“God will judge those outside, “‘Expel the wicked man from among you.”
– 1 Corinthians 5:13
Hi James and Ellen,
Have you ever judged another kid? Do you think that it is a right thing for you to do to judge another kid for what he or she has done or is doing? Have you ever been judged by another kid? Do you think that it is a right thing to happen to you to be judged by another kid for what you have done or are doing? What do you do when you know that a kid friend is doing something that you know is wrong for any kid – or any guy or gal, to do? What is keeping you from doing something that you know is wrong for any kid – or any guy or gal, to do? Do you have a kid friend who is greedy – who is always wanting everything for himself or herself? Do you have a kid friend who lies – who is always making up false stories about other kids to try to make himself or herself look better? Do you know guys and gals who are living together but who are not married – who think that there is nothing wrong with starting and then continuing to have an illicit, immoral relationship? Do you know a guy or gal who puts all of his or her trust in an inanimate object – who believes that wearing an obelisk will bring him or her good luck? Do you know a guy or gal who regularly imbibes on wine or beer or . . . who thinks that there is nothing wrong with habitually becoming drunk? Do you know a guy or gal who ‘smooth talks’ another guy or gal into giving him or her money without any intention of ever giving the money back to him or her? Paul tersely writes in 1 Corinthians 5 his thoughts about a guy or gal who claims that he or she is a Christ-follower but who continues to live a lifestyle that being driven by idol worship, depravity, duplicity, alcoholism, treachery and materialism. Paul succinctly tells the guys and gals who are in the Christ-follower community that is in the city of Corinth that they are not to even eat with any adherent of the Christ-follower community that is in the city of Corinth who is still giving penance to a manmade false god that has been handmade from a slab of wood or a chunk of stone or a glob of clay or a piece of metal, who is living a perverted lifestyle, who is nefariously maligning other guys and gals, who is addicted to excessively consuming liquor, who is maliciously stealing from or defrauding other guys and gals and/or who is putting achieving material gain as his or her number one priority in life. Paul did not give the guys and gals in the Christ-follower community that is in the city of Corinth any ‘wriggle room’ as to what they were to do with a guy within their Christ-follower community who is not demonstrating an obvious change from living an ‘old creature’ lifestyle to a Christ-follower ‘new creature’ lifestyle. Verse 13 says, “God will judge those outside, “‘Expel the wicked man from among you.””’
How do you feel about being mandated to make a judgment call on the lifestyle of a guy, gal and/or kid who is a member of your Christ-follower fellowship? Paul’s primary purpose for sending an indicting letter to the guys and gals in the Christ-follower community that is in the city of Corinth is to tell them that they need to rid themselves of the wickedness that had been reliably told to him is in their Christ-follower community. Paul uses old yeast as an example to exemplify to the guys and gals in the Christ-follower community that is in the city of Corinth how evil is adversely affecting the growth of sincerity and truth in their Christ-follower community. Instead of being saddened and filled with grief or angst that a regular attendee in their Christ-follower community has opted to live with his dad’s wife – which per Paul is something that even a pagan guy does not do, Paul writes that it was reported to him that they are proud that the guy has taken on living with his dad’s wife. Paul tells the guys who are the leaders in the Christ-follower community that is in the city of Corinth that they are to hand the guy back over to Satan. Paul is communicating a firm belief that if a cooperate decision is made regarding a guy who is clearly living a lifestyle that demeans Christ-follower life standards is required to disassociate himself from a Christ-follower community that the result will be that the guy will wake up to the dire consequences of his sinful actions which will then have the guy want to be restored again to be in the Christ-follower community as a spiritually healthy member.
Have you ever used tough love? Have you had your dad and/or ma use tough love on you? Your grandmaa and grandpaa are advocates of tough love. Tough love is what Paul tells the guys and gals who are in the Christ-follower community that is in the city of Corinth to use on a guy who may have been a good friend of theirs. Tough love may come across as a punishment when it is being used as a proactive position and action against what a guy, gal or kid is doing that blatantly compromises the mores and norms that identifies to a non-Christ-follower guy, gal or kid that a guy, gal or kid is a Christ-follower. Your grandpaa was tasked yesterday to oversee the interviews of two couples who God has clearly called to be missionaries. One of the couples had adopted a baby – who is now eleven years old, who really struggles on how to act appropriately. The young gal needs a lot of attention – which she is primarily getting from her ma. The gal’s dad had to have bypass surgery several years ago. The guy has begun to take pills for depression. A decision that was made yesterday to help this couple become emotionally healthier before they leave to go to another country, was to ask this couple to go to a licensed counselor who . . . your grandpaa believes that seeking help from other guys and gals is to be desired and pursued to mature as a Christ-follower guy, gal or kid.
1 Corinthians 5 (1030)