July 13
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JUDGING BELIEVERS, NOT UNBELIEVERS
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or a greedy person, or an idolater, or is verbally abusive, or habitually drunk, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what business of mine is it to judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE EVIL PERSON FROM AMONG YOURSELVES. – 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
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In this letter, Paul clarifies what he meant when he rebuked believers who tolerate sins in the church. He wasn’t talking about those who are unbelievers or those who do not know the Lord, he knows that God is the only one to judge those who are unbelievers, just like he said in verse 13. Paul even asks a rhetorical question in verse 12 “Do you not judge those who are within the church?” What he meant by this statement is that we are supposed to rebuke and correct each other when our brothers or sisters in Christ are sinning just as Matthew 18:15 reiterates. It says : “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. So, what is Paul is actually implying in this letter when he confronted those who tolerate this sinful believer who has sexual relationship with his father’s wife? He is addressing that they do not care enough to correct someone who is living in sin, thereby contaminating the purity of other believers. It also shakes their faith when they see sin being tolerated.
Paul wants them to confront sins that he enumerated in verse 11 such as sexual immorality, greed, idolatry, verbal abuse, habitual drinking, or swindling. If they were not believers, he had no right to judge them, but if they claim to be Christians and engage in these sins, then, he has to judge them so they can repent and return to God. He wants the evil person to be removed from the body of Christ.
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REFLECTION
• Why are some believers afraid to confront sins of fellow believers in the body?