1. The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
Problem of Immorality
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
1 Corinthians 5:1-13

2. Immorality In The Church
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (NKJV) 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles--that a man has his father's wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed.

3. Immorality In The Church
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (NKJV) 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

4. Immorality In The Church
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (NKJV) 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.

5. Immorality In The Church
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (NKJV) 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person.

6. Immorality In The Church
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (NKJV) 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."

7. Immorality In The Church
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
Paul begins his discussion of morality which continued through chapter six.
The case of incest, (something even detested by the Gentiles), should have caused the church to rise up in righteous indignation to expel the ungodly one from their midst.
Instead, they tolerated the unrighteous one and were puffed up against Paul, at the same time, some went to law before unbelievers against their brother over petty matters.
Oedipus Rex is the story of a man who kills his father and marries his mother. The reason that Sophocles used the incest theme was that it was just about the only sort of sexual relationship that Greeks found objectionable, and greatly so. However, Paul's point is not that it's wrong because it's incest, but because it's adultery.

8. Immorality In The Church
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
The Problem - (5:1,2)
“It is actually reported Paul can’t believe what he has heard from credible witnesses - 1 Cor 1:11
Sexual immorality – fornication - illicit sexual intercourse.
“As is not even named among the Gentiles” - about the only sort of sexual sin Greeks found objectionable. However, Paul's point is not that it's wrong because it's incest, but because it's adultery.
1 Corinthians 5:1 (NKJV) 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles--that a man has his father's wife!

9. Immorality In The Church
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
The Problem - (5:1,2)
“You are puffed up” –
Perhaps they were boasting of their open mindedness – of their tolerance –
However, throughout the book we see the arrogance on the part of some against apostolic instruction.
The attitude of the church toward sin, and the loss of a member should be grief.
1 Corinthians 5:2 (NKJV) 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.
Their arrogance was not because they had a fornicator in their midst. Rather, it was their overall attitude of pride that hardened their hearts against apostolic instruction. Arrogance can be read this way throughout the book, and need not mean something different here. While the local church does not have a right to determine someone's salvation, it does have a right to determine who it associates with.

10. Immorality In The Church The Purpose & Need - (5:3-8)
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
The Purpose & Need - (5:3-8)
“I have judged” – This was a substantiated fact. (3)
“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” – They were to be assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus, and proceed to exercise discipline by His authority - (4; 1 Tim. 5:19; Rom. 16:17,18; Mat. 18:17)
Their action of discipline would be done with his support and Divine authority and approval - (4)
1 Corinthians 5:5-6 (NKJV) 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
1) That the rest may fear, (1 Tim. 5:19)
2) That the sinner be publicly exposed, (Rom. 16:17,18)
3) That the whole church be instructed to put forth effort to restore the sinner, (Mat. 18:17)

11. Immorality In The Church The Purpose & Need - (5:3-8)
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
The Purpose & Need - (5:3-8)
“Deliver such a one to Satan” – (5) There are but two kingdoms - To exclude a man from one, is to subject him to the dominion of the other - Col. 1:13,14
“For the destruction of the flesh” - Turn him over to the consequences of his decision - (Prov 13:15; Jer 2:19; 1 Tim 1:20; Rom 1:24-27; Gal. 6:7-9).
That he can see the effects of his action and brought to repent -
1 Corinthians 5:5-6 (NKJV) 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
In the Scriptures there are but two kingdoms recognized—the kingdom of God, (the church), and the kingdom of the world, which is regarded as under the control of Satan.
To exclude a man from one, is to subject him to the dominion of the other. - Col. 1:13,14
Not to be punished with physical sickness or death, as some suppose,
I believe that Paul is saying, by excluding a person from the kingdom and its blessings, he again becomes exposed to the hard life of sin.
Proverbs 13:15; Jeremiah 2:19
1 Timothy 1:20; Romans 1:24-27; Gal. 6:7-9
What state is the sinner in? (Acts 8:9-23; Heb. 6:4-6; James 5:19,20)
What will happen to him if he doesn’t repent? (Matthew 13:41,42; Heb 10:26-31)
What would “love” demand of the church? (Luke 15; 19:10)

12. Immorality In The Church The Purpose & Need - (5:3-8)
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
The Purpose & Need - (5:3-8)
“Your glorying is not good” – (6) Not that they were unaware of the teaching on fornication, but that they were unwilling to deal with it.
Their knowledge of this man’s sin affected the whole church – (6) - fellowshipping him obstructed their fellowship with Christ.
All leaven had to be removed so they could have fellowship with Jesus who died for them – (7,8)
1 Corinthians 5:5-6 (NKJV) 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
The consequences of tolerating the sin that had permeated their fellowship had contaminated the whole church
Any time a sin is tolerated – moral standards are lowered
The figure is based on the Passover and the feast of unleavened.
Prior to the feast every home was to be free from leaven. (Ex. 12:1-18)
“By the old leaven he means vice and sin; and also here the person who had committed the sin in the church.” [Barnes]
that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.
That you may be pure and free from the corrupting principle.
What Christians ought to be -
Christians are by their profession to be a holy people, therefore they ought to give all diligence to remove everything that is impure from their lives and fellowship.
8Therefore let us keep the feast,
Let us engage in the service of God – not just worship, but in every aspect of our lives –
not with old leaven,
Service must be given without being tainted with the old sinful way of life

13. Immorality In The Church
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
The Nature - (5:9-13)
“I have written to you” – (9) – “Paul probably wrote a former brief reply to inquiries of the Corinthians”
“Not to keep company with” – (9) – not to be intimate with or be engaged in close company with – (Ep 5:7,11; 1 Cor. 15:33; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1)
Yet I did not mean – (10) - We can't influence the world without being in it NOR can we influence it by being like it! – (John 17:15,16; Eph 5:1-17)
1 Corinthians 5:11 (NKJV) 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person.

14. Immorality In The Church
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
The Nature - (5:9-13)
“Not to keep company with anyone named a brother” – (7,8) - not to do anything that would seem to acknowledge him as a brother – (Mat 18:17; Rom 16:17; 2 Thes 3:6,14; 2 John 1:10)
“Not even to eat with such a person” - a figure for the fellowship of the local church, and not necessarily the Lord's Supper. Eating is a figure for fellowship.
1 Corinthians 5:11 (NKJV) 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person.

15. Immorality In The Church
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
The Nature - (5:9-13)
“Then, to enjoy a common meal with one was to acknowledge him as a worthy equal” [Lipscomb, Shepherd]
“The command is simply that we are not, in any way, to recognize openly wicked men, (who profess Christianity), as Christians.” - [Charles Hodge, 1 Cor. Pg. 91)
Any action toward such a one that conveys the idea of acceptance.
1 Corinthians 5:11 (NKJV) 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person.

16. Immorality In The Church
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
The Nature - (5:9-13)
The principle can mean different things in different situations.
Completely severing relations removes our influence with people - 2 Thes 3:15
Associating with them in the context of family gatherings etc is more a matter of conscience than of church discipline – Jude 22,23
Eating a meal in the same room does not mean spiritual approval.
1 Corinthians 5:11 (NKJV) 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person.

17. Immorality In The Church
The Purpose, Need & Nature of Church Discipline
The Nature - (5:9-13)
1 Corinthians 5:12-13 (NKJV) 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."

18. Immorality In The Church & Discipline
The Problem – 1,2
The Purpose & Need – 3-8
The Nature – 9-13
1 Corinthians 5:1-13

20. Immorality In The Church & Discipline
Charts by Don McClain
Prepared February 19,20, 2011
Preached February 20, 2011
West 65th Street church of Christ
P.O. Box
Little Rock AR 72219
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