Church Discipline (Part 3)

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. 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? 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. 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. 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.” (1 Corinthians 5)

This is the second major passage in the scriptures that deals with church discipline. It very closely adheres to Jesus' instructions given in Matthew 18. Here we find that Paul is rebuking the Corinthians for their willful failure to confront sin within their midst. This is the only example in the Bible, where someone is actually excommunicated. And the charge is pretty heavy. Paul says, this isn't just any sin in your midst. This sin was a sin that was even looked down upon by unbelievers. A man was sleeping with his father's wife. This may not indicate his own mother, but very well could be.

It can be assumed from the text that this is an ongoing act, and not just a one time stand. It can be gathered that everyone was aware of the nature of the transgression. Whether it was made public by the transgressor himself or by someone else, the fact is it was common knowledge within the body. The problem was no one had any backbone to do anything about it. So the charge here is two-fold. It is against the transgressor first, but also it is levied against the Body for its failure to adhere to Matthew 18.

This passage was one of the most shocking I have come across in the scriptures. Not because of the nature of the sin, but rather because of the recommendation given by Paul on how to respond. "Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh." Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on there. Did he just suggest that we should deliver the unrepentant brother over to Satan, so that Satan could destroy his body? Isn't that a little harsh? I mean, come on! Surely we should simply encourage the brother to try harder. To pray more. Paul didn't really mean to turn the poor guy over to the devil - did he?

Ironically, that is Paul's command. But what we can't wrap our minds around is the purpose behind the action. Paul goes onto say: " 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." Another version interprets: "for the salvation of his soul." This is hard to reconcile in our modern day theology. How does turning one over to the devil, actually save their soul? The hope is that the sinner's world will so fall apart that he would have no other choice but to return to the Lord and cry out for mercy. After all, the wages of sin is death. That death is not only an eternal death to come, but it can bring death in the here and now. Dis-fellowshipping the unrepentant man brings about the first death experienced as a result of his sin. He is now dead to the Body, to his community, and to his friends.

Paul makes the terms of the excommunication very clear. When the fellow is excommunicated you shall not even eat with him any more. This is a difficult task for many, because the bonds of friendship run deep. However, allowing these relationships to continue in a normal manner will diminish the need for such a one to be fully restored.

This provision is also a safety standard. It is in place for protection. It is for the protection of those in leadership, and also for the protection of the brother who is in error. Why you might ask? Because, the brother in error is now also offended. He is hurt by those who he was closest to. And the sad fact is that hurt people hurt people. Many times they will try to cause division in the church, by getting their friends to side with them over the leadership. This opens the door for the dis-fellowshipped brother to undermine the whole authority structure of the church and add to his growing list of transgressions as his actions are not designed to glorify the Father. So Paul says to eliminate that temptation. Don't even eat with the unrepentant man. For his sake, for your sake, and for the Body's sake.

Paul's charge is that we should not allow those who call themselves brothers, but yet continue in willful unrepentant sin, remain within the fellowship. But he also points out some other very interesting points. One is that the church is only to judge those within its body. It is not to judge those who do not call themselves believers. He also makes it clear that we are not to refrain from fellowshipping with unbelievers. He doesn't say not to have any fellowship with sinners, but simply not to have fellowship with sinners who think they are believers.

I suggest that we would serve the Body well if we would adhere to Biblical principles and standards when confronting those within the Body who have fallen. The purpose of exercising discipline is for the benefit of the brother in error, that his soul might be saved, and ultimately that God might receive glory.