This week, we are looking at a section of a letter written by a man named Paul to a group of Christians who were acting unchristian that reveals how failure to deal with sin through church discipline reveals four things about that church. We have seen that failure to deal with sin in a church reveals an arrogant acceptance of sin amongst its members and a lack of leadership in that church. We have also seen how failure to deal with sin in the church reveals a misunderstanding of its power.
Paul then concludes this section of his letter by showing us how a churches failure to deal with sin that is occurring within the membership of the church reveals a fourth thing about that church:
I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES. 1 Corinthians 5:9-12
Paul begins by addressing a misunderstanding that caused the members of the church at Corinth had taken his statements in a previous letter to mean that they were not to associate with anyone who was not a follower of Jesus. And even today there are churches who believe that as followers of Jesus we are to separate and not have any contact with those who are not Christians.
Paul then corrects their misunderstanding of his previous letter by explaining that he was not referring to nonchristians when he expressed that they were not to associate in community with those who practice a lifestyle of unlawful sexual intercourse, or for that matter, with anyone who is greedy, or lives a lifestyle of deceit, or who worships something other than God as God. Paul then tells the church that what he was directing the church at Corinth to do was that they were not to associate in community with a person who claims to be a Christian yet acts unchristian and lives a lifestyle marked by unrepentant unchristian behavior in their sexuality, in greediness, in the worship of something other than God as God, verbally abusiveness, drunkenness, or deceitfulness.
Paul then asks two rhetorical questions to expose the upside down nature of how the church at Corinth was handling church discipline. First Paul asks “for what do I have to do with judging outsiders” to which the answer is no. Paul here is explaining that Christians and the church are not to be passing judgment or condemning those who are non Christians. Paul then asks the second rhetorical question “do you not judge those who are within the church” to which the answer is supposed to be yes. Paul here is explaining that the church is supposed to be passing judgment or condemning those who are Christians who are acting unchristian through unrepentant sin.
Paul is revealing for us the timeless reality that failing to deal with sin in the church reveals our hypocrisy. Too often the church and Christians expect non Christians to act like Christians before they become Christians while at the same time allowing other Christians to act unchristian. It is not our place as followers of Jesus to pass judgment on those who are far from God or who have rejected the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel. Jesus Himself said in John 3:17-18 that He did not come to judge those who were not Christians, because they were judged already. Instead Jesus stated that God had sent Him into the world that the world might be saved through Him.
So do you expect non Christians to act like Christians before they become Christians while at the same time allowing other Christians to act unchristian? How have you seen hypocrisy impact Christians and the church?
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