Purity in the Church, the World, and the Home
1 Corinthians 5-7
INTRODUCTION:
Today we’ll spend some time looking at chapters 5 – 7 of Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church. On first read, these chapters may seem unrelated. Chapters 5 & 6 deal with guidelines for church discipline. Chapter 7 talks about Marriage. But Paul was not just jumping, willy-nilly, from one topic to another. There is a logical connection within this portion of his letter.
All three chapters deal with a topic that is as essential to us in 21st century America as it was to the early Christians in the first century. The topic is sexual purity. Paul talks about how to maintain purity in the church, in the world, and in the home. Corinth was a city filled with sexual sin. They didn’t have the technology we have … no pornography on the internet or on TV …, but they had the first century equivalent in their pagan temples and amphitheaters. Corinth was a city where almost anything goes. ALMOST anything … even in Corinth, what was going on the church was taboo.
1. Purity in the Church (Chapter 5)
Here’s how Paul started Chapter 5 - It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. (vs.1)
Paul goes on in chapter 5 to lay out instructions for how the church must deal with this kind of sin within the congregation. But we need to understand that Paul is not singling out this immoral situation because of the specific sin. Every congregation is filled with nothing BUT sinners. The church welcomes sinners, just as Christ welcomes sinners. Verse 2 explains why this sin could not be tolerated. Paul exclaims, And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? (vs. 2)
This man was not repentant. In fact, he was proud of his incestuous relationship. And evidently the congregation was proud right along with him. We don’t know why they accepted this. Maybe it was a misunderstanding of “freedom in Christ” that they were boasting about. “Look at us, we accept everyone here – Christ has set us free!” Maybe it was just that this man was well liked or maybe he was wealthy and powerful in the community.
Whatever the reason, Paul knew that the church had to deal with anyone who is sinning openly and declaring that sin is NOT sin. Congregations today face this same situation … and we can receive guidance from the solution Paul outlined in this letter. He advised them to put the man out of their fellowship.
This was not the same as what we know of as excommunication. It was meant to be temporary. Hopefully the man’s eyes would be opened to the truth and he would be able to repent of his sin and be reunited with the congregation. (In fact, we find out in 2 Corinthians chapter 2: this is exactly what happened in this case!)
Paul gives the reason that this extreme measure is sometimes necessary in verse 6: Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Sometimes a godless culture will say that right is wrong and that wrong is right --- but if the church agrees with the culture then they lose their very identity as followers of Christ. The whole church will become infected with the idea that we can willingly live sinful lives while boasting that we are following Jesus.
It’s important that we keep in mind, that Paul did not say sinners were unwelcome in the church. Paul makes it clear that the church welcomes sinners of every kind in chapter 6, vs. 9-11: Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
In chapter 5, Paul is addressing a situation of an unrepentant sinner within the congregation … someone who openly boasts that something God declares as sin is NOT really wrong. A congregation must address this kind of situation head-on.
2. Purity in the World (Chapter 6)
In this part of his letter, Paul also addresses how and why Christians must maintain personal purity in the World. He first makes it clear that --- even though he advised the congregation not to associate with the unrepentant sinner in their church --- he is NOT telling them to stay away from sinners in the community around them.
That would be unrealistic … and how could they be a light to the world if they avoid the people around them. In fact, Paul said he did not even judge the sinners in the pagan culture.
In chapter 6, Paul advises the church members not to air their dirty laundry in front of the unbelieving community. Evidently Corinth was as law-suit-happy as America is, and Paul advised that when Christians have disputes with other Christians, it’s better to settle matters within the congregation than to go into the pagan court system where the reputation of the church would be damaged by their behavior.
Then Paul returns to the topic of maintaining sexual purity even while living in a culture that condones and even celebrates immorality. In chapter 6 vs 12, Paul quotes a saying that was popular in Corinth: Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, and God will destroy them both. This attitude was popular among the Epicureans who believed that anything you did with your body was just fine because, after all, the body would eventually die and only the spirit would live on. The saying was used to excuse gluttony, and it was used to excuse all kinds of sexual immorality and perversion.
Some of the believers were influenced by this attitude … it’s an attitude that’s echoed in America in sayings like; “It’s MY body. I have a right to do whatever I want with my body.” In vs. 13 – 20 of chapter 6, Paul explains WHY what we do with our own body DOES matter … for a Christian, our bodies are not our own. We belong to Christ … body, soul, and spirit.
The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.
(In other words, our bodies matter because we were created by the Lord to live for the Lord--- and God will one day raise our bodies in an incorruptible form.)
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
(We are one with Christ. As the church we are the Bride of Christ. Sexual immorality is an insult to our relationship with Jesus.)
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
(We have the privilege of using our bodies to honor Christ. In fact, Jesus dwells within our bodies, making us temples of God’s Holy Spirit. What we do with our bodies should always honor the God who indwells us.)
Paul has talked about the importance of sexual purity in the church and in the world. In chapter 7, Paul talks about the reason purity matters within marriage.
3. Purity in the Home (Chapter 7)
In fact, Paul presents marriage as a safeguard for sexual purity. Within a marriage, Paul encourages intimacy as an act that strengthens the union of a husband and wife and guards them against temptation for immorality. This is another reason that sexual purity matters so much. Nothing is more destructive to a society than the unfaithfulness that tears homes apart.
God clearly warns against all types of sexual immorality and even against the lust that is at the root of impurity. This is not because God is some kind of cosmic kill-joy – as some people like to accuse Him. Whenever God calls a behavior SINFUL it is because that behavior will lead to suffering and destruction and pain and death.
God ordained marriage between one man and one woman because this is the healthy and reasonable way to create a home --- to provide a nurturing and safe place for children --- to build a functional and stable community. Any other pattern will lead to dysfunction, instability and confusion for children, and a weakened community.
God ordained sexual intimacy as a beautiful part of marriage … an act that signifies the two becoming one. Scripture uses marriage as a picture of spiritual reality --- representing the intimate, voluntary, and eternal union between Jesus and the church.
When husbands and wives are faithful to each other and keep themselves pure, then the homes are happy and stable. The children of these homes can flourish.
Paul goes on to give practical guidelines for widows, for believers married to unbelievers, and for young singles. There is more wisdom here than we have time to cover in any sermon, so I hope you will participate in the Bible reading plan that goes along with this series.
CONCLUSION:
When we see how important it is to stay sexually pure --- even in an immoral culture --- we have to wonder “how we can keep to such a high standard?” The answer is – we can’t.
Living a pure life can only be accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit. Only if we abide in Christ – and His words abide in us. This is the secret to everything about the Christian life – including (and maybe especially) – keeping ourselves pure.
Walk with Christ every day. Study His Word. Hang out with His people. Keep your mind on Jesus and His Kingdom.
That is where our power comes from – and that is the way to stay pure.
