conclusion. We should hate sin and treat it seriously, particularly when it infects the church. Never glorify sin or shroud it in a cloak of liberty.  God expects us to remain pure and to help each other get to heaven.