Today we turn to the topic of church discipline. This subject is rarely raised in the church, and usually it is discussed only in two cases: either when someone is about to be excluded from the community for sin, or during a sequential, expository study of Scripture when the text specifically addresses disciplinary measures. Thank God we have the second reason today—in our study of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, we have reached chapter 5.
An Unpopular Topic
Church discipline is an unpopular and often unpleasant topic. It is associated with tragedies and traumas caused by sin. In a society that values individualism and the right to self-expression, the idea that someone could correct us or point out our mistakes seems intolerable. The slogan “judge not, that you be not judged,” taken out of context, has become a shield behind which many hide their unwillingness to accept rebuke.
Unfortunately, these ideas are penetrating the church as well. Modern congregations often don’t even know who their members are, which makes the mechanism of correction impossible. We have forgotten how to accept advice and help, perceiving any rebuke as a personal insult or condemnation. However, the text we read today shows the logical conclusion of such “spiritual pride,” where everyone considers themselves their own pastor.
The Context of the Problem in Corinth
The first four chapters of the epistle were dedicated to divisions in the Corinthian church. The core of the problem was that believers were exalting themselves over one another, choosing their favorite teachers. Paul reminded them that the church belongs to Christ, not to pastors, and warned of God’s judgment for those who destroy His temple.
Having finished the topic of divisions, Paul moves on to the next serious problem. Corinth was a wealthy and corrupt city. Its immorality was so well-known that the city’s name became a proverb: the Greeks used the word “to Corinthianize” when speaking of extreme debauchery. And so, instead of the church influencing the culture, the culture began to permeate the church.
I. The Core of the Problem: Sin and Inaction
In the first verse of chapter 5, we encounter a shocking fact:
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife” (1 Cor. 5:1).
This refers to incest—one of the church members was cohabiting with his stepmother. Such relationships were strictly forbidden by the Mosaic law and punishable by death among the Jews. But even in Roman law and in the pagan cultures of that time, such connections were considered criminal. Paul emphasizes: “not tolerated even among pagans.” The Corinthian pagans, being immoral themselves, could say to the church: “Hey guys, you can’t do that even here.” What kind of testimony about Christ was this community giving to the world?
But an even greater shock comes in the second verse:
“And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you” (1 Cor. 5: 2).
The church members did not just do nothing—they were “arrogant.” Likely, they were obsessed with a false understanding of Christian freedom. “We are under grace, Christ died for all our sins, so there is no more condemnation!” they might have reasoned. Under slogans like “love above all” and “God accepts everyone,” they justified blatant lawlessness, considering their tolerance a sign of special spiritual maturity and progressiveness.
Paul intervenes to solve two problems: the sin of the specific person and, more importantly, the passivity and pride of the entire church in the face of this sin.
II. The Role of the Church and the Principle of Membership
Paul moves from the Corinthians’ indecision to decisive condemnation:
“For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing… you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Cor. 5:3–5).
Illustration: The Embassy and the Passport
To understand the phrase “deliver to Satan,” we need to realize what the church and church membership are. Today, the idea of the “lone believer” is popular—someone who thinks that to believe in God, one does not need to be part of a community. However, the Bible teaches otherwise.
Imagine that the Kingdom of God is a state, and the local church is its embassy in a foreign country. The citizens of this Kingdom live on earth as immigrants. How do you prove your citizenship? We have a “passport”—it is the sacraments of baptism and communion.
- Baptism is the solemn ceremony of obtaining citizenship, an external testimony of entering the church.
- Communion is the regular renewal of the “passport,” through which the church confirms that the person is still a faithful citizen of the Heavenly Kingdom.
Church discipline is the only mechanism that allows the embassy to revoke a passport if it turns out that a person has broken the laws of the Kingdom and does not live according to its values.
“Deliver to Satan”
When Paul says “deliver to Satan,” he means depriving a person of the external signs of membership. The church publicly declares: “This person is not acting like a citizen of God’s Kingdom; there are no signs of salvation in their life. They belong to the kingdom of darkness.” By depriving them of communion and removing them from the membership list, the church recognizes their belonging to the “prince of this world.”
III. The Goals of Discipline: Correction and Protection
Such a severe decision has two goals.
1. Correction of the offender. Excommunication is needed first of all for the sinner himself, so that he realizes his actions are incompatible with salvation. This is a bitter medicine intended to lead to repentance, so that “his spirit may be saved.”
2. Prevention of sin in the community.
“Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (1 Cor. 5:6).
Paul uses the image of yeast dough. If a small part of the leaven is left, soon the whole lump will be infected. If the church is tolerant of sin, it gradually stops seeming egregious, becomes the norm, and eventually affects the entire community. Paul calls to “cleanse out the old leaven,” reminding us that Christ—our Passover—has already been sacrificed for us, and we are called to be a “new lump,” free from malice and evil.
IV. Attitude Towards an Unrepentant Sinner
A question often arises: how to treat someone who has been excommunicated? Does it mean complete ignoring? Paul writes:
“not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality… not even to eat with such a one” (1 Cor. 5:11).
It is important to understand: the ground for excommunication is not just the gravity of the sin, but persistence in unrepentance. In the Gospel of Matthew (18:15–18), Jesus describes a gradual process: first a one-on-one conversation, then with witnesses, and only if the person does not listen to the church—“let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”
The goal of each stage is to lovingly win back the brother. If a person repents and is ready to work on changes, the church cannot excommunicate them. But if they call themselves a Christian while living as a pagan and persisting in it—the church is obligated to pronounce judgment. The community judges those “inside” (church members) to preserve the holiness of the house of God.
Conclusion
In 1995, two robbers in Pittsburgh tried to rob a bank by smearing their faces with lemon juice1. They believed the juice would make them invisible to security cameras (by analogy with invisible ink). It seems absurd, but we often act the same way, overestimating our ability to objectively judge ourselves.
God established the church because we need mutual support, verification, and correction. Do not take instruction defensively—it is a manifestation of God’s care through brothers and sisters. Inaction in the face of sin is not love; it is indifference.
Call to Action:
- To Church Members: Thank God for the community that cares for your soul. Accept rebuke with humility, for it is the path to growth.
- To Unbaptized Youth and Believers: If you consider yourself a follower of Christ, why do you delay baptism? By not participating in the sacraments, you voluntarily place yourself in the position of “outsiders.”
- To Guests and Non-Members: If you regularly attend the congregation, bring your relationship with God into order. Become part of the family officially, come under the protection and authority of the church.
God loves order and purity in His house. Let us cherish the holiness of the church, which is “a pillar and buttress of the truth.” Amen.