1 Corinthians (Written)

Monday, 9 June 2014

Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 1 Corinthians 5:6

The words “your glorying” indicates boasting. It refers back to the words he used in 1 Corinthians 4:19 –

“But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.”

As noted then, this was a metaphor of bread being puffed up from the use of yeast. Throughout the Bible this is seen as a picture of sin, and specifically in this case, pride. The symbolism permeates the pages of Scripture and it all points to sin in our lives. In contrast is Jesus who knew no sin and thus He is pictured by unleavened bread, such as that used at the Passover. The boasting of the Corinthians was, in picture and in reality, un-Christlike. Paul says that it “is not good.”

In order for them to understand, he reverts back to that Old Testament symbolism and shows them exactly what he means by saying, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” That is all it takes, just a little pinch of yeast will permeate the entire lump of dough. It, like sin in a person, will affect everything around it. In other words, the sin in the man whom Paul recommended to be expelled, if not expelled, will affect the whole congregation.

Jesus explained this to His own apostles during His ministry, trying to get them to realize that adding to the word of God with man-instituted traditions could only infect the purity of the word of God in our lives. In Matthew 16:6, He said this to them –

“Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

And in his consistent way of writing, Paul will use the same terminology when speaking to the Galatians about their attempts to reintroduce the law into their church-age theology (such as the rite of circumcision). Such actions merely set aside the grace of Christ that they had received and made them debtors to the whole law. Here are his words from Galatians 5:9 – “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”

To see how potent the true effects of yeast are, we can look at the process of making San Francisco sourdough bread. It is the most famous sourdough bread made in the U.S. today; probably in the whole world. Unlike sourdough which is made in other areas of the country, what San Francisco produces has remained in continuous production for nearly 150 years. Some bakeries, for example the Boudin Bakery, are able to trace their starters back to California’s territorial period.

A starter is a piece of the bread dough which is cut off and left out of the baking process. The next day, when they make the new batch of dough, they throw in the piece from the previous day – the starter. This piece of dough contains the yeast for the entire batch of new dough. In the case of Boudin Bakery, they have used the same initial yeast, without any addition, for over 150 years, day by day. Cut off a piece, save it for tomorrow. Cut off a piece, save it for tomorrow. Cut off a piece… this one’s for tomorrow.

One pinch of yeast, from over 150 years ago, still affects dough in the exact same way. Now think of this in the context of the church. Bad doctrine, introduced by the heretic Joseph Smith (Mormonism) has affected the entire group known as the Mormons to such an extent that they cannot be called “Christians” in any true sense. Likewise, the yeast of “tradition” has crept into almost every major denomination in Christianity. The very thing that Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for permeates almost the entire spectrum of the faith in varying degrees. Such is the nature of just a little bit of yeast.

Life application: Our doctrine is to be based on the word of God. Anything which is practiced in a church which doesn’t adhere to the word of God is to be rejected. Paul’s warning to the Corinthians is a principle which must be held onto even now.

Lord, You are so good to me. I praise You for Your faithfulness, even when I fail. Thank You for Your kind hand of mercy upon me. I love You, I praise You, I cherish Your presence in my life. Amen.

Sunday, 8 June 2014

…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. 1 Corinthians 5:5

In Christianity, doctrine is often thought of as an obstacle to a right relationship with the Lord. Instead, emotions rule theology and it rules the hearts of worshippers to the exclusion of doctrine. This only leads to ineffective Christianity, unsteadiness in a right walk with the Lord, and eventually churches becoming merely social gatherings with no true grounding in what it means to be “Christian.”

However, doctrine is actually of paramount importance as we can learn from the verse under consideration. Paul has established doctrine on several levels here. First, he has shown what is right and proper to do in the case of such a heinous sin as was being committed within the church. The reasons for taking this action are long and detailed, but above all, it was to keep purity within the faith, a right perception of Jesus Christ to those within and without the faith, and to keep the church from devolving into a pattern of abuse which would eventually mean its right to even be called a “church” would be removed by the Lord (see Revelation 2:5).

Besides these and other considerations, there is another point of doctrine which can be discerned from this verse, especially when taken in context with other such verses within Paul’s writings. It is the doctrine of “eternal salvation.” Christians debate whether one cane “lose” their salvation or not. The debate is unnecessary if one understands the nature of God and properly handles the word of God. The answer is “no.”

If one believes in Christ, they are sealed with the Holy Spirit at that moment. This is a deposit (also called a guarantee) of their new state. Ephesians 1:13, 14 (among other verses) shows this is so. As God cannot err, and as God has placed His seal upon the believer, then the sealing (and thus the salvation) must be eternal in nature.

This is confirmed by verses such as 1 Corinthians 5:5. In this verse, Paul is speaking to the body of believers about a believer. In his direct way of handling the case before him, he makes his judgment which he anticipates they will obediently follow by stating for them to “deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.”

Satan is the ruler of this world, but he is defeated before Christ. He has no power over a believer, but can only afflict them as they continue in their earthly walk. The choice is each believers as to whether they will follow the flesh or follow the leading of the Spirit and it is a constant battle (see Romans 7:13-25). This believer had decided to follow the flesh. Paul instructs them to deliver him over completely to the flesh then by delivering him to Satan.

If one is an alcoholic and comes to Christ, they are saved. The deal is done and they have moved from Adam to Christ. However, if they fall back on their old ways, they will eventually have their flesh destroyed through alcohol. The same is true with drugs, sexual immorality, or any other such carnal sin which affects the flesh of the believer. Whatever perversion lays hold of a believer, the result will be exactly the same as a non-believer; they will eventually have their flesh destroyed by that sin.

However, there is a difference between the two. In the case of the non-believer, they were never united to God spiritually by calling on Christ and their spirit will be lost for all eternity. On the other hand, a believer remains saved regardless of whether they return to earthly lusts or not. The spiritual connection has been guaranteed by God (again, see Ephesians 1:13, 14) and it remains for eternity. For such a person, his flesh will be destroyed. He will suffer all the hardships of any other person following that path.

But Paul says there is a difference in his final end when he completes his thought. Instead, he is handed over to Satan so that “his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” Though his rewards will be lost (see 1 Corinthians 3:12-15), though his body may be tormented and afflicted (1 Corinthians 5:5), and though he will suffer much in this life (see 1 Timothy 1:18-20), he still retains the promise of God; the surety of the sealing of the Spirit unto eternal life.

In this, and for a jillion other reasons, doctrine does matter. To believe otherwise concerning this issue is to believe that God will not keep His promises. Instead, our salvation would be up to us, not Him. Further, the one to decide such “eternal” matters would then be the pastor or preacher who teaches this aberrant doctrine in the first place. Talk about bondage! If your position is based on your faults and those faults are decided by another human, then these two things have happened –

1) The human teacher has elevated himself to an untouchable level and has obtained complete control over the actions (which are still earthly and failing) of those under him. He becomes the ruler of the prize and the one to decide any and every facet of the spiritual life of those under him.

2) The person who so believes this concept has subordinated themselves not to Christ, but to the decisions of another fallen soul. They now place their trust in the decisions of a lesser, not the Greater. And this is exactly what Paul has been speaking about for four full chapters – unhealthy divisions!

It is the word of God which establishes our doctrine, nothing more, nothing less. Be approved, stand approved, and hold fast to the truth of the message God has given.

Life application: Once saved means always saved. Jesus Christ doesn’t make mistakes.

Well Lord, despite what any other person says, I will trust Your word in all matters of life, faith, and practice. Teachers can be as wrong as they desire and for whatever personal reason they choose, but I will hold to Your word alone. When a dispute arises, I will check the context; when a disagreement comes up, I will pray to You for clarity; and when I have finished my evaluation, I will place myself and my doctrine in Your capable hands. Guide me, be my Teacher through Your word, and keep me from unsound theology. This is my prayer. I desire to be pleasing to You above all else. Amen.

Saturday, 7 June 2014

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,… 1 Corinthians 5:4

This verse introduces the sentence which Paul recommends to be executed on the offender he has been speaking about since verse 1. The next verse will be the pronouncement of the sentence. His words give us insights into the apostolic authority and also its limitations. Although there are no true apostles today, we can discern proper church discipline from his words.

“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” indicates the ultimate authority of church matters. It is the Lord’s church and He is the head of it. When actions of this nature are taken, they are done so in His name. No other authority would make sense. Stating that a judgment is made in the name of the pope would be to supplant the authority of Christ Himself. That, or any other such title of power, would be less than the ultimate authority and thus no true authority at all.

“When you are gathered together” indicates that the church is to be kept informed of such decisions and actions and, although not necessarily involved directly in the decision, they are to be witnesses of it. Elsewhere, the authority of elders is noted and explained. They have a proper position within the church and they have been selected to make the final judgments.

This goes all the way back to the first such established church recording which is the Council in Jerusalem in Acts 15. There at that meeting, the apostles were gathered and they spoke. However, the final decision was rendered not by them, but by James, the Lord’s brother, who wasn’t even a named apostle. As it’s leader, it was his judgment which was accepted and acted upon.

Paul then notes, “along with my spirit.” This is like saying, “This is my decision on the matter. Act on it as if I were there speaking at this council.” Those in the church had the right to reject his words, but they would be rejecting God’s appointed counselor if they did. Now his words, and those of the other apostles chosen to write portions of the Bible, are recorded for us. We should always go to the Bible for our instruction and then render our decisions based on it.

To reject it would be comparable to those in Corinth rejecting Paul’s words here. It would be a decision not rendered according to the will of Jesus Christ and thus it would be devoid of “the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This final section of the verse shows that this “power” was in fact granted to Paul for such matters. Rejecting his determination (which they could do) would be to reject the determination of Christ Himself. We stand in the same position now because God’s word is complete and ready for our use in such matters.

Today, rather than the apostles, we have the Bible which was given under divine inspiration for our guidance in all matters. From this source, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to allow our elders to render their decisions concerning such related church matters.

Life application: What authority is your church relying upon for their doctrine, practice, and judgments? If it is claimed to be “Holy Ghost power,” then it had better line up with what the Bible states (because the Bible was given under inspiration of the Holy Ghost) or it isn’t “Holy Ghost Power.” If it is claimed to be formal Council decisions of the past or some type of catechisms, then they need to line up with the Bible as well. If they don’t, then there is no true power from the Lord in them. No matter what authority is claimed, it must be in accord with the words of Scripture or it is false authority for such matters.

Thank You Lord for the words of Scripture. They have been given under divine inspiration and so I know that I can go to them for all matters of life, faith, and practice. You have spoken, and although the Bible is large, I know that it is the best place for me to go to know Your heart, intent, and plan for me. Thank You for the Bible, your superior word. Amen.

Friday, 6 June 2014

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. 1 Corinthians 5:3

In this verse, Paul writes in broken thoughts as if he were mourning over his words and contemplating each one carefully, even through tears of sadness. Each is a separate heartfelt consideration of what must occur in order for the situation to be resolved. Beginning with “For I indeed…” He is stressing the importance of the issue which is being considered in connection with the previous words “that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.”

“As absent in body but present in spirit” is a way of saying that his physical absence from the congregation doesn’t negate his spiritual tie to them. He is, in his heart and affections, right there worshipping with them. He is attuned to their situation, feeling their emotions, and sharing in their highs and lows. In this case, it is as a father with his beloved children discussing a matter which will ultimately adversely affect them unless they get it resolved.

In this he shares that [I] “have already judged (as though I were present)…” In his deliberations over the matter, which began the moment that they were relayed to him, and probably through much prayer and reflection, he came to a judgment as to what needed to be done. However, he isn’t present and so he can only relay his judgment from afar. The broken sentences then are explained in this. He is conveying emotion and a profound determination through them. We do this with exclamation points and other punctuation which was lacking in the Greek. Therefore, sentence structure was important in this manner.

And Paul’s judgment is against, “him who has so done this deed.” The matter of sexual immorality needed to be handled and it didn’t matter who it was. He has been singled out in Paul’s letter indirectly and it is now incumbent on those around that person to take the necessary action that Paul will recommend in the coming verses.

Life application: The reason why so many churches have no moral base is because of compromise over moral issues. Friendships arise that may preclude harsh judgment. Wealthy donors may have their transgressions overlooked because of the supposed need for their money. The same may be true with the politically connected. Eventually, such examples will become the standard. When this occurs, the church is doomed. Jesus has been left outside the door for the sake of tolerance and compromise. The lampstand will be removed and Judgment Day will be a day of regret, not rejoicing.

Lord God, Your word presents standards which are expected to be maintained, but too often it’s easier to ignore those things than to confront the difficult issues which arise in a church. Help each of us to think clearly on this and to realize that Your word is more important than our sense of tolerance or moral compromise. Grant us willing hearts to be obedient, even when it is so difficult to take such steps. Amen.

Thursday, 5 June 2014

And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 1 Corinthians 5:2

Paul in this verse is referring to the sexual immorality which exists within the church from the previous verse. He now begins with “and” which is used to demonstrate the absurdity of the state of things within their ranks. In essence he says, “You act in this manner, but shouldn’t it rather be the opposite!”

And the words are, “And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned.” Instead of their “puffed up” attitude which was mentioned in 4:19, they should be in a state of mourning and anguish over what is occurring right there among them. To be fair, they could be “puffed up” in one of two ways.

1) They were puffed up and filled with conceit and pride despite the wickedness which was among them, or

2) They were puffed up and filled with conceit because of the wickedness which was among them.

The first is probably the true case. They were acting arrogantly and dividing over petty allegiances even though there were greater issues which needed to be considered. However, the wickedness of the heart (Jeremiah 17:9) is never to be dismissed, even among a group, and so it could be that despite being divided over which leader was best, they were united in an antinomian attitude towards sin; accepting that which was forbidden.

Which is the case cannot be determined, but both show a negligence towards proper conduct within the church. Instead of accepting how things were with this person, Paul notes “that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.” Instead of fellowshipping with such a person, they should have already excommunicated him. But rather than facing the problem from this perspective, they have either avoided it or openly condoned it. Paul shows them that this is the wrong attitude; mourning, not acceptance, was needed.

Life application: It sure is easy to overlook things which might otherwise cause us to have to act in a manner which seems “judgmental” or “intolerant.” However, in such cases, it is not we who actually decide the course of action to take, it is God who has given His word for our Christian walk. If we can remember this, then we will remember that we are honoring Him by adhering to His word.

Lord God, Your word mandates certain actions are to be taken to keep the church pure. Too often we overlook faults which are to be censured, but we do this in disobedience to what You have instructed, thus two wrongs exist. Help us to think clearly on the sanctity of Your word, to adhere to its admonitions, and to be resolute in standing on its principles. In this, I know You will be glorified. Amen.