Tough Questions

DEVOTION

1 CORINTHIANS

TOUGH QUESTIONS

1 Cor 5:1-5

5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

NIV

A most difficult passage to deal with in that it is about a specific incident which occurred in a defined time in history in a particular social setting. Rather than attempting to regurgitate the facts, or the views of various historians, scholars/commentators, it might be wise for us to just accept this as a warning against any such grievous acts or for that matter, thoughts that would come even close to this form of sin. We might note that being given over to Satan in the flesh, which is the original language, could be a very horrible experience. To be inflicted with all manner of disease and infirmities such as in the case of Job, even though it was not for this sort of thing, would be something we surely should desire to forego. Maybe we should understand there is question whether the father was still alive when the son interacted with his father’s wife, which as stated would have not been his mother, but rather his step-mother. The fact they were proud might come from the idea they thought they were practicing the concepts of one brother taking the wife of his dead brother who died without a son, as outlined in Deut 25. But this is far more than that, and we should take notice if we live in any manner which offends Christ we should be ready for what may come. Yet it seems that some forms of sexual immorality have infiltrated the church. We see pre-marital relations we should not. We see extramarital relations we should not. We see marriage and divorce much the same as the world, which we most likely should not. The question is what do we do about it? Surely we are not proud of this kind of behavior as it would appear the Corinthian people were. Surely we do not judge it either, for who of us is worthy to cast the first stone? It is true some of this behavior may have occurred before salvation and has been washed by the blood of Christ, and is therefore not part of this discussion. Yet if we have engaged in any manner such as this, after salvation, most certainly we have repented and sought the forgiveness of God. Yet if there is such behavior within the Body of Christ, should we be turning a blind eye to it? Yes we must love those who might be caught in those circumstances, and respect them as beloved members of the Body of Christ, but should we not also intervene in such a way that would protect them from any physical harm, as this poor son, spoken of here looks toward? Would it not be right for us to do both? Keep ourselves pure of this kind of behavior and assist those who have been entangled by it? Are we the Church or are we just pretending to be the church? Are we the temple of God, or are we just trying to look like it? Tough questions.