2 Corinthians 5:17-21

It’s Time

Pastor D.B. Valentine | 10.15.23

A Summary of 1 Corinthians 5…

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul confronts the church in Corinth for ignoring a case of sexual immorality in the congregation. He is shocked and appalled that they are not only tolerating this sin, but they are actually boasting about it (1 Corinthians 5:2).

Paul reminds the Corinthians that the church is the body of Christ, and when one member of the body sins, it affects the whole body (1 Corinthians 12:20-27). He also compares the sin of sexual immorality to leaven, which can quickly spread and contaminate the entire batch of dough (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).

Paul instructs the Corinthians to remove the man from the church fellowship and to “hand him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5). This does not mean that Paul wants the man to be damned, but rather that he wants him to experience the painful consequences of his sin in the hope that it will lead to repentance.

Paul also warns the Corinthians to avoid associating with anyone who claims to be a Christian but is living in unrepentant sin. He says, “Do not even eat with such people” (1 Corinthians 5:11). This may seem harsh, but Paul is concerned about the purity of the church and the spiritual well-being of its members.

Application

1 Corinthians 5 teaches us a number of important lessons about church discipline and the importance of maintaining a pure fellowship. First, it teaches us that the church is responsible for confronting sin in its midst. We cannot simply ignore sin or pretend that it is not there. We must address it biblically and lovingly.

Second, 1 Corinthians 5 teaches us that the purpose of church discipline is not to punish the sinner, but to restore him or her to repentance and fellowship. We want to see sinners saved, not condemned.

Third, 1 Corinthians 5 teaches us that the church must be careful about who it associates with. We should not be yoked together with unbelievers or with believers who are living in unrepentant sin. We need to surround ourselves with people who will encourage us to grow in our faith and who will hold us accountable to live holy lives.