1 Corinthians 5:9-13 (NIV)
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
Paul’s advice in this chapter goes against much of the philosophy of the Church today, where acceptance and tolerance, not just of alternative viewpoints, but of sin itself, has been elevated to a positive virtue. The idea that anyone would be cast out of the Church, or shunned by their fellow Christians because of sin, seems primitive and narrow-minded. But part of that is because of the changed perception of what the Church is, and part is because of our changed perception of sin.
Paul understood the Church to be, not a hospital for sinners, as it has been described in modern times, but as the assembly of the saints, the holy ones of God who have been washed clean from their sin by the blood of Jesus, and who are kept clean and holy by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Among such people, sin is seen as a horrendous thing, an alien evil that will destroy the holiness of God’s people and sap all the power from them.
Today in many parts of the Church, sin is accepted as a normal part of life, and Church members are seen as normal, sinful people who are saved by grace, but who are otherwise just the same as everyone else. Sin is seen as something that should be repented of, but as something that doesn’t really endanger the spiritual lives of Christians (only the spiritual lives of those who aren’t yet Christians). So, it is broadly accepted and normalized, except, of course, those things that are considered “big sins”.
Even a cursory survey of the New Testament writings reveals that this modern view of sin is worlds away from the view of the Scriptures. Paul understood that sin was endemic in the world, to the point that if the Christians tried to disassociate themselves from anyone who was a sinner, they would have to remove themselves from the world entirely. That is impractical, and even undesirable, since sinners are the very people that the Christians are to save and saving them required interaction with them. But Paul warned strongly of the need to keep sin out of the Church, recognizing it as the deadly evil that it is.
The sins listed by Paul in verse 11 are representative, not all-inclusive. Sexual immorality of all kinds is condemned, as are greed and idolatry, which are putting things other than God in first place in one’s life. Slander is listed as a sin worthy of condemnation, and includes the gossip that is fully acceptable in many congregations today. Drunkards are condemned, which would include those involved in substance abuse of any kind, as are swindlers, which are those who are dishonest in their personal or business dealings. Such sins are expected among the people of the world but are a terrible thing when they are done by those who profess to be Christians, and thus prove that profession false.
Paul closes with strong words. Christians are not to judge those outside the Church. Those people are going to be sinful. They are lost and are to be saved, not judged. Those outside who refuse the gospel will be judged by God and don’t need the condemnation of the Church. But those inside the Church fall under the judgment of the Church, and if they refuse to repent, they are to be expelled and approached in the future as non-Christians in need of salvation. Such strong words may seem harsh to modern ears but are fully in line with Jesus teachings (Matthew 18:15-17).
Father, this is definitely different than the way we tend to do things today, in spite of the clear guidance in Your word rather than because of it. We fear being labeled as puritanical, narrow-minded, or unloving. So, we allow sin to destroy lives, destroy futures, corrode the foundation of the Church itself, and sap it of its power. Forgive us, Lord, for taking lightly what you take seriously. Help us to see that allowing someone to continue in sin because we are afraid to act in accordance with Your word is the very antithesis of love, and enables their continuing on in sin, which will ultimately lead to their being condemned by You. Help us to act in love, to help them to see their sin and its consequences clearly, so that they can turn away from it and be saved. Amen.