1 CORINTHIANS chapter five
jack
responsibility of the local church toward flagrant reversionists
Summary verses 1-3
- The Bible makes a distinction between phallic sins, categorizing some as much worse than others.
- They are classified as normal versus abnormal.
- Abnormal includes homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, and incest.
- Paulsays that establishment Gentiles or society in general disdains incest; in fact, Roman law prohibited it.
- Here we see Christians sinning where even unbelieversdon’t.
- The church’s attitude was indifference, tolerance, and flippancy.
- This arrogantattitude, Paulrebukes.
- The healthy read-out would have been sorrow, not tolerance.
- Appropriate action would be immediate expulsion.
- Paul'sinstantaneous reaction was in contrast to theirs.
Summaryverses4,5
- Once the reversionistis expelled then Paulprays for his Divine disciplineand sin unto death.
- He can do this in absentia since he, as an apostle, is the ultimate spiritualauthorityin Corinth.
- He recognizes thismust be done in the name of and by the power of Jesussince Pauldoesn’thave inherent powers;
- Nor does Satando it unilaterally.
- He also does it in connection with the assembled churchto emphasize the repudiation of evil by the whole body, and separationfrom one of its members.
- It is the assembled churchwhich learns to identify leaven.
- With Paulin spirit, it is a corporate applicationfor the entire church.
- Satanthe author of E1 takes delight in harming the body of Christ, so he takes delight in touching this believer, whatever the restrictions.
- Thepurpose is to point this believertoward reboundand reversionismrecovers so that his spiritualoutput will be plus at the Rapture, not loss.
Summaryverses6-8
- The local churchis to expel any flagrant type reversionistfrom its assemblies.
- Only after a first and second warning where there is no reboundand separationby the guilty party (compareTITUS3:10).
- Obviously, we are not qualified to judge mental attitude sins; nor are we to expel a believerbased on a single offense.
- What we have here is a pattern of sinful activity which comes to the church’s attention.
- “Clean out” means to expel and to cite the grounds and conditions for re-admittance.
- This is a special applicationof the doctrineof separation.
- So long as the flagrantreversionistis permitted to participate in the Bible classes and fellowship of the local body, the churchas a whole partakes of his sin.
- Just as we individually isolate the STAin our bodies, so the churchas a unit must separate from certain types.
- When the churchapplies this doctrineit becomes a new lump.
- IMPLIATIONS: IT REPRESENTS TO THE COSMOS AND BELIEVERSTHE CONDEMNATION OF THE STAAND ITS PRACTICES.
- Itmaintains an effective testimony before the community.
- “Unleavened” in verseseven refers to positional isolation of the STA.
- Christmade this possible via His work on the cross. (P.sins STAbody his physical death; compareGENESIS2:17).
- Passoverteaches isolationof the STAby removal of all leaven for one week from the premises.
- Christ'sbody was free from the ISTAgenetically and experientially.
- So He provided P1 for man and so our Passover based on the SAJG (analogous to the Exodus).
- As the opening and closing of the Red Sea delivered Israel, so positional truth is the basis for our deliverance (compare1 CORINTHIANS10).
- So the Exodus = the SAJG.
- Deliverancewas tied to obedience in respect to the Passover Lamb, a shadow of faith in the Savior.
- So when we celebrate the Lord'sTable we celebrate the condemnation and judgementof the STAat the cross and in rebound.
- It is a mockery to participate under the STAor to observe it with a flagrant reversionist. (We judge self and any who fall into this category.)
- We are not to celebrate it with a known flagrant reversionist.
- We are not, however, to have mental attitude sinstoward them.
- We are to celebrate it with those (ideally) who isolate the STAexperientially.
Summaryverses9-11
- Paulhad given them instructions to separate from reversionisticbelievers.
- The interpreted his remarks as referring to unbelievers.
- Paulwas speaking of certain flagrant, known reversionistsin the church.
- The churchwas to remove them, and believersindividually were to separate.
- Applications of doctrineof separation.
- Don’tsocialize with reversionisticbelieversor unbelieversexcept within a business context where it is required as part of a job.
- Don’tmarry an unbelieveror negativebeliever.
- Don’tbecome a business partner with a reversionist(believeror unbeliever, where individual is dishonest).
- Don’tpermit flagrant, known reversioniststo attend the church.
- You ant totally separate from reversionistsoutside the churchsince society (your job) is permeated with them.
- Examples of reversionism.
- Phallic.
- Religious.
- Monetary (all they talk of).
- Monetary (dishonest).
- Slanderers (always maligning others).
- So separate from the flagrant reversionisticinvolves:
- Excommunication.
- Personal disassociation.
Legitimatejudging
Summaryverse12
- Legitimatejudging and its parameters:
- Only a flagrant reversionist in the local church’s fellowship.
- Churchis to expel and believersare to disassociate from.
- Don’tmalign or harbor an unforgiving spirit toward.
- Be willing to accept back into the fellowshipwithout reservation.