In this episode of International Gospel Hour, the discussion centers on the critical topics addressed in 1 Corinthians 5. The episode unfolds with the host reflecting on the role of correction within the church and introduces a challenging narrative of fornication within a congregation. This discussion highlights the need for proper judgment, based on the authority and teachings of Christ, to address and correct sinful behavior. The episode further delves into the role of Christ as our Passover, serving as a testament of fellowship and unity within the church. Through an in-depth examination of the scriptures, the host emphasizes
Would we all agree when something is not right that correction is needed? Correction is designed for good. And that’s our study ahead on the International Gospel Hour. Stay with us.
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Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour.
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For 90 years, churches of Christ have proclaimed God’s Word through International Gospel Hour. You are about to listen to another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, starting now.
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Well, thank you to our J-Web, and greetings to all of you. So good to have you with us today for our broadcast again from the International Gospel Hour. If you are a new listener, we thank you for giving us a try. We’re under the oversight of the elders of the West Fayetteville, Tennessee Church of Christ. And that’s located, of course, in Fayetteville, Tennessee. Our address is PO Box 118, Fayetteville, Tennessee, 37334. You can also reach us with our toll-free number, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 855-444-6988. That’s 855-444-6988. and our website, internationalgospelhour.com. Feel free to go there, peruse it, see some previous broadcasts. As a matter of fact, I’ll mention a little bit more about that in just a second, because today you have joined us on our Are You Studying series, and how we take a chapter in the Bible and simply go verse by verse. Today we’re going to be looking at 1 Corinthians chapter 5. Now, previous broadcasts of our verse-by-verse studies are located at our website, again, internationalgospelhour.com. When you go there, click on Previous Shows at the top of the page, and then you’ll scroll down and see the 15-minute daily podcast block. Click on it, and then you can scroll down and find all of our daily lessons, and you can find the Are You Studying? 1 Corinthians chapter 5 program. You can also send us a message at our website. You can request the program of which you’re looking for, and we will help you find it and send you that link. We thank you always for listening to our broadcast. And listen, friends, everything we offer here is free, so I’ve got another free offer coming your way. Let’s go to our J-Web, then we’ll come back with a brief review and then a study of the text of 1 Corinthians.
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Now, friends, let’s do a brief review of 1 Corinthians 5, verses 1 and 2. this astonishing report of fornication in the church, and the church knew about it. A man with his father’s wife. And the church, well, they were not saddened about it. Friends, this is also astounding and just simply awful. Would you not agree? Is there any wonder of the discouragement of many today that wish not to have a part with a church because of similar hypocrisy? Churches have no business in allowing such behavior to go on as others know about it. Certainly their light is not shining in the world as Jesus said it should in Matthew 5, 13-16. Well, what is one to do? Well, let’s continue our study at verses 3-8 and let’s see the authoritative response. We want to go back to the Christ just as Paul has done in this book. The focus on Christ, in the name of Christ and His power, His authority, or if you will, friends, accurate judging based on the authority of Christ. We pick up with verses 3 through 5 of 1 Corinthians 5. For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged, as though I were present, Him who has done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. you deliver this man, or you give him over to his power or his use. In other words, if that’s how he wants to live, then you turn him over that way, and that while his flesh may be destroyed if he goes that way, the idea of doing this is to save his spirit or to save him. Please recall that Paul dealt with improper judging back in 1 Corinthians 3. Here he is accurate with his judging. He knows this as a fact. This man is living or committing fornication or having an affair with his stepmother. You know, Jesus in John 7, 24 reminds us to judge not by appearance, but to judge righteous judgment. In other words… We need to make certain we know the facts beyond the shadow of a doubt. Here Paul is saying, if this is how you wish to live, young man, we have warned, we’ve pled with you. Therefore, deliver him. Put him away from the fellowship. We will give you over to Satan, he’s using you anyway. And let that brother know what he will miss of the fellowship with the church with this behavior. The late Brother Fred Stancliff, in his commentary of 1 and 2 Corinthians, pages 76 and 77, had an interesting observation. The withdrawal of fellowship does not work if a congregation is not pure enough to make it work. If a large enough segment of the congregation is sympathetic to the one who is being corrected, that individual will not turn from the sin. The congregation will become stagnant. Amen and amen. Now, one may say, well, wait a minute. Oh, wait. You’re the church. Aren’t you being a little hateful? Well, you’re supposed to be loving and accepting of behavior. On one hand, folks are shocked at such behavior and accepting sin. Then they’re shocked at the response of it. Friends, let’s be reminded here that the church of our Lord, In light of Scripture, and with the affirmation of the Scripture, should stand against wrong, respond to this action of this man for correction of sin, and not the coddling of sin. Friends, this behavior cannot go on. Here is the accurate judging, and now the applicable justification. All of this based on the authority of Christ. Paul now tells the church, Your glorying is not good. We pick up with verse 6 of 1 Corinthians 5. We’ll read through verse 8. Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Now, when we look at this word leaven, it is a word that is used that is referring to the toleration of ethical misconduct. That’s how this word is used in the New Testament. Now, a little leaven, if you will, and you think about it, leaven in baking spreads. It makes a great effect. It has an effect. Leaven spreads as does sin when it is tolerated. Parallel with that 1 Corinthians 15, 33 and Hebrews 12, verse 15. So, when the statement here is purge out the old leaven, the late brother J.W. Shepard penned, that this is an allusion to the given order by Moses to remove all leaven from the Jewish house before the Passover, and is to be carried out with such scrupulous care that on the fourteenth day of the month they search with lighted candles even the darkest places in their houses to see if any remained. That takes us back to Exodus chapter 12, verses 15 and 20, and Exodus 13, verse 17. We must purge out the sin. Now, friends, we’ve noted here the name of Christ, the power of Christ, the day of Christ, and now known as the Passover. And when we see that Christ is our Passover, the late Brother Burton Kaufman had these observations. In the Passover of the Old Testament and Christ as the Passover today, the line of demarcation between the saved and lost is very clear and emphatic. The Egyptians did not partake of the Passover, and the evil men of the world do not partake of the Christ. With the Passover from the Old Testament and Christ, our Passover now, there is a pledge of fellowship. For eating together is one of the oldest bonds of fellowship, and in both dispensations, Old and New Testament, God made use of this instrument to cement the bonds of fellowship among His people. Friends, this is a huge statement. And the therefore in verse 8 brings this home. You cast out the old leaven before you partake of the Passover meal. Don’t you dare partake of the Passover or don’t you dare partake of the Christ until you clean out the old leaven or the sin of this brother. You take care of this first. You are to keep the feast of Christ, the Passover, if you will, in the New Testament. Indeed, our Christ is our Passover. We keep that feast, that fellowship with Him because as we eat, we partake of His name and His power. This idea of being together in a common meal, this divisiveness is to be put away. We’ve already dealt with division. And none of this leaven fits into the Passover meal of Christ. When He speaks of partaking of the oven leavened bread, He said you are to partake of sincerity and truth. Here’s our lesson learned very quickly. The authority of Christ must always be applied, friends, to how one lives and how the church is to live. And we need to know God’s will for our proper walk. Very quickly, here is our J-Web with our offer for our free home Bible study.
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That’s the free online study at worldbibleschool.org. Sign up today. Tell them the International Gospel Hour sent you.
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Friends, I’ve got to go. Thank you for joining me, and join me again next time here on International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
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Thank you for listening to our broadcast today. To God goes all the glory, and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. To listen to it again or our other broadcasts, please visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com God be with you till we meet again.
