1 Corinthians 5:1-2
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. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
Tag: Sin and Christian Discipline
In the town of Corinth you would be hard pressed to find someone who was not impacted by sexual issues. Corinth was a town where sexual worship was paramount. Note the following:
In classical times and earlier, Corinth had a temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, employing some thousand hetairas (temple prostitutes) (see also Temple prostitution in Corinth). The city was renowned for these temple prostitutes, who served the wealthy merchants and the powerful officials who frequented the city.
Corinth was the modern day Vegas where sex was sold and was their main commodity. It is not surprising, therefore, that this attitude and promiscuity would infiltrate the church. In the above text we see that it did, but in a way that even the sexually immoral would not agree. Apparently a young man was having sexual relationship with his father's wife - his step-mother. Paul is quite clear here about calling sin, sin. He is also quite clear here about what the church is supposed to do about it. He is concerned that the impact of this might hurt the church. He tells them to ex-communicate the young man from their midst. This is for the purpose of purifying the church and for showing this young man, assumed to be a believer, that God is not tolerate of sin in the lives of believers or in the church. Later we will read in 2 Corinthians that the man does repent and is brought back into fellowship with the church. The reason he is brought back is not because of ''tolerance" from believers. It is because of the discipline enacted by the believers. We shy from such things today. Today we would preach acceptance and tolerance. But, this lesson is important for us, today. God does not tolerate sin in the Body of Christ. It is our role to discipline, in love. That is the Biblical formula for discipline.
No comments:
Post a Comment