How does 1 Corinthians 5:2 address the issue of church discipline today? Setting the Scene in Corinth 1 Corinthians 5:2: “And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this?” - A shocking case of open, ongoing sexual sin (v. 1) met with prideful tolerance, not sorrow. - Paul confronts the church, not merely the offender: the whole body bears responsibility for purity (cf. Joshua 7:11). What Paul Commands - “Stricken with grief” – sin in the camp should break hearts, not breed complacency. - “Removed from your fellowship” – decisive separation until repentance, protecting the flock (Acts 20:28-30). Enduring Principles for Church Discipline Today 1. Sin must be faced, not ignored. • James 5:19-20 – turning a sinner “from the error of his ways” saves and restores. 2. Corporate holiness matters. • 1 Peter 1:15-16 – “Be holy in all you do.” Tolerated sin compromises witness. 3. Loving sorrow precedes loving action. • Galatians 6:1 – restore “in a spirit of gentleness,” yet still restore. Practical Steps for a Local Church - Private confrontation first (Matthew 18:15). - Verified testimony of two or three witnesses if unrepentant (Matthew 18:16). - Public announcement and removal from membership when hardness persists (Matthew 18:17; 1 Timothy 5:20). - Continuous calls to repentance, aiming for full restoration (2 Corinthians 2:6-8). Safeguards and Attitudes - Humility: “watching yourself, lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). - Consistency: same standard for every member (Romans 2:11). - Prayerful dependence on the Spirit for discernment and courage (Ephesians 6:18). Purpose and Fruit - Protects Christ’s reputation in the world (Titus 2:10). - Purges leaven so the whole lump stays pure (1 Corinthians 5:6-7). - Pursues the sinner’s ultimate good, that “his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5). Connected Passages for Further Study - 2 Thessalonians 3:6,14-15 – withdraw, yet “count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” - Titus 3:10-11 – warn a divisive person twice, then “have nothing more to do with him.” - Hebrews 12:11 – discipline “yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” to those trained by it. |
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