1 Corinthians Lesson 8

1 Corinthians

Lesson 8

Questions:

Have you ever accepted a job with Company B while you were still employed by Company A?

What is the commonly accepted protocol for an employee to transition from his/her current employer to a new one?

Are there times when a ‘2 week notice’ is not appropriate?

What are some of the strains that exist in the transition period of a two week notice?

What happens to allegiances and relationships within the company during that time?

Suppose a husband or wife announced to their mate they were having an affair with someone else and offered to serve a ‘2 week notice’ before leaving. How do you suppose the jilted partner would respond to their offer?

In Paul’s letter to the believers at Corinth, he addressed a problem that existed among them that, on the surface, might be dealt with simply as an example of sexual immorality. As many Americans have learned recently, however, the problem that effects everyone else around is probably a much deeper issue of personal integrity and mixed allegiances. Before we look at the problem, consider again the issues he has raised with the Corinthians up to this point.

They disagreed among themselves (1:10ff) over who was the best person to have led them to Christ—Paul?…Apollos?…Peter?

Next, it appears they felt the need to ‘spruce up the gospel’ so that it would have a greater appeal (1:17-2:5), because Paul meticulously explained why “the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.”

Still early in the letter, Paul seems to indicate there was another issue among them that was causing jealousy and quarreling…they appeared to be ‘categorizing’ people—ranking each other according to some ‘Spiritual Intelligence Quotient’—so Paul gave them God’s ‘ranking system’ (2:6-3:4): The man without the Spirit; The man with the Spirit, and; The man they most resembled…the man in Christ who acted like a baby!

After assessing their spiritual condition, he explained (3:10-3:17) that they, like a building, had a firm foundation in Jesus Christ, but if they did not pay special attention to what they used to build the rest of their structure—i.e., if they did not work on maintaining their spiritual conditioning—the fires of affliction in this life and in the final judgment to come would reduce all of their building to rubble.

Although it seems their weaknesses should have been obvious to them by now, it appears they were blinded to them and displayed instead an air of spiritual superiority over Paul, apparently feeling qualified to pass judgment on whether Paul had been faithful to God in his ministry! Paul addresses their ‘air of spiritual superiority’ (Chapter 4) by saying, “Already you have become rich! You have become kings--and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you! We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!” A few lines later, Paul reminded them, “I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children…for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.”

The Corinthians: like so many today…possessing obvious weaknesses, yet deluding themselves into believing they were so righteous! Now to the latest problem among them…their most obvious and flagrant demonstration of spiritual impropriety to this point.

Scripture:

(1 Corinthians 5:1 NIV) 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?

Paul said they had a problem of sexual immorality among them. What is sexual immorality?

What kind of violation is sexual immorality? Is it strictly a religious violation or can it also be a social and/or civil violation?

What can be some of the bad side effects of sexual immorality (or sexual misconduct)?

Can you think of any examples of sexual immorality among us today?

Suppose someone doesn’t have the slightest concern for anything religious or spiritual in their life—does that make sexual immorality O.K. for them?

Why would sexual immorality in a church like the one in Corinth…or in ours today…pose a problem?

Now to the issue of the man’s allegiance: Based on his actions, why could someone challenge his allegiance to God? (His actions were in direct disobedience to God’s will.)

How did the believers in Corinth…these people with an air of ‘spiritual superiority’…feel about this sexual misconduct going on in their midst? (They were proud!)

What did Paul say they should have felt instead of pride? (Grief.)

They were proud of what this man was doing! Something just isn’t right here. How could a group of people devoted to God be proud of a man’s ungodly actions? They can’t. Even though they gave lip service to their devotion to God, their pride in this man revealed what really was in their heart—a telltale sign of a shift in their allegiance.

Jesus addressed this duplicity that people demonstrate…

(Mark 7:6-7 NIV) He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. {7} They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'

(Mark 7:20-23 NIV) He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' {21} For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, {22} greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. {23} All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'"

To whom did the people verbalize their allegiance in verses 6-7? (God.)

But, what did Jesus say about their hearts?

In verses 20-23, what did Jesus say the heart reveals? (Actions which reveal allegiance —evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, etc.)

Going back to the Corinthians, what did their pride of this man’s immorality reveal about what was in their heart? (Their allegiance was more to their sin nature than to God.)

(1 Corinthians 5:3 NIV) 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.

Paul said that even though he was absent, he had already passed judgment on this. How does this situation differ from those in the previous lesson on judging others? (The situations in the previous lesson were not ‘black and white’…this was…like a dropped pass in football, it was obvious to everyone it was wrong and was being flaunted.)

{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.

What did Paul recommend they do? (Hand him over to Satan.)

What did he say would happen—both good and bad?

Re-read 1 Corinthians 3:12-15. Is this descriptive of what Paul recommended? What would happen to his soul?

{6} Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?

Even though it was one man’s sin, Paul says their boasting about it has implicated them in the evil, giving them an analogy of yeast in bread. How much yeast does it take to work through a whole batch of dough? (Perhaps another example of a little spoiling a lot would be too many chile peppers in the pot of chili. A little bit can ruin a lot.)

Paul was trying to explain in simple terms they could understand that man’s sin would impact them the same wayallowed to continue, it would have negative impact on their entire fellowship.

{7} Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. {8} Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

What did he say (v.8) the old yeast represented?

When they rid themselves of the yeast of malice and wickedness, what did he say would be the ‘unleavened bread’ that would be produced? (The bread of sincerity and truth.) IN OTHER WORDS… If the Corinthians did not get rid of this man and woman, the ‘yeast’ of their allegiance to their sin nature would spread through all of them.

{9} I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- {10} 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.

Almost as if he knew they would take this advice and misuse it or apply it wrongly, Paul clarifies again what he is saying about them coming in contact with people involved in sexual immorality. Who does he say this advice does not apply to? (Their contact with sexually immoral people outside the body of Christ.)

Is this hypocritical? (No. Since people outside the body of Christ have not made a commitment to live by God’s will for their life, sex is not wrong for them. Imagine a Christian trying to convince a non-Christian he/she had sinned because they violated God’s will for a Christian!)

What happens when Christians disassociate themselves from the immoral people outside the church? (They lose any potential ministry with or to them.)

{11} But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

Who does he say this does apply to? (Anyone who calls himself a brother.)

How did he say we should relate to anyone with these unresolved issues in their life?

Notice the church does not send a righteous mob to ‘beat up the sinners’ in their fellowship…they are simply instructed to not associate with them.

{12} What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? {13} God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."

How would you summarize the points in Paul’s closing argument? (In effect, Paul said, “We are not responsible for the allegiances of the people who are not on God’s team, but we’d better be concerned about the allegiances of those who are. If they are loyal to the other side, then we need to get rid of them a.s.a.p. or their corruption will spread through the whole team.)

(Hebrews 3:12-14 NIV) See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. {13} But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. {14} We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

Many think that once they are ‘on the team’, their loyalty and allegiance to God is never again an issue. What commentary do you think verse 12 makes about that school of thought?

What is the ‘corporate’ responsibility of everyone on the team?

According to verse 14, how long do we need to ‘hold firmly’ our allegiance (confidence) to Christ?

(Proverbs 11:3 NIV) The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

What is the outcome for those who vacillate back and forth with their allegiance?

(Joshua 24:15 NIV) But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

What did Joshua say to the Israelites about vacillating in their allegiance?

(1 Kings 18:21 NIV) Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing.

What did Elijah say to the people about vacillating in their allegiance?

Bottom Line:

Our allegiance to God is not something we can share with anything else in our life…especially our sinful nature. The man in the church at Corinth who was guilty of sexual immorality demonstrated his allegiance was to his sin nature instead of God…certainly bad enough all by itself! But Paul said his sin was not ‘all by itself’! By allowing him to stay among them, even demonstrating they were proud of this man, the people revealed a telltale sign of a shift in their allegiance as well. Paul said if they did not throw this man out from among them, ‘the yeast of his malice and wickedness’ would spread through the whole batch of them.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23 KJV)

Close With Prayer.