1 Corinthians 5:3-5 says...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 5:3-5, which read,
v.3 - For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.
These are hard verses to write and speak on. Paul has found out that there is a member of the church in Corinth that is participating in illicit sexual activity. He has also found out that the church has been arrogant in their treatment to this activity by condoning it as a badge of honor to them as a church. Doesn't this sound so familiar to the world we live in today? Some denominations are raising the banner that we are "open and affirming" to what in Scripture is a wrong but made right by the country we live in.
Paul has judged this man. But aren't we not to judge? The judging that Paul is talking about here is the man's actions in accordance to Scripture. He is not talking about final judgment of the man's life because that is for God to do. Paul is judging or making a call based on the Scripture and the fruit of this man's life that some action needs to take place that is not promoting this but really raising the weight of Scripture in our lives rather than lessening it.
v.4, 5 - In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
It really sounds harsh but it actually is still Paul's love pouring out to this man and this church who are not walking in the ways of the Lord. What he is asking them to do needs to be done in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and all that He teaches and displays. This means the actions taken must be done in the fullness of truth in love given to us in the Scriptures.
What he is asking them to do needs to be with the power of our Lord Jesus. It needs to be done because of what Jesus did on the cross and through the now empty grave. Jesus Christ had the power to die for our sins and He went to the cross to crush Satan's power. When we live in the flesh and when we promote the flesh's lifestyle then we are saying and living that Christ's sacrifice and resurrection really means nothing.
Paul wants this man's spirit to be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. He wants this man to be able to stand before the Lord as a saved individual. If what it takes for that to happen is to turn him over to Satan's ways and all the consequences that he will suffer for it then so be it. Paul is asking the church in Corinth to put out of the fellowship this one who is knowingly and actively participating in sin according to the word of God. They are to turn this one out of the fellowship of God to the fellowship of Satan which is shown by his actions with the hope that he would turn from his ways back to the Lord. It sounds harsh but this is an extreme measure that is needed at times when repeated instruction and guidance from God's word is not being followed. It will start to take a toll on the church as a whole. What evidence do we have of this? The church in Corinth was condoning this sin and arrogant of it rather than preaching the avoidance and repentance of sin. I would say that is proof enough that this man's actions were affecting the church.
This person has become co-dependent on the church in Corinth who is condoning his ways and now he and the church see nothing wrong with them. Great devotional material for a Sunday morning, eh?
How will this man turn? Will he turn in a church that is now come to the point of condoning what he is doing or will he turn when he sees that the church is going to stand for something other than what the world is offering? If you live like the world then you are of the world and not of the church. If you live like a follower of Christ then you are of the church that believes He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Many times over the years of the church we have tried to blend the two and it never works. The world's way will win out if the Lord's way is not held in the highest esteem and with the highest actions.
"Lord, how hard this must have been for Paul to write these words to the Christians in Corinth. Paul gave his life for others to come to You and in this case his instruction was to kick this man out of the fellowship of believers with the hope that he would see the destruction of sin and come back to You. May the world's actions not set the precedent for the actions of Your people but may be continue to follow You and You alone. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.3 - For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.
These are hard verses to write and speak on. Paul has found out that there is a member of the church in Corinth that is participating in illicit sexual activity. He has also found out that the church has been arrogant in their treatment to this activity by condoning it as a badge of honor to them as a church. Doesn't this sound so familiar to the world we live in today? Some denominations are raising the banner that we are "open and affirming" to what in Scripture is a wrong but made right by the country we live in.
Paul has judged this man. But aren't we not to judge? The judging that Paul is talking about here is the man's actions in accordance to Scripture. He is not talking about final judgment of the man's life because that is for God to do. Paul is judging or making a call based on the Scripture and the fruit of this man's life that some action needs to take place that is not promoting this but really raising the weight of Scripture in our lives rather than lessening it.
v.4, 5 - In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
It really sounds harsh but it actually is still Paul's love pouring out to this man and this church who are not walking in the ways of the Lord. What he is asking them to do needs to be done in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and all that He teaches and displays. This means the actions taken must be done in the fullness of truth in love given to us in the Scriptures.
What he is asking them to do needs to be with the power of our Lord Jesus. It needs to be done because of what Jesus did on the cross and through the now empty grave. Jesus Christ had the power to die for our sins and He went to the cross to crush Satan's power. When we live in the flesh and when we promote the flesh's lifestyle then we are saying and living that Christ's sacrifice and resurrection really means nothing.
Paul wants this man's spirit to be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. He wants this man to be able to stand before the Lord as a saved individual. If what it takes for that to happen is to turn him over to Satan's ways and all the consequences that he will suffer for it then so be it. Paul is asking the church in Corinth to put out of the fellowship this one who is knowingly and actively participating in sin according to the word of God. They are to turn this one out of the fellowship of God to the fellowship of Satan which is shown by his actions with the hope that he would turn from his ways back to the Lord. It sounds harsh but this is an extreme measure that is needed at times when repeated instruction and guidance from God's word is not being followed. It will start to take a toll on the church as a whole. What evidence do we have of this? The church in Corinth was condoning this sin and arrogant of it rather than preaching the avoidance and repentance of sin. I would say that is proof enough that this man's actions were affecting the church.
This person has become co-dependent on the church in Corinth who is condoning his ways and now he and the church see nothing wrong with them. Great devotional material for a Sunday morning, eh?
How will this man turn? Will he turn in a church that is now come to the point of condoning what he is doing or will he turn when he sees that the church is going to stand for something other than what the world is offering? If you live like the world then you are of the world and not of the church. If you live like a follower of Christ then you are of the church that believes He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Many times over the years of the church we have tried to blend the two and it never works. The world's way will win out if the Lord's way is not held in the highest esteem and with the highest actions.
"Lord, how hard this must have been for Paul to write these words to the Christians in Corinth. Paul gave his life for others to come to You and in this case his instruction was to kick this man out of the fellowship of believers with the hope that he would see the destruction of sin and come back to You. May the world's actions not set the precedent for the actions of Your people but may be continue to follow You and You alone. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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