Daily Bread 2010 - 1 Corinthians 5
Daily Bread 2010 – 1 Corinthians 5
9I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."
One of the problems Paul confronts in the Corinthian church is sexual immorality. As Paul confronts some of the various ways in which this is happening, he points out the difference between this sin happening inside vs. outside of the church. When Paul tells them not to associate with immoral people, he is talking about people in the church, not outside of the church.
Paul expects people in the world, who don’t have the power of the Holy Spirit to act in such ways. But, he has a different standard for those who know Christ. Paul also talks about a different kind of judgment for those inside the church, who should have known better and those outside the church. God will judge an unbeliever, that is not a Christian’s job, but we are to keep each other accountable within the church.
Sometimes when we point out a behavior in a fellow brother or sister in Christ that is not becoming of a Christian, they might say, “Why are you judging me?” But the point is we are to be like “iron sharpening iron” as the Proverbs say. Why? Because one day we will be accountable for the grace we have been given. That doesn’t mean we will be sinless, but that our lives should increasingly be taking on the character of Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit and the help of the Church.
This is what we call “discipleship” and the church today badly needs it. Often we hear stories like this one happening in the church and we say, “How could this happen in the church?” Paul felt a responsibility to the church to admonish it because the behavior was not reflective of what the Church of Jesus Christ should look like. This is a delicate matter because it is easy to get prideful, and we need to still watch out for legalism and also hypocrisy.
Sometimes it is easy to judge others and not be applying the same standards to ourselves. Yet at the same time if there are no standards, what kind of witness is that to the world?
Jesus help the Church to be a place where the truth can be spoken in love. Help us to keep each other accountable for Your sake and the sake of the Gospel in the world. Help us not to judge those outside the church realizing it is only you that will make that judgment. But may we live lives worthy of the calling You have given us, Amen.
9I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."
One of the problems Paul confronts in the Corinthian church is sexual immorality. As Paul confronts some of the various ways in which this is happening, he points out the difference between this sin happening inside vs. outside of the church. When Paul tells them not to associate with immoral people, he is talking about people in the church, not outside of the church.
Paul expects people in the world, who don’t have the power of the Holy Spirit to act in such ways. But, he has a different standard for those who know Christ. Paul also talks about a different kind of judgment for those inside the church, who should have known better and those outside the church. God will judge an unbeliever, that is not a Christian’s job, but we are to keep each other accountable within the church.
Sometimes when we point out a behavior in a fellow brother or sister in Christ that is not becoming of a Christian, they might say, “Why are you judging me?” But the point is we are to be like “iron sharpening iron” as the Proverbs say. Why? Because one day we will be accountable for the grace we have been given. That doesn’t mean we will be sinless, but that our lives should increasingly be taking on the character of Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit and the help of the Church.
This is what we call “discipleship” and the church today badly needs it. Often we hear stories like this one happening in the church and we say, “How could this happen in the church?” Paul felt a responsibility to the church to admonish it because the behavior was not reflective of what the Church of Jesus Christ should look like. This is a delicate matter because it is easy to get prideful, and we need to still watch out for legalism and also hypocrisy.
Sometimes it is easy to judge others and not be applying the same standards to ourselves. Yet at the same time if there are no standards, what kind of witness is that to the world?
Jesus help the Church to be a place where the truth can be spoken in love. Help us to keep each other accountable for Your sake and the sake of the Gospel in the world. Help us not to judge those outside the church realizing it is only you that will make that judgment. But may we live lives worthy of the calling You have given us, Amen.
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