Lesson 10 – 1 Corinthians Chapter 4:17-21 & Chapter 5:1-5

The last time we met, Paul offered up a direct challenge to every believer; he said, to “be imitators of me (him).” When Paul said this, there wasn’t any self-pride involved on his part whatsoever. Paul was able to make this statement because he had an extraordinary track record in his service to God, as did the other apostles.

Let’s be mindful that these apostles were no different from anyone else in that they each had a sin nature that they had to deal with, but to be sure, they were Holy Spirit driven, spreading the gospel to all who would listen. Paul and the other apostles knew the value in keeping a clear conscience, as should each one of us. These church leaders were hard working, giving their all in all to expand the kingdom of God.

Paul specifically had become the spiritual father to the Corinthian believers, and he showed it to be true by the way he was addressing them. It was a tough love sermon he delivered to them, but Paul had a genuine love for them, and he wanted to see each of them come into a right relationship with God.

This is why it is important that we periodically do a self-inventory, where we honestly assess ourselves, how are we doing spiritually? Are we truly living for God or are we living in a self-centered direction, gravitating to whatever makes us happy in a worldly way?

The Corinthian believers had drifted away from a life lived for Christ, and Paul is trying hard to reel them back in.

Matthew 6:31-34 [a reminder from Jesus to keep our priorities in order]:
“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

As Paul continues to minister to the Corinthian believers, we receive the benefits by studying what he says, and then applying it to our lives.

1 Cor. 4:17:
“For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.”

What reason is Paul referring to? Paul had just told them to be imitators of himself, so now, he’s sending a man who he has great confidence in, Timothy.

Throughout history, in times of trouble or great conflicts, the very best of men were sent to do battle.
Heraclitus (Hera-klee-tuss), an ancient Greek philosopher, once said, “Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.”

Timothy was the “one” Paul wanted to send. If Paul could have cloned himself, that clone would be Timothy. The relationship between Paul and Timothy grew to the extent that Paul referred to his young protégé as “my son in the faith”

1 Tim. 1:18-19 (NLT):
“Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.”

Timothy was entering the battle field on Paul’s behalf because Paul could see that the Corinthian believers’ faith had been shipwrecked, and it was time to throw them a life-jacket.

Timothy will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church…

If Paul could have been in Corinth himself, he would’ve had the face-to-face meetings he desired to have with the Corinthians. Paul does the next best thing, he sends Timothy.

Paul mentored Timothy in the ministry, and for this to happen it took humility on Timothy’s part and a willingness to be teachable. It also must have taken a great deal of faith and commitment on his part, because Timothy allowed himself to be circumcised so that he could be a more effective witness for Christ… talk about commitment!

Just as I teach everywhere in every church…

Was Timothy as good a teacher as Paul? The Bible doesn’t say. Timothy will instruct the Corinthian believers in the same way that Paul would.

When the Word of God is presented, there is always something to be learned. As Timothy instructed them, he would probably clarify church doctrines rather than giving them some kind of specific advice. It’s the old “kiss” principle, and it was important that they had a clear understanding of God’s Word.

1 Cor. 4:18:
“Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.”

The word arrogant means to inflate, blow up, or cause to swell up. You might know it as someone having a “big head.”

The people Timothy was addressing were probably the trouble makers in the church. Perhaps not quite as bad as college students today at Spring Break, but close.

As though I were not coming to you…

“When the cat’s away, the mice will play,” the proverbial saying that means people will behave badly when a supervisor or other authority figure is not present. The saying also suggests that people will take advantage of their new-found freedom to behave as they please, and thus will disregard and break the rules. For instance, in simple terms, if a teacher leaves a room, the students might talk on their phones or throw things around the classroom rather than do their work.

These Corinthians figured they would never see Paul again, and they were behaving badly. So it was “no holds barred,” they did whatever made them feel good, and as we will see later on, it was all stemming from pride and self-will.

1 Cor. 4:19:
“But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power.”

But I will come to you soon…

Did Paul ever make it back to Corinth? Yes. After leaving Ephesus in the early winter of 57, during his third missionary journey, he finally had a chance to revisit the troubled Corinthians a second time, we see this in Acts 19:21.

If the Lord wills…

This is an important statement that Paul is making. Most worldly people will confidently plan out their future and arrogantly do business with no regard for the will of God. Countless people never give God a second thought when it comes to making their future plans.

Luke 12:16-21 (NLT):
Then Jesus told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, ‘My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

For the Christian, it should be totally different, but sadly, they too can be guilty of rushing into things without praying about it or seeking God’s will. We’ve all done it.

James 4:13-15:
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’”

For us to say, “If the Lord wills,” is to humbly recognize that our lives are in the hands of a sovereign God. James is not suggesting that we dismiss planning our lives altogether. It’s always wise to make plans, but as we do, include God in the process.

Warren Wiersbe writes, “Paul did not consider the will of God a chain that shackled him; rather, it was a key that opened doors and set him free.”

Therefore, by us saying “If the Lord wills,” we’re making the statement that we recognize that we’re allowing God to have control over our life, we’re letting Him have the steering wheel, while we sit in the passenger seat. This reveals the true condition of a believer’s heart.

Proverbs 3:5:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. But in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.”

In the context of our verse, Paul is letting the Corinthians know that he wants to have a face-to-face with them. Because there were those who were being arrogant in their behavior, banking on that Paul would never return. People are often more aggressive, arrogant, or “tough” when they don’t think they’ll be confronted with another person, in person.

And I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power…

(NLT) “I’ll find out whether these arrogant people just give pompous speeches or whether they really have God’s power.”

John MacArthur writes; “The arrogant backsliders talked a lot about their freedom and independence and rights, much as do many professing believers today who buy the world’s philosophy and like to ape (mimic) its ways.”

Paul had godly intentions and responsibilities toward the Corinthian church, he wanted to set things right. It’s kind of like if you were the owner of your own company and had many franchises under your control. You get the report that one of these franchises is beginning to handle things their own way. You would have to step in and make the appropriate changes so that all the franchises were running the same way.

In Paul’s case, he had to call these supposed leaders out on the carpet. This was a matter of their spiritual character exhibited by their reprehensible actions. Remember, God will not be mocked.

Matthew 7:21-23:
“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”

How do you think God will deal with those who had distorted and changed church doctrine just to satisfy their worldly ways, under the guise of being “Men of God?”

1 Cor. 4:20:
“For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.”

(NLT) “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.”

This has to do with speech and power. Remember, James instructed us that true faith without good works is a dead faith… it’s a counterfeit. When we live by faith, our life should be a reflection of that faith. A person can say all kinds of things, but if their actions are contrary to the Spirit filled life, there’s something seriously wrong.

1 Cor. 4:21:
“What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?”

It’s kind of like when a parent says to the child, “Your room had better be cleaned up by the time I get home.” A well-disciplined child knows that if they don’t tow the line as they have been taught, a spanking may result. In years past a “rod” would be used.

Paul’s heart was, by the time he arrived in Corinth all this nonsense will have all gone away. What normal parent takes joy in inflicting discipline on their child? Paul didn’t want to discipline them, and here he’s giving them a choice…

Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?

Some countries still use corporal punishment, including the use of rods or canes, as a form of discipline. This practice is more common in certain parts of the world, particularly in countries that follow Islamic law or have retained colonial-era legal systems.

But let’s be clear, Paul wasn’t going to get some kind of rod and start beating them (and perhaps that was what some really needed), but we’re speaking spiritually here. Paul didn’t want to embarrass them, but reprimand them, and the thing that really needed to be addressed was their pride and immorality.

CHAPTER 5

1 Cor. 5:1:
“It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.”

Whoop, there it is… Paul throws the gauntlet down, calling a spade a spade. Word had gotten back to Paul that there was a great deal of immorality going on. It was common knowledge that the Corinthians had crossed the line.

Then Paul opens the door a little wider and says… immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles…

When believers are acting out worse than the unbelieving world, there is a serious problem to contend with… the hypocrisy is overwhelming.

Immorality: (por-ni’-ah) it’s where we get the word pornography from, which has to do with all kinds of sexual sin. And in this case, it’s defined as sexual intercourse with close relatives. Today we call it incest.

Paul spells out the sin in black and white…

That someone has his father’s wife… for the most part, the Gentiles wouldn’t even engage in this kind of sin. This has turned into a rather sad state of affairs for the Corinthian church.

Even though the city of Corinth was known for its idolatry and gross immoral behavior, the whole city was buzzing about what was going on in the local church.

Boy, talk about destroying your witness for God. Why would any unbeliever in the city ever listen to what someone from the Corinthian church might say to them?

The world is always watching, and they absolutely love it when Christians fall flat on their faces. One reason is, it makes them feel justified in their actions, easing their own conscience when they want to behave badly.

When it comes to our own personal morality, we must choose purity over pleasure (repeat)… to do otherwise invites demonic influences to taunt and harass us.

Satan loves to get Christians trapped in immorality of any kind. The dangerous thing about immorality is, it can start with a simple look.

2 Sam. 11:2:
“Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance.”

Once David saw Bathsheba as only her husband should have, it was all over for David, he wanted more of her. And that’s how it is with immorality (por-ni’-ah), it can get its hooks in a person and does not let go until the damage is done.

The good news is… quite literally God’s grace!

Rom. 5:20:
“God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.”

God’s grace is always there to pick us up. However, this is by no means a license to sin whenever we feel like it, but it is the assurance we need that if we do sin, there is a way out.

When Paul says, that someone has his father’s wife… by using the word “has,” it means that this relationship is still going on. The bad part was, the church as a whole was standing on the sidelines letting this continue, which brings us to verse 2.

1 Cor. 5:2:
“You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.”

(NLT) “You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.”

This shameful situation didn’t seem to bother the church at all, thus pointing out the compromised attitude of the believers. It makes one wonder what was going on throughout the congregation to make them so desensitized to this sinful behavior.

Rather than being grieved about what was taking place, they seemed to be prideful in the fact that they were progressive, that they were seen as “open-minded.” After all, in their “wokeness” they were showing that they were displaying a great deal of tolerance by not removing this person and allowing them to stay in the church.

The Hartford Avenue Baptist Church had a sign in front which read…

“All are welcome, except sinners, tobacco chewers, tattooed people, homosexuals, democrats, smokers, dancers, drinkers, etc.”

When it comes to the church of Christ, we are to welcome everyone, and at the same time we don’t show a tolerance for sin… any church that tolerates on-going sin has been compromised.

Jesus gives us very clear doctrine for this…

Matthew 18:15-17:
“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 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.”

I guess on Facebook a person can be “un-friended,” and that is what the church needs to do when someone will not give up their sin.

Of course everyone sins, what we’re talking about here is habitual sin. By putting the habitual sinner out of the church, they soon figure out that they have been shunned from the community, hopefully causing them to look within themselves. Today, it’s not too likely to happen, a person will just seek out a tolerant liberal church and continue with their sin.

1 Cor. 5:3:
“For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.”

(NLT) “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.”

In Paul’s mind this was a done deal, he recognized the sin for what it was, and he wanted the Corinthian believers to come to the same realization as well.

But present in spirit… perhaps things would have been different for Paul if he could just do a “zoom” call with them and see them face-to-face, but Paul would continue to encourage them, reminding them they are one in Spirit with him.

In our age of computers, cell-phones, and the latest high-tech innovations available to man, it might be hard to relate to how Paul was communicating with the church just through a letter. But remember, every word placed on the parchment was inspired by the Holy Spirit, thus the power of the Spirit was with Paul in everything he said.

1 Cor. 5:4:
“In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,”

(NLT) “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.”

It was time for the church to step up to the plate and start working under the authority of Jesus Christ. They were to adhere to the will of God, such as the principles we saw in Matthew 18. It was now their responsibility to enforce church discipline. If they didn’t, the church would continue to be a permissive social club, allowing satan to have a foothold.

When we act according to God’s Word, we can be sure we are acting in His power. When the church has the fortitude to deal with sin effectively, it has a purifying outcome on the church body.

Matthew 18:18-19 (NKJV):
“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”

When discipline is needed, it must be done very carefully.

John MacArthur says, “Done in the wrong way or in the wrong spirit it can do great damage by fostering self-righteousness and legalism, just as discipline not done at all causes great damage by allowing sin’s influence to spread like leaven.”

1 Cor. 5:5:
“I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

To be delivered to satan means that the person is no longer welcome in the fellowship; another word for this would be to excommunicate someone. To put it another way, the message gets out to the congregation that it’s hands-off with this person.

Paul uses the word deliver (paradidōmi) which means to deliver up one to custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death.

Obviously, Paul isn’t condemning this person to death, but to his Christian brothers and sisters in the church, he is spiritually dead to them.

We see an example of paradidōmi in 1 Timothy 1:20…
“Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.”

Paul had excommunicated Hymenaeus and Alexander because of their continued and unrepented blasphemy. This shows us how God does use church leaders to purify His church.

For the destruction of his flesh…

On the surface this sounds totally radical, but again, we’re talking spiritually here. Destruction can mean physical death, but in this context, it is divine judgment on sin. Too many believers take God’s hatred of our sin as something far removed from them, by relying on God’s grace haphazardly… that’s making God’s grace cheap.

For the destruction of his flesh…

Like I just said, destruction can also mean physical death. Ananias and Saphira learned this lesson the hard way. They had lied to Peter about the proceeds from selling their house, and by doing this they lied to the Holy Spirit.

Acts 5:5:
“And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it.”

When it comes to corrupting the church in any way, it is a scary thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The action Paul was taking with this immoral man might seem harsh in a liberal church, but Paul was giving this man the opportunity to repent, to have a changed heart and ask for forgiveness. It’s our duty as believers to extend forgiveness to anyone who repents of their sin.

Gal. 6:1:
“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”

So that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus…

We know that sin exists in the believer…

Romans 3:23:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Paul was dealing with an unrepentant habitual sinner, and drastic measures were needed. This person was to be put out of the congregation and tossed into the world or given to satan, however you want to look at it.

Imagine a zombie movie. There’s a group of people holed-up in a safe house, the zombies can’t get in. In this group there’s a defector, and he is corrupting the whole group, so they unanimously kick him out of the house. He finds himself exposed to the elements of the world and the man-eating zombies.

The excommunicated sinner finds themself back in the world, no longer under the love and safety of Christian fellowship, thus exposed to suffer greatly at the hands of satan. The end result could be death… “for the wages of sin is death.”

If this person was indeed saved (and only God knows for sure), their time on earth could be cut short… but still go to heaven.

His spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus…

There are saved people that God takes out, He does this for the protection of His church… we should never forget that.

1 Cor. 3:16-17:
“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.”

This immoral sinner was destroying the temple of God… so let his example be a witness to us.

We’ll close with this…

We’re seeing Paul as the “bond-slave” he claimed to be. He is God’s champion. Paul’s job is to spread the “good news,” and plant churches… he did that.

When Paul found out that the Corinthian church was becoming corrupted, he sprang into action. Paul did this because his heart belonged to God, and he wasn’t going to allow satan to have his way with these Corinthian believers.

God’s Word zeroed in on the sin of immorality tonight, a sin that can take on many forms in a believer’s life. Immorality could perhaps be one of the most deceptive and dangerous sins that can swallow a Christian like a lion with a fresh kill. If the Holy Spirit points out that you’re in the “danger zone,” confess it, and allow God’s grace to bring you back into the flock.