2022_05_16 Insight Post- Kim Feld

  -   May 16, 2022

This week’s reading- 1 Corinthians 5-6

In 1 Corinthians chapter 5, Paul addresses sin within the church, particularly sexual immorality. Depending on the translation you read, the issue is someone within the church having a sexual relationship with his stepmother or his father’s wife. This had been a taboo practice since the time of Moses (see Leviticus 18:7-8; Deuteronomy 22:30; 27:20), and Paul instructs the church to use discipline in dealing with it. His words are sharp in verse 5: “Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.”

Paul is describing a situation that had apparently been well-known and ignored within the church. He uses the analogy of how yeast spreads through the dough; a little can impact the whole. If the Corinthians were not willing to help this brother see that he was dangerously off track in the way he was living his life, what else would they ignore and allow to permeate the church?

When Paul says to “throw the man out and hand him over to Satan,” he’s referring to removing him from church fellowship or excommunication. This is the last resort in church discipline, and the purpose is not to dispose of the person but to hopefully bring them to a place of repentance when the loss of community is felt. But isn’t this kind of “big brother-ish” in a world with a message of “you do you”?

Dictionary.com published this on August 14, 2020:

WHAT DOES DO YOU MEAN?

Hey, do whatever you think is best for yourself, march to your own beat, focus on what you have to get done, do you. The expression do you or you do you means to do what’s right for you, whatever that may be.

Why does sin within the church matter? Why does “you do you” not work in this context? If you go back to chapter 3, verse 16, you will see that Paul says that collectively, the church is the temple of God, and the Spirit of God lives in us and among us. As we continue to read in 1 Corinthians, we will see Paul use the analogy of a body in chapter 12, saying that together we form the body of Christ. We are each a part of the body, and all parts are needed for the body to function in the way it was intended.

Think of your own body. Something as small as a splinter can become infected if not dealt with. A small cancer can spread throughout your body. The point is that we are meant to function as a unit, and when there is an issue in part, it can lead to a widespread problem. But the guiding principle of any level of discipline or correction should be love.

“No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Hebrews 12:11 NLT