1 Corinthians 5-7

In the next three chapters of 1 Corinthians, Paul broaches another four problems he has heard about.  These problems are:  sexual immorality, lawsuits among believers, Christian freedom, and issues surrounding marriage.

1.  Sexual Immorality, 5:1-8

These verses constitute the basis of Paul’s theology of church discipline, which we will deal with when we approach Paul’s solution to this problem in the Corinthian congregation.  Before that, let’s examine these verses in the context in which they were written.  Much confusion can be avoided when we understand that we are reading a letter that Paul wrote to one church, and we are fortunate enough to be able to read somebody’s else’s mail.  While the situation that existed in Corinth was unique to that church at that time, there is a timeless principle to be gleaned from Paul’s teaching.

The very beginning of verse 1 belies the seriousness of the situation at Corinth.  The phrase:  It is actually reported is taken from a verb that suggests what was going on inside the walls of the Corinthian church was more or less common knowledge around town.  This sin was so shocking that people around town were talking about it.  The Corinthians, who were so proud of their intellect and their ability to debate and discuss great theological issues seemed oblivious to the shame their church was experiencing.  One commentator observed:

The ultimate test of spirituality is not knowledge or spiritual gifts; it is the ability to deal effectively with the sin problem.  (Donald Metz, 1 Corinthians, The Beacon Bible Commentary, Kansas: Beacon  Hill, 1968.  p. 347)

Nature of the sin.

The sin was so bad, that even pagans condemned it: incest.  The NIV translates porneia as “sexual immorality,” the KJV reads “fornication,” but it generally refers to “unlawful sexual intercourse.”   Even among people who have experienced the new birth, such sins may occasionally erupt.  What should be noted is that what Paul condemned was how the congregation dealt with the problem, not so much the problem itself.  Of course, Paul condemns the sin, saying that incest is so bad that even unbelievers considered it the most heinous of sins.  But the thing that troubled the apostle the most was the fact that the church did nothing about the situation; indeed, they seemed proud of their tolerance!  This is alluded to in verses 2 and 3, in which we read that congregation tolerated and fellowshipped with the man involved.

The sin is boiled down to few choice words:  A man has his father’s wife.  That’s the NIV’s very polite way of saying that a man was having sex (the verb tense suggests it was an ongoing activity) with his father’s wife.  This kind of thing was strictly condemned in Judaism and even the Greeks, who were well-known for their proclivity toward sexual deviance, thought that incest was the most horrid of things.  You may well imagine how angry this made Paul!  Surely Christians ought to know better!  Vine wrote:

This case shows that the natural conscience of an unregenerate man can act on a higher level than the seared conscience of a carnal believer. (W.E. Vine, 1 Corinthians, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1961 ed.  p. 71)

We’re not told why sinning brother hadn’t been disciplined for his actions.  Some have surmised that he was a prominent member of the church that other members were reluctant to challenge.  Others have thought that perhaps he was exceptionally gifted, either as a speaker or with an abundance of spiritual gifts. Perhaps the church was so obsessed with it’s bickering and in-fighting that the sin went unnoticed.  Whatever the reason, Paul confronts it directly.  Even though he was miles away, his mind was made up on the issue.  He wrote:  I have already passed judgment in the perfect tense, meaning his decision (judgment) was final.  Some  will note that Paul’s judgment was severe; those who hold to that view miss the seriousness of the sin.  The man had entered into a relationship with a woman that clearly defied the social customs of the day and the new Christian morality to which believers are called to aspire to.

Paul’s Solution.

Paul’s solution is simple, direct, and final:  [H]and this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. (5:5 NIV)

There is a two-fold aspect to Paul’s solution, which, hopefully will lead to a positive result.  This is the principle that we need take away from this situation.

• “Hand this man over to Satan.”  What Paul is saying here simply excommunicate this man; put him out of the church.  This is a relatively common and reasonable interpretation of this phrase.
• “The sinful nature may be destroyed.”  This phrase is a little more difficult.  The word translated “destroyed” is olethron, and means “to ruin,” it does not mean “to annihilate” or “to destroy.”  The idea is that the man will literally wear himself out, giving himself over to this evil, and thus ruin the chances of finding happiness and fulfillment (Metz, p. 351).  This will cause the man to see the error his ways, repent, and like the Prodigal Son, come back home to the fellowship of Christ and church.

Paul’s solution, then, is not punitive, but remedial, and is in keeping with his over-all method of church discipline.  Consider 1 Timothy 1:20-

Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

So we see a pattern in Paul’s discipline.  But we must also note Paul’s concern for the disciplined person; his hope is that the person will be saved in the end.

Two Principles, One Result.

In the area of church discipline, there are two principles in Paul’s teaching.  First, the practical one:  if sin is permitted to flourish in the church, it can potentially ruin the reputation of that church.  All Corinth seemed to know about this situation within that church.

The second principle is the “spiritual principle.”  Paul discusses this in verses 6 and 7a.  To be indifferent to sin does three things to a congregation:

• It makes them share part of the responsibility and guilt;
• It lowers the standards of biblical faith and conduct;
• It encourages the spread of other sins within the church.

Paul uses “leaven” or “yeast” in a two-fold manner concerning the problem at Corinth.  It not only refers to the presence of an unpunished offender in their number, but also to “the general laxity and impurity displayed by their whole bearing in the matter.” (Farrar, 1 Corinthians, The Pulpit Commentary, Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002 ed. p.167).  One bad member can infect an entire congregation.

Once the old yeast is purged, what’s left becomes “new.”  The word for “new” is neos and means new in the sense of a condition that did not exist before.  The congregation was born again, but when the sin is finally gone, they become a purified whole, capable of reaching their potential rather than their actual state.

The Corinthians, as well as other believers, can reach their spiritual potential because of Christ’s sacrifice for us.  Paul wrote that Christ…has been sacrificed.  The verb, “has been sacrificed” is an aorist, meaning a definite, completed act.  The benefits of the completed sacrifice still linger and apply to believers, both of Paul’s day and of our day.

2.  Lawsuits among believers, 6:1-11

The second problem Paul confronts is that of lawsuits among believers.  For Paul, the church was a spiritual union of believers in Christ.  This union should be characterized by healthy fellowship together along with the worship of God.  However, at Corinth, the believers seemed to prefer taking each other to court to Christian fellowship.

The first thing that should be noted here is that Paul is not specifying any criminal cases because elsewhere he teaches that these must be handled by the state, Romans 13:3, 4.

We should also notice that Paul does not deny the possibility that real differences may exist between believers. The expression “having a lawsuit or dispute” (NIV) is pragma echon and includes such things as simply suffering wrong and loss of material goods (v. 7).  Paul is not against any legal system, but what he opposed was the increasing number of Christians who were submitting their differences to the heathen courts.  Being unable to work out their differences, these immature believers took the initiative to have unbelievers brought in to do what they themselves should be able to do.  That really cut against the grain in Paul’s mind.  Jesus had previously established the principle that believers ought to settle their differences with each other (Matt. 5:39-40).

As if to make his case even stronger, Paul tells the Corinthians that they are “the saints,” a phrase from the Greek hoi hagioi, which means “the holy ones.”  This is more of a title than a description; God has already set believers apart from the world and has given them a life of holiness in Christ by giving them the Holy Spirit, whose job it is to promote maturity and sanctification in them.  Why would those who have been given so much, been recognized by God as being holy lower themselves to calling in the heathen to make a decision for them?  Especially in light of the fact that one day, The Saints will be judging the angels!  In view of this, believers should be living up to their calling.

3.  Christian Freedom, 6:12-20

With this next section, Paul addresses another problem within the church at Corinth; it seems there was a contingent of the congregation there that took their freedom in Christ to an extreme.  Paul’s main emphasis in this group of verses is that every action we consider taking should be tested by two questions:

• Is it beneficial?
• Will it overpower and enslave me and so have a detrimental effect on the church and my testimony for Christ?  (W. Harold Mare, 1 Corinthians, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976.  p. 224).

This was an interesting position for Paul to find himself in because for so long he had fought against the Judaizers, a group of Jewish believers who wanted to impose OT Jewish ceremonial laws on Christians.  Some people in this church went to an opposite extreme by turning their freedom in Christ into a license to sin.  What is important to note here is that Paul never takes back his position of spiritual liberty, but he defines its proper application to Christian life.  These are his two main points:

• Freedom is limited by spiritual expediency (6:12a).  Freedom is not the final measure of Christian conduct.  Freedom must be exercised in light of all the facts.  The phrase “is beneficial” is from the Greek sumphero, and means “bring together,” and seems to mean in this case “advantageous.”  So, our Christian freedoms must be beneficial or advantageous, both to ourselves and to others, uniting and not dividing believers.  A Christian has no right to engage in activities which may harm others but appear harmless to him.
• Freedom is subject to self-discipline (6:12b).  “All things” may be permissible, but Paul refused to be dominated by any of them.  Metz has said that self-discipline is the greatest freedom of all (Metz, p. 366), because in self-discipline the Holy Spirit is free to direct and lead a believer because the believer is free from the entanglements of “all things.”

The remaining verses, 13-20, Paul illustrates this profound spiritual truth by using two normal appetites:  for food and sex.   There are hints there was yet another segment of the church that was given to libertine behavior; over indulging in both food and questionable sexual practices.  The Greeks viewed the body as something distinct from the spirit and thought it was base and given to lusts.  They taught that man’s body was a lower part of nature that related more to the beasts, while his spirit was what communed with God.  You can see how this warped thinking could make its way into church.  Paul expressed it this way in Romans 6:1-

Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

The answer seems obvious:  No!  But to a confused church, the idea that the more we sin, the more God will shower His grace on us could  make some sense.  But Paul says the body, far from an instrument of sin, is important to God, and it has been redeemed just as the spirit of man has.  In fact, your body is so important that it has been bought, verse 20.  That word means a payment which results in a change of ownership.  The sacrifice of Christ was the purchase price for man’s personal redemption.

Considering chapter 6 as a whole, it is very clear that if the believer is dedicated to glorifying God, both shameful lawsuits and sexual sins will disappear from the church.  Our new faith in Christ should produce a new way of fellowshipping with one another which swallows up all our petty differences.