1 Corinthians Week 10

Day 1 

READ 

1 Corinthians 5:3-4 

³ Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man ⁴ in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. 

Even though he was not with the Corinthian believers, Paul said he was with them in the Spirit. The apostle had already passed judgment on this person who was living in sin with his stepmother. He instructed that a meeting of the church should be called and both he, in spirit, and the “power of the Lord Jesus” would be with them.  

REFLECT 

Do you agree with the apostle Paul that this sin should have been dealt with by the church? 

RESPOND 

With a friend read Matthew 18:15-20. The “two or three” mentioned in this passage also has to do with discipline. Normally it is not used that way.  

Day 2 

READ 

1 Corinthians 5:5 

⁵ Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns. 

Paul told the church what to do: they were to expel this man from their fellowship. Notice that the ultimate recovery of this person is intended. The purpose of discipline should not be to punish, but to restore. Paul wanted this person to be brought to the ruin of his sin nature but did not think this would cause him to lose his salvation. Paul wanted him to “be saved on the day the Lord returns.”  

REFLECT 

In times when you have seen discipline exercised, was the goal recovery? 

RESPOND 

Read Hebrews 12:5-11 to see that God disciplines His children. As older children look back on their lives they usually realize what their parents did was for their good, not just for the sake of punishment.  

Day 3 

READ 

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 

⁶ Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? ⁷ Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. ⁸ So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth. 

Just as yeast could grow and effect the entire loaf, a little sin could have the effect of growing and causing problems for the entire church body. He referred to the believers’ position in Christ when he wrote, “without yeast, which is what you really are.” Now he wanted them to live out in practice what their position in Christ was.  

REFLECT 

Is it your desire to live out what your position in Christ is?  

RESPOND 

For your position in Christ, join with a friend in reading Ephesians 2:6-7. This passage reveals the position of believers in Jesus. Their desire should be to show that in their daily lives. 

Day 4 

READ 

1 Corinthians 5:9-10 

⁹ When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. ¹⁰ But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. 

Biblical separation has been debated by many. In this passage, Paul tells of those from whom believers are to be separated. Paul said a believer could not be completely separated from unbelievers or the believer would have to go out of this world. There is no way to avoid unbelievers as one lives in this world.  

REFLECT 

Do you realize you cannot be completely separated from unbelievers? Think of the professional people caring for you. Several are likely not believers in Jesus. 

RESPOND 

Seek to be a witness to your care givers who may not be believers. Develop a short comment of no more than a minute that you can memorize and be ready to give whenever the opportunity arises. Even on business calls when they ask at the end if there’s anything else, you could say, “Yes, please give me less than a minute to tell you what Jesus means to me.” Then proceed immediately telling your story. Some may let you know they are also believers in Jesus. If there is no response, you have at least planted a seed for them to think about.  

Day 5 

READ 

1 Corinthians 5:11 

¹¹ I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. 

In this passage Paul tells of those from whom believers in Jesus are to be separated. Those who can mar your testimony are not unbelievers, but believers who are living like unbelievers. Notice the list Paul gave for those from whom you should separate: “Anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people.” 

REFLECT 

Does this cause you to think about your friends? Do some fall into one of these categories? If so, what should you do? 

RESPOND 

Because believers in Jesus have the Holy Spirit living in them, each one is a temple of God. With a friend read 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 to see how this should influence the way a believer lives.