FEBRUARY 18th, 2024 PASTOR DON PIEPER
The Corinthian Complex 1 Corinthians 5:1-8; 9-13
“IT'S NO SMALL THING!”
We've been exploring the apostle Paul's correspondence with the church he planted in Corinth. Chloe, the hostess of the home church in Corinth, has sent word of some strife in the church.
What if we could look in on Paul and Sosthenes as they coordinate their response to yet another distressing word they've heard about the Corinthian tension? We find the two of them in a rented veranda in the scenic city of Ephesus, where Paul has been pastoring another church he planted....
Sosthenes: Okay, I'm about ready for you to dictate the next section of your letter, brother Paul. I've got my quill, ink, and scroll, and I've got everything set up for the podcast.
Paul: Podcast - what podcast? Why do we need that? Did you break your foot, or something?
Sosthenes: My foot? No. Why do you think I broke my foot?
Paul: Well, we're writing in Greek, and podos is the Greek word for foot so I assumed that if you have a cast on your pod you must have a broken foot.
Sosthenes: Uh, no, actually. A podcast is just a means to communicate. Never mind. Maybe we
should just get started. Have you thought about what you're going to say? This is pretty
distressing news that we heard from Chloe and company.
Paul: Uh, which news is that again, exactly, Sosthenes? I've still got a few cobwebs....
Sosthenes: This bit about a member of the church being in a relationship with his mother-in-law and
everybody acting like it's nothing, and getting all puffed up about how tolerant they are.
Paul: Oh, that! My goodness, if it's not one thing in Corinth it's another!
Sosthenes: Ain't that the truth!
Paul: Alright, Sosthenes. I'm ready to dictate and to cast your pod. Let's get started.
Sosthenes: It's not that kind of podcast, Paul. It's.... Never mind. Fire away. I'm ready.
Paul: Alrighty then. Here we go.... (clearing his throat)
“(In addition to hearing about your arguing about who baptized who, and who's the better preacher, and who should marry who, if at all, if all that bickering weren't bad enough,
I have now also received a report about a scandalous sexual affair going on within your church family, the nature of which wouldn't even be tolerated outside the church! One of your men is actually sleeping with his stepmother? Are you kidding me? That's not only unlawful according to God's laws, that's even unlawful in a Roman court. Even the pagans would never allow such a thing! (to S.) Did you get all that? (1 Corinthians 5:1-2 {MSG})
Sosthenes: Just about.... Got it. And what about everyone else's silence on the matter?
Paul: Ah, yes. Write this: Are you all so above it all and convinced of your ways that this blatant sin doesn't even faze you? This should break your hearts! It should bring you
to your knees in tears! Someone should confront this guy and correct him, not only
for his sake, but for the sake of all those spiritual infants who are also at risk! I'll tell you what I would do. Even though I'm not there in person, it's as if I am, because I can fully see what's going on here. I'm telling you that this is wrong! (1 Corinthians 5:3)
Sosthenes: Hold on a moment. That was good, but you always talk so fast when you get stirred up.
Paul: Well, of course I'm stirred up! If they're not careful this will polarize and paralyze them!
Sosthenes: I know it. So what advice can you offer here? What should they do...?
Paul: Well, You mustn't simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. This is no small thing! Blatant and openly defiant sin can take the house down with it.
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Paul: Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus the Christ. Assemble the community – I'll be present in spirit with you and our Lord Jesus will be present in power.
Hold this man's conduct up to biblical scrutiny. Let him defend it if he can!
But if he can't, then out with him! It'll be crushing to him and humbling to you, but
better to be crushed and embarrassed then to walk the path that leads to destruction!
Don't fool yourselves! It's no small thing having a rotten apple in the basket. Help him!
You want him on his feet and forgiven before the Master on the Day of Judgment.
(1 Corinthians 5:4-5)
Sosthenes: That's good...! That’s good! “You want him on his feet and forgiven...!” Got it!
You've written that before. Restoration of the sinner is the goal of all Christian correction.
Paul: Well said, Sosthenes. Maybe you should be dictating to me! If only they could
see, such flagrant and defiant sin, if left unchecked, can polarize and paralyze a church. The correction, however, should never be spiteful or vengeful. Instead, it should be offered with the intent of procuring a cure, of restoring spiritual health to the individual and the body.
Sosthenes: They may need to hear more on that, brother Paul. Being kind and gracious, humble and understanding, are not exactly commonplace in Corinth, in or outside the church.
Paul: Good point. Take this down, Sosthenes: Let me blunt. Your flip and callous arrogance in these things bothers me. You pass it off as a small thing, but it's anything but! Consider a pinch of yeast. In Old Testament times yeast was often used as a metaphor for sin. When Moses led the people out of slavery in Egypt, they were not only told to bake their bread without yeast for expedient purposes but also because of what it represented. They were to sweep all of it out of the house before making their exodus to the promised land. Yeast, after all, seems like such a small thing but it works its way thru a batch of dough pretty fast. So get rid of this “yeast”. Clean up your house! (1 Corinthians 5:6)
Sosthenes: “Clean up your house!” Boy isn't that overdue! You should see their kitchen sink!
Paul: Here's the thing and this is no small thing: Our true identity is flat and plain, not puffed up with the wrong ingredient. The Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has already been sacrificed for the Passover meal, and we are the unraised bread part of the Feast. So let's live out our part in the Feast, not as elevated bread swollen with pride, sin and indifference, but as flat bread – genuine and unpretentious – given to give away. (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)
After all, every time Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, he gave it. Bread is blessed, and broken, so it can be given. We are blessed to be given.
Sosthenes: We're the flat, unleavened bread? That's profound, but how do you spell, unpretentious?
Paul: U-N-P-R-E-T-E-N-T-I-O-U-S – unpretentious. I was a spelling bee King Bee!
Sosthenes: Thanks. King Bee? You sure? I thought a hive only has a queen bee?
Paul: Really? What about all those other bees like Bing Cros-bee, B.B. King & Justin Beeber?
Sosthenes: Now you're “bee-ing” silly. How about if we get back to your letter? This might be a good time to clear up that little misunderstanding from your last letter.
Paul: Oh, yes. I was just about to get to that. Write this down, Sosthenes: I wrote you in my earlier letter that you shouldn't make yourselves at home among the sexually immoral but I didn't mean you should have nothing at all to do with outsiders behaving in that way, or with crooks, idol worshippers, drunks and addicts, or those who're abusive. You'd have to leave the planet to do that! How can you influence those you avoid? (1 Corinthians 5:9-10)
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Sosthenes: That must've been frustrating for you, huh, they're getting what you wrote all mixed up and then using your words as rationalization for they're unwillingness to reach out to those outside of the church, caught up in the culture of apathy and deniability.
Sosthenes: That must've been frustrating for you, huh, they're getting what you wrote all mixed up and then using your words as rationalization for they're unwillingness to reach out to
those outside of the church, caught up in the culture of deniability and immorality.
Paul: You have no idea, Sosthenes. No idea. But let's continue....: Let's be clear. What I am saying here is that you shouldn't act as if everything is just fine and dandy when a friend who claims to be a Christian is promiscuous or dishonest, is defiant of God or rude to friends, is selfish or predatory. You can't just go along with this, treating it as acceptable behavior. You and I, to be sure, are not responsible for what outsiders do, but don't we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers? (1 Corinthians 5:11-12)
Sosthenes: We do. We do. Challenging but crucial words. They remind me of a story I know in which a wizard cuts down whole forests of trees to make war. Looking at the devastated torched landscape, an ent by the name of Treebeard observes: “A wizard should know better!” In this case, you're saying, “a Christian should know better!”
Paul: Treebeard? I sometimes wonder where you come up with this stuff, Sosthenes, but yes, my point is they should know better. Blatant, public sin within the community of faith, no matter how small it may seem, has the power to bring the whole forest down.
Sosthenes: But what of this last point, Paul? What do you mean we're not responsible for outsiders?
Paul: Simply this, and write this down: God decides on the outsiders! We just need to decide when our brothers and sisters are acting more like an infection than a contribution. There are times when we need to clean house, but our actions should never be out of anger and spite, but out of love for the fallen, seeking to help them be restored. We're not called to correct those who don't know or follow Christ. That's his job. Instead of lamenting or criticizing those disconnected souls, we seek to model to them the joy of following Jesus by mimicking the way he lived a blameless and loving lifestyle! (1 Corinthians 5:12-13) We want such souls on their feet & forgiven before the Lord on the Day of Judgment! (1 Corinthians 5:5)
Sosthenes: Sounds good, brother! Now if we in Corinth, or Chimacum, can take that all to heart we'll be in a much better place. Any other thoughts?
Paul: No, that's good for now. We'll pick it up again later. I'm meeting with leaders from Ephesus shortly. Right now, I chiefly need a nap! I'm getting too old for this!
Sosthenes: I hear that! Alrighty then! This chapter, and this podcast, is a wrap!
Paul: I still don't know why you need one of those, by the way. Your foot looks fine!
Sosthenes: It's not that kind of podcast, brother! It's – oh never mind! Maybe we should pray!
Heavenly Father, bless these words that Paul is sharing with your church. Help us to live upright, moral lives as a witness to you, and help us to discern when a sibling in Christ needs our help to get back on the narrow way that is The Way, The Truth and the Life that you have called us to as the unleavened ones of your Feast of grace. In Jesus name