Get The Leaven Out Of The Mix!

INTRO

We’ve looked at chapter 4 and the sin that had entered the Corinthian church, despite the fact that they had been mentored by several spiritual fathers. After teaching this lesson, I prayed for the people that are pouring into us as spiritual fathers and mothers, and I prayed we would be able to have humble hearts to receive what we need to hear—both encouragement and rebuke.

As Kyle taught earlier, there are five major sections in 1 Corinthians:

• Divisions in the church (1 Corinthians 1—4)
• Sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 5—7)
• Issues with food (1 Corinthians 8—10)
• Church etiquette (1 Corinthians 11—14)
• The resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15)

Chapter 16 includes Paul’s instructions on collecting funds for the saints, his travel plans and a final encouragement.

A brief history of Corinth includes:

Corinth was destroyed by the Romans in 146 B.C.

It was re-founded by Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.

The city was located between two ports, and ships were rolled on large logs across the isthmus that connected Corinth and the Peloponnesian peninsular to the Greek mainland. It had become an important city for travelers and transport.

It was made the capitol of the Achaean Province in 27 B.C. under Augustus Caesar.

The church of Corinth was founded in Acts 18 with Paul, Priscilla, Aquilla, and even the help of Apollos.

The book of 1 Corinthians was a letter to the “saints,” believers who weren’t lacking in spiritual gifts but were pretty immature spiritually.

Paul was trying to minister into some of the issues within the young church.

TEACHING

1 Corinthians 5:1-2: Verse 1 is a bit strange. Paul pointed out a stepmom and a stepson who were engaged in sexual immorality together . . . at a level not even to which the pagan Gentiles would stoop (v. 1). Note Paul’s comment that it had been widely reported! There were some crazy things going on in Corinth at the time, even though it was nothing really new for Greco-Roman culture. The city of Corinth had become a hub of the Roman world. Verse 2 is confusing. Paul added that the saints in Corinth were puffed up with pride over this immorality rather than filled with grief. What could possibly have made the church prideful about those actions? Paul stated the immoral couple should have been removed from the church (v. 2b). Possibly the church didn’t understand the spiritual immaturity of its actions and thought it was showing grace and acceptance to them. Haven’t we made a lot of allowances today in trying to show God’s love without discipline? Haven’t we allowed things that should be black and white become gray areas in the church? The Apostle Paul would say we have to remain obedient to the Word of God.

1 Corinthians 5:3–5: The spiritual authority of mentors/fathers/overseers who speak into our lives, should still carry weight even when they are not physically present. Our posture should be that of an openness to receive wisdom, correction, and training (v. 3). Paul told the church to gather, in the name of Jesus, and to turn the guilty ones over to Satan “for the destruction of the flesh” (v. 5). Even Paul’s name was being drug through the mud in this case . . . as well as the witness of the church (vv. 4–5). As difficult as this is, sometimes we have to turn people over to the enemy to have their flesh consume them in order to wake them up. God did that to Israel in the Old Testament repeatedly.

1 Corinthians 5:6–8: Paul questioned what exactly the church had been boasting about. Were they perhaps just not open to the rebuke? Paul explained that a little old yeast can ruin a whole batch of bread dough (v. 6). The church needed to clean out the old yeast (the sexual immorality) so the bread could be good. Leaven rises quickly, so they needed to deal with the sin before the sin permeated the new dough (v. 7). Today, we’ve made peace with a long list of sexual sins— living together before marriage, pornography, fornication, adultery, divorce, homosexuality. We’ve made so many allowances in sexual freedoms.

Jesus is our Passover, so we rip out the yeast of malice and evil. We are called to be unleavened bread (v. 8). The recipe is very simple: the flour of Christ, the oil of the Spirit, the water of God’s Word of truth, the salt of sincerity (legitimately, earnestly, and eagerly pursing the Lord).

1 Corinthians 5:9–13: Paul did not want the church to associate with sexually immoral people (v. 9). It was paramount for the early church to deal with these things (Revelation 2:6). Paul made it clear there is a difference in associating with immoral folks in the outside world; we must in order to share Christ, but not live immorally. Paul was specifically talking about those living a lifestyle of immorality who still call themselves a believer or “a brother” (vv. 10–11).

Paul reminded them they were not to judge those outside the church, but only those inside. Judging those outside the church is the responsibility of God (vv. 12–13). Judgment begins with the household of God. But we are to love, address, and correct those inside the church (Galatians 6:1; 1 Peter 4:17).

CLOSING

Joshua 7 tells of sin in the Israelites. Achan, one of the soldiers, ignored God’s command to take nothing after a victory, and instead took things for himself that were set aside for God. In the next battle, the entire army of Israel was defeated because of Achan’s hidden sin. The next morning, Joshua worked through the tribes of Israel to determine Achan’s guilt. Achan and his entire family were executed and covered with rocks.

Aren’t we glad we have the New Testament to guide us? We are to leave the outside work of judgment to the Lord because we have enough issues to deal with inside. Deuteronomy 17:7 says, “You must purge the evil from you,” meaning inside the church.