By Elder Elico Manenji
✝️The Corinthian Church is reproved by the Apostle for tolerating a person living in a sin of licentiousness which was not tolerated even by the pagans. For thus cause the Apostle reproves them for being puffed up with pride even while this scandal existed in their church. He ordered them immediately to purify the church by removing the incestuous person who took his father's wife. They were to purge out the old leaven (sin) that they may properly celebrate the Christian passover. He commands that the Church should.never associate with tis wicked thing and any who professing Christianity who is guilty of such scandalous offense and vice. Rather they were to discipline the offender to put away the evil from amongst them.
*1️⃣1Corinthians 5:1-5: Paul reproves a scandalous incestuous relationship committed and by the authority of Christ encourages that the member be excommunicated from fellowship.*
⏹️Sexual sin, especially adultery and fornication and incestuous relationship are shameful amongst members of the Church and it is the body of Christ's duty to deal with that kind of evil. The Lord said, *"Cursed be he that lies with his father's wife; because he uncovers his father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen" (Deuteronomy 27:20).*
⏹️Sexual sin brings death or physical disease and this sin is against the temple of God. So the Apostle encourages a severe physical punishment in this world so that the people or person indulging in such sin may be saved from eternal punishment. The Apostle says, *"Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body"(1 Corinthians 6:13).*
⏹️Sexual sin if allowed to go unchecked and unhindered will destroy the Church and disciplinary measures are necessary to keep the Church clean of offenses of the flesh. The Apostle James says, *"Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins"( James 5:20).*
*2️⃣1Corinthians 5:6-13: The Church should be clean within and without by purging the old leaven of sin. Christians who are guilty of sin should not be tolerated.*
⏹️Sin spreads amongst believers the same way yeast spreads throughout a lump of dough. The Christian life as the feast of unleavened bread should be prepared for holiness by removing sins that entangle and prepared as a sacrificial passover lamb. The Apostle says, *"Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage"(Galatians 5:1).*
⏭️Just as Israelites cleaned all leaven out of their houses at the time of the Passover, so the Christians should clean all the leaven of sin out of their bodies and church because Christ the true Passover Lamb has already been sacrificed for us. The Apostle says, *"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us"(1 Corinthians 5:7).*
⏹️Christians as people who are being cleansed from sin should have nothing to do with sinful acts.
Christians should not have close fellowship with those living in known sin especially when they are professing godliness. The Apostle says, *"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them"(Ephesians 5:11).*
⏭️However, Christians are not required to judge non-Christians for their sins, but they are to deal with sin in the church and remove the person from church fellowship so that the person can consider their evil and be saved from eternal destruction. The Apostle John says, *"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans us from all sin"(1 John 1:6-7).*
*🅰️Appeal*
For the safety and preservation of gospel truth and purity all communications and fellowship with a believing sinner should be avoided except that of reconverting the sinner back to Christ.
This is only for the converted sinner beside heathens who should be called to conversion of the gospel and not to be judged as believers who wilfully sin against their body and the church. The Apostle says, *"And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness"(Romans 8:10).* Amen!!!
Elico Manenji
(+263712952704)
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