This article is part one in a series of articles on Church Discipline.
The entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 5 is devoted to the subject of purging evil people from the church. Paul, used by the Holy Spirit of God to give us God’s infallible word, elaborates on a previous letter to the church in Corinth by saying, “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you’” (1 Cor 5:9–13).
On Judging
A passage of Scripture like this sounds shocking to us. We’re inundated with messages that call us not to judge, but here it says we are to judge those inside the church. Matthew 7:1 is likely the best known Bible verse among people outside the church. It says, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” However, Jesus’ words don’t stand in conflict with 1 Corinthians 5 and our command to judge those inside the church. In context, Jesus warns against hypocritical judgment. Jesus says in Matthew 7:5, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” We are called to judge those in the church who profess to follow Christ (a brother)…
On Sin
The sin mentioned here that ought to provoke judgment is sexual immorality. In fact, this was the occasion that promoted the writing of this portion of the letter. Sexual immorality is a violation of the law of God (Ex 20:14), a sin against your own body (1 Cor 6:18), a sin that profanes marriage (1 Cor 6:16), a sin that excludes one from the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9–10; Eph 5:5), a sin that should not even be named in the church (Eph 5:3), a sin that defiles and separates a person from God even though repentance is sought with tears (Heb 12:15–17), a sin that includes lust and pornography (Matt 5:27–28), and a sin that Jesus says will drag us into hell unless one takes radical measures to tear out our eye and cut off our hand (Matt 5:29–30).
This does not mean that one has never committed the sin of sexual immorality. He calls the church to judge those who are guilty (present tense) of sexual immorality. By God’s grace, many in the church who were guilty of this sin, have been changed by the Spirit of God. He writes about the sexually immoral later and says, “Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God” (1 Cor 6:11). It is those who presently confess to be a follower of Christ while being guilty of sexual immorality that God calls us to judge.
We also notice that sexual immorality, the sin which occasioned this writing, is not the only sin that ought to bring judgment. He mentions those who are guilty of greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler. This list, it would seem, is not exhaustive in warranting the judgment of the church, but indicates that sin is serious among those who claim the name of Christ.
On Purging
He writes not to associate with people guilty of these sins who profess the name of Christ. Rather, they are to be removed from the church. He quotes the Mosaic law and says, “Purge the evil person from among you” (Deut 13:5, 17:7, 12, 21:21, 22:21–22, 24). This instruction is given for the good of the church (1 Cor 5:8), the sake of Christ (1 Cor 5:7), the witness of the church to the world (1 Cor 5:1), that the one in sin might be saved (1 Cor 5:5), the clarity of the gospel (2 Cor 6:14–15), and in obedience to God’s moral law (1 Cor 5:13).
To Be Continued…
Of course, such teaching brings a whole host of questions on what this looks like and how it is done. Stay tuned for future articles where these and other important questions will be considered.