How does 1 Corinthians 5:13 connect with Matthew 18:15-17 on church discipline? The Core Texts 1 Corinthians 5:13 — “God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you.” • “If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. • But if he will not listen, take one or two others along so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ • If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Shared Foundation: Purity in God’s People • Both passages are anchored in the Old Testament command, “you must purge the evil from among you” (Deuteronomy 13:5; 17:7; 19:19). • The church inherits Israel’s calling to reflect God’s holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16). • Sin left unchecked defiles the whole body (1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9). Jesus Gives the Process (Matthew 18) • Step 1 — Private confrontation: loving, discreet, aiming at repentance. • Step 2 — Small-group confirmation: two or three witnesses ensure fairness and clarity. • Step 3 — Congregational appeal: the whole church pleads for repentance. • Final outcome — If repentance is refused, the unrepentant is treated “as a pagan or a tax collector,” meaning removal from fellowship. Paul Applies the Final Step (1 Corinthians 5) • The sin was public, flagrant, and unrepented (sexual immorality “not even among the pagans,” v. 1). • Paul, absent in body yet present in spirit (v. 3-4), directs the church to implement Jesus’ final step immediately. • “Expel the wicked man” echoes Matthew 18:17’s “regard him as a pagan.” • Paul’s words assume the earlier steps have failed or are unnecessary because the scandal is already open and notorious. Why the Swift Action? • Protect the flock: “A little leaven leavens the whole batch” (1 Corinthians 5:6). • Rescue the sinner: “Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved” (v. 5). • Honor Christ’s sacrifice: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast… with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (v. 7-8). • Maintain witness to outsiders: “What business of mine is it to judge outsiders? Are you not to judge those inside?” (v. 12). Key Parallels • Same authority source: Jesus’ instruction undergirds Paul’s command. • Same goal: restoration and holiness, not punishment for its own sake. • Same boundary: judgment begins “inside” the covenant people; God judges those outside. Complementary Passages • Galatians 6:1 — Restore the one caught in sin “in a spirit of gentleness,” mirroring Matthew 18’s private appeal. • 2 Thessalonians 3:6,14-15 — “Keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life… yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” • Titus 3:10-11 — “Reject a divisive person after a first and second admonition.” • 1 Timothy 5:20 — Public rebuke “so that the rest will stand in fear.” Putting It Together • Matthew 18 supplies the orderly, incremental discipline framework. • 1 Corinthians 5 shows the last stage enacted when earlier efforts have failed or public scandal demands immediate corporate action. • Both affirm: – Holiness is non-negotiable. – Discipline is an expression of love (Hebrews 12:6-11). – Restoration is always the desired end. Practical Takeaways for Today • Follow Jesus’ steps exactly: private first, then small group, then church. • Move to public action only when the sin is public, persistent, and unrepentant. • Keep motives pure: seek the sinner’s salvation and the church’s purity simultaneously. • Rely on Scripture’s authority, not personal preference, as you navigate each step. |
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