Understanding Church Discipline: The Case at Corinth

(A Study of Church Discipline)

(A Study of Church Discipline) 1. The Forgotten & Misunderstood Command 2. The Purpose of Withdrawing & From Whom Should We Withdraw? 3. The Case at Corinth (1 Cor. 5 & 2 Cor. 2, 7) 4. How to Treat those Disfellowshipped & Does it Apply to Family?

Saving the Erring, the Church, Our Families, and Ourselves The Case at Corinth (1 Corinthians 5) There are two notable cases of discipline in the NT Corinth (1 Cor 5) Thessalonica (2 Thess. 3) Each of these provides an occasion for: The Lord to reveal his teaching Us to examine the instructions and learn

1 Corinthians 5 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."

Saving the Erring, the Church, Our Families, and Ourselves The Case at Corinth (1 Corinthians 5) I. The Problem (v. 1) A Fornicator in Their Midst

A. Well Reported 1. Commonly (KJV); Actually (NKJV, ASV) 2. completely, i.e. altogether; (by anal.) everywhere; (neg.) not by any means: at all, commonly, utterly. (Strong s} 3. Literally, wholly, altogether, like Latin omnino and Greek [pant s] (1 Cor. 9:22). So papyri have it for really and also for generally or everywhere as is possible here. (A. T. Robertson) 4. Generally known & accurate I. The Problem (v. 1) A Fornicator in Their Midst

A. Well Reported B. Fornication 1. Sexual immorality (NKJV) 2. Iillicit sexual intercourse (W. E. Vine) 3. Sexual immorality, sexual sin of a general kind, that includes many different behaviors (Swanson) 4. Broad term that includes: pre-martial, extra-marital, incest, homosexuality, bestiality I. The Problem (v. 1) A Fornicator in Their Midst

A. Well Reported B. Fornication C. Had Father s Wife 1. Father may have still been living (2 Cor. 7:12) 2. Not his mother, but his father s second wife (perhaps a woman much younger closer to son s age) 3. No evidence woman was a member of the church nothing is said about dealing with her I. The Problem (v. 1) A Fornicator in Their Midst

A. Well Reported B. Fornication C. Had Father s Wife I. The Problem (v. 1) D. Not heard among Gentiles 1. Not that it didn t happen or exist 2. Not tolerate it! 3. It would create the thought in the minds of the people of the world that the state or standard of morals was lower in the church than among the idolatrous heathen. (WCK, A Clean Church, 93) A Fornicator in Their Midst

Saving the Erring, the Church, Our Families, and Ourselves The Case at Corinth (1 Corinthians 5) I. The Problem (v. 1) A Fornicator in Their Midst II. The Failure (v. 2) Not Dealt With the Fornicator Properly

A. Puffed Up 1. Filled with pride a. Not because of fornication or toleration b. Though, that could be possible: Person could be prominent have money influential, etc. Could boast that they were tolerant c. In spite of the true condition of the church Not Dealt With the Fornicator Properly II. The Failure (v. 2) 2. Why would they be filled with pride? a. Because of spiritual gifts (1:7; 4:6) b. Perhaps things that they thought to be great about the church

A. Puffed Up B. Not Mourned 1. Should have mourned & had sorrow for sin 2. Word means: to grieve (the feeling or the act): mourn, (be-) wail. (Strong s) 3. Grief is the motive that should drive any action a church takes 4. In view of this, we can well recognize that there are many congregations today which blatantly boast of their accomplishments, but which would be much more in character if they put on the sackcloth and ashes of deep grief at the sins which they have tolerated (WCK, A Clean Church, 95) Not Dealt With the Fornicator Properly II. The Failure (v. 2)

A. Puffed Up B. Not Mourned Not Dealt With the Fornicator Properly C. Not Taken Him Away 1. Mourning / sorrow should lead to action taking him away 2. Means to withdraw from him 3. More details given in the instructions (vv. 3-13) II. The Failure (v. 2)

Saving the Erring, the Church, Our Families, and Ourselves The Case at Corinth (1 Corinthians 5) I. The Problem (v. 1) A Fornicator in Their Midst II. The Failure (v. 2) Not Dealt With the Fornicator Properly III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) Put the Fornicator Away from You

A. No Question about What Should be Done (vv. 3-4) 1. Already concluded the obvious (v. 3) a. Conclusion about what should be done was decided as if he were present with the church b. Facts cannot be denied! III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) Put the Fornicator Away From You 2. Authority of Christ tells us what to do (v. 4) a. Take direction from the head of the church (Eph. 1:22) b. Christ endorses the action as long as we act in harmony with the revealed will c. To ignore or rebel is to reject the authority of Christ!

A. No Question about What Should be Done (vv. 3-4) B. For the Whole Church (v. 4) 1. Not the action of the elders only or small part of church 2. Something that takes place in the assembly 3. Why? a. So rest may fear (Acts 5:11; 1 Tim. 5:19) b. So all can make efforts to restore (Gal. 6:1) c. So all may know with whom and why they are not to keep company (vv. 9-11) III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) Put the Fornicator Away From You

A. No Question about What Should be Done (vv. 3-4) B. For the Whole Church (v. 4) III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) C. Purpose for Putting Him Away (vv. 5-8) 1. Save the erring (v. 5) a. Deliver him to Satan 1) Two realms: kingdom of God & kingdom of Satan 2) Identifying the realm in which the person has chosen to live 3) Let live that life & face consequences 4) But not be identified with God s people at same time! b. For destruction of flesh 1) Desires of the flesh to be destroyed Sin cease 2) Parallel: 1 Tim. 1:20 c. Spirit might be saved Put the Fornicator Away From You

A. No Question about What Should be Done (vv. 3-4) B. For the Whole Church (v. 4) III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) C. Purpose for Putting Him Away (vv. 5-8) 1. Save the erring (v. 5) 2. Maintain purity of the church (vv. 6-8) a. To ignore is to leave a leavening influence (v. 6) 1) Dough with small amount of leaven results in whole lump being leavened 2) Thus glorying (cf. v. 2) is not good! Put the Fornicator Away From You

Not infrequently does a group become so concerned about one issue that they measure faithfulness solely on the basis of that one issue. Faithfulness, to such persons, is not measured by the kind of life one is living but by where a person stands on a particular issue. Willis, Commentary on 1 Corinthians, 139. Anytime a group tolerates an evil, its moral standards are lowered. Willis, ibid., 140.

A. No Question about What Should be Done (vv. 3-4) B. For the Whole Church (v. 4) III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) C. Purpose for Putting Him Away (vv. 5-8) 1. Save the erring (v. 5) 2. Maintain purity of the church (vv. 6-8) a. To ignore is to leave a leavening influence (v. 6) b. Purge out the old leaven (v. 7) 1) Exo. 12:1-19 at the Passover Feast put away all leaven from house for 7 days 2) Likewise: sin / sinner (leaven) is to be removed lest corrupt the whole lump (church) 3) Since you are unleavened claim / profession of purity 4) Christ (our Passover lamb) is sacrificed for us Exo 12 leaven was removed prior to sac. Point: you are running LATE removing the leaven! Put the Fornicator Away From You

A. No Question about What Should be Done (vv. 3-4) B. For the Whole Church (v. 4) III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) C. Purpose for Putting Him Away (vv. 5-8) 1. Save the erring (v. 5) 2. Maintain purity of the church (vv. 6-8) a. To ignore is to leave a leavening influence (v. 6) b. Purge out the old leaven (v. 7) c. Keep the feast without compromise (v. 8) 1) Not with malice & wickedness 2) But with sincerity and truth Put the Fornicator Away From You

Malice (attitude) wickedness, Sincerity (attitude) judged by sunlight, i.e. tested as genuine (Strong s) Thus: Sincere before God depravity wickedness that is not ashamed to break the laws (Thayer) Truth (deed) Wickedness (deed) Refers to the state of being wicked or evil opposed to God and divine truth (Lexham) The Greek idea of truth is out in the open (Robertson) Nothing to hide.

A. No Question about What Should be Done (vv. 3-4) B. For the Whole Church (v. 4) III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) C. Purpose for Putting Him Away (vv. 5-8) Put the Fornicator Away From You D. Not to company with him (vv. 9-11) 1. Previous instructions explained (vv. 9-10) a. Said in previous letter not to company with fornicators (v. 9) b. Not mean those of the world (v. 10) 1) If so need to go out of the world 2) Sad commentary on society!

A. No Question about What Should be Done (vv. 3-4) B. For the Whole Church (v. 4) III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) C. Purpose for Putting Him Away (vv. 5-8) Put the Fornicator Away From You D. Not to company with him (vv. 9-11) 1. Previous instructions explained (vv. 9-10) 2. Do not company with a brother in sin (v. 11) a. Not company (v. 11a) b. Sins enumerated (v. 11b) 1) Representative of all sins 2) Some not mentioned: murderers & liars c. Not even to eat (v. 11c)

A. No Question about What Should be Done (vv. 3-4) B. For the Whole Church (v. 4) III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) C. Purpose for Putting Him Away (vv. 5-8) Put the Fornicator Away From You D. Not to company with him (vv. 9-11) E. Judge those within the church (vv. 12-13a) 1. We can & must judge those within (v. 12) 2. God judges those without (v. 13a)

A. No Question about What Should be Done (vv. 3-4) B. For the Whole Church (v. 4) III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) C. Purpose for Putting Him Away (vv. 5-8) Put the Fornicator Away From You D. Not to company with him (vv. 9-11) E. Judge those within the church (vv. 12-13a) F. Put away the wicked person (v. 13b) 1. Borrows language from the OT (Deut. 24:7) 2. Parallel expressions: a. Takenaway from among you (v. 2) b. Deliver such a one to Satan (v. 5) c. Purgeout the old leaven (v. 7) d. Notto keep company (v. 11) e. Noteven to eat (v. 11)

Saving the Erring, the Church, Our Families, and Ourselves The Case at Corinth (1 Corinthians 5) I. The Problem (v. 1) A Fornicator in Their Midst II. The Failure (v. 2) Not Dealt With the Fornicator Properly III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) Put the Fornicator Away from You IV.The Meaning of Company

The Meaning of Company 1 Corinthians 5:11 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. IV.

A. Not to keep company 1. Translations: a. Company (KJV; ASV; NKJV; MEV; YLT) b. Associate (ESV; NASB; RSV; NIV; NET; NCV; Footnote NJKV) c. Not to mix with" (LBP, v. 9; Darby) 2. Defined: a. Strong s: 4874 .from 4862 and a comp. of 303 and 3396; to mix up together, i.e. (fig.) associate with: (have, keep) company (with) b. Thayer: to mix up together c. Vincent: The word is compounded of together, up and down among, and to mingle. It denotes, therefore, not only close, but habitual, intercourse. d. Lenski: Mix yourselves - up with e. Vine s: to mix up with (sun, with, ana, up, mignumi, to mix, mingle ), signifies to have, or keep, company with, The Meaning of Company IV.

Church discipline is social ostracism; therefore it is effective or ineffective in direct proportion to how well the members personally disassociate themselves from the sinner. Willis, Commentary on 1 Corinthians, 144

A. Not to keep company B. Not even to eat The Meaning of Company 1. Not referring to the Lord s Supper a. How could the faithful keep the unfaithful from partaking of LS? b. The association forbidden here is permitted with the world (v. 10) is that the LS? c. Part of keeping company thus a common meal 2. Just one part of company IV.

Company Involves More Than Eating Visit (Social) Shop With Company (General) Play Games Eat Eating is just one specific of company! Eating shows some degree of approval (Gal. 2:11-14)

Saving the Erring, the Church, Our Families, and Ourselves The Case at Corinth (1 Corinthians 5) I. The Problem (v. 1) A Fornicator in Their Midst II. The Failure (v. 2) Not Dealt With the Fornicator Properly III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) Put the Fornicator Away from You IV.The Meaning of Company V. The Reaction to the Instructions

A. Church at Corinth Changed Took Action (2 Cor. 7) The Reaction to the Instructions 1. Rejoiced to hear report of Titus (vv. 6-7) a. First letter was hard / severe (2 Cor. 10:10) b. Titus reports that letter was received well (vv. 6-7) 2. The 1 Corinthian letter produced repentance (vv. 8-12) a. Letter caused sorrow that led to repentance (vv. 8- 10) b. Repentance produced a change (v. 11) V.

A. Church at Corinth Changed Took Action (2 Cor. 7) The Reaction to the Instructions B. The Discipline Caused Fornicator to Repent (2 Cor. 2) 1. Does 2 Cor. 2 refer to the fornicator of 1 Cor. 5? a. Most have thought it did b. Argument that says it does not based upon an assumption of a visit and lost letter between 1 & 2 Cor. Tertullian argued that it was another. Based on tears of 2 Cor. 2:4 thought it doesn t fit 1 Cor. V.

They fail to find the tears about which Paul speaks. They catalog the passages where Paul may have and where he could not have shed tears when he was dictating First Corinthians. The view that the whole letter must be dripping with tears, that all of the emotion of the writer must lie revealed on the surface, in fact, that his tears ought to be mentioned in the proper places where he had shed them is unwarranted. Lenski, R. C. H. (1963). The Interpretation of St. Paul s First and Second epistle to the Corinthians (pp. 874 875). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House.

And there is no sufficient ground in the passage for the assumption of an intermediate letter, or that there is here meant, not the unchaste person, but a slanderer rebuked by Paul in this intermediate letter. H.A.W. Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Handbook on the Epistles to the Corinthians, 443

We are now ready for a word regarding the question as to whether Paul speaks about the case of incest that is known to us from 1 Cor. 5. Every detail of our paragraph (v. 5 11) not only corresponds with that case but cannot be understood if that case is not referred to. If 2 Cor. 2:5 11 does not speak about the case mentioned in 1 Cor. 5, we must invent a duplicate of that case (save only that it need not be a case of incest) which would otherwise have the same characteristics. The critics do that. They disregard 1 Cor. 5 and set up a hypothetical case that fits 2 Cor. 2:5 7 plus 7:12. The results have been confusing. Paul himself has made it impossible to substitute a hypothetical case. He does it in the simplest way by writing in such a manner that, unless one is acquainted with the actual case (1 Cor. 5), one cannot understand a number of the expressions which he employs in v. 5 11. First Corinthians 5 is so completely the key to 2 Cor. 2:5 11 that, when this key is disregarded, the door remains locked. Lenski, R. C. H. (1963). The interpretation of St. Paul s First and Second epistle to the Corinthians (p. 892). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House.

A. Church at Corinth Changed Took Action (2 Cor. 7) The Reaction to the Instructions B. The Discipline Caused Fornicator to Repent (2 Cor. 2) 1. Does 2 Cor. 2 refer to the fornicator of 1 Cor. 5? a. Most have thought it did b. Argument that doesn t not based upon an assumption of a visit and lost letter between 1 & 2 Cor c. Evidence: This was a response to first letter Punished by many (v. 6; cf. 1 Cor. 5:4) Specific person not a general problem V.

A. Church at Corinth Changed Took Action (2 Cor. 7) The Reaction to the Instructions B. The Discipline Caused Fornicator to Repent (2 Cor. 2) 1. Does 2 Cor. 2 refer to the fornicator of 1 Cor. 5? 2. Discipline worked (2 Cor. 2) a. The church did what it should (v. 6) b. What they did worked it brought him to repentance (vv. 6-7) Note the tenderness with which Paul deals with the man Never identifies him or his sin V.

A. Church at Corinth Changed Took Action (2 Cor. 7) The Reaction to the Instructions B. The Discipline Caused Fornicator to Repent (2 Cor. 2) 1. Does 2 Cor. 2 refer to the fornicator of 1 Cor. 5? 2. Discipline worked (2 Cor. 2) a. The church did what it should (v. 6) b. What they did worked it brought him to repentance (vv. 6-7) c. Effective because of group action (v. 6) d. Important now to forgive and comfort him (vv. 7-11) At any rate, the time has come for tender love (agape) to supersede tough love. Melvin Curry, The Book of 2 Corinthians, 103 V.

A. Church at Corinth Changed Took Action (2 Cor. 7) The Reaction to the Instructions B. The Discipline Caused Fornicator to Repent (2 Cor. 2) 1. Does 2 Cor. 2 refer to the fornicator of 1 Cor. 5? 2. Discipline worked (2 Cor. 2) a. The church did what it should (v. 6) b. What they did worked it brought him to repentance (vv. 6-7) c. Effective because of group action (v. 6) d. Important now to forgive and comfort him (vv. 7-11) e. Some misunderstood: not accept him but kept hammering the sin (vv. 10-11) Some would not forgive and receive him back Perhaps the wide ranging grief caused this (v. 5) Super-piety (Coffman, 323) What seems like a strong stand against sin may actually be a tool of Satan V.

Saving the Erring, the Church, Our Families, and Ourselves The Case at Corinth (1 Corinthians 5) I. The Problem (v. 1) A Fornicator in Their Midst II. The Failure (v. 2) Not Dealt With the Fornicator Properly III. The Instruction (vv. 3-13) Put the Fornicator Away from You IV.The Meaning of Company V. The Reaction to the Instructions

Conclusions Conclusions Conclusions Conclusions 1. Churches can change start withdrawing when they have not 2. Withdrawing works 3. Not keeping company is an essential & effective part of discipline 4. Forgiving & receiving the penitent is just as important as withdrawing