WHO’S IN THE PEW?

1 Corinthians 5:4-8

1Co 5:4 My judgment is this: In the name of the Lord Jesus, after you have been assembled and per approval of my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,

1Co 5:5 to hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, in order that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

1Co 5:6 Your arrogance in this matter is not good. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole product?

1Co 5:7 Thoroughly cleanse out the old yeast, so that you may be a new product, because you are unleavened. Since Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed,

1Co 5:8 so that we can celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened product of purity and truth.

insulting the Lamb

Paul addresses the situation in Corinth with a gravity that matches its spiritual danger. A man who claims to be a believer is engaged in an ongoing sexual relationship with his stepmother. This is not a hidden failure or a moment of weakness. It is a public, persistent sin. Even more troubling, the congregation knows about it and is boasting about its tolerance. They seem to believe that overlooking such behavior proves they understand grace better than others. In their minds, permissiveness has become a badge of spiritual sophistication.

Paul will not allow this distortion of the gospel to stand. As the founding missionary, he has already rendered judgment. The matter is not complex. The sin is blatant, the rebellion is deliberate, and the church’s response is dangerously misguided. Paul instructs the congregation to gather and formally remove the man from their fellowship. This is not vindictive; it is necessary. A professing believer who refuses repentance cannot remain in the community that bears Christ’s name.

Paul uses the imagery of yeast to explain why. In the Passover feast, even a small amount of yeast defiled the bread and made the celebration invalid. In the same way, unrepentant sin—especially when tolerated or celebrated—corrupts the spiritual life of the entire congregation. It spreads. It reshapes attitudes. It dulls consciences. It teaches the church to treat lightly what Christ died to cleanse. The issue is not merely the man’s behavior; it is the church’s willingness to redefine grace as indulgence.

The church is indeed an open family. It welcomes people from every background, with every kind of struggle, weakness, and story. Differences in personality, culture, maturity, and preference are part of its beauty. But there is a crucial distinction between weakness and rebellion. The church cannot extend its fellowship to those who claim the name of Christ while defiantly rejecting his commands. To do so is not compassion; it is betrayal. It harms the sinner by confirming him in his delusion, and it dishonors the Lord who calls his people to holiness.

Boasting about “grace” in such circumstances is not grace at all. It is an insult to Christ, who shed his blood to free his people from sin, not to bless it. True grace restores, confronts, and heals. It never applauds what destroys.

LORD, give us the courage to keep our fellowships free from hypocrisy and immorality.