Ford, Stan: Emmaus Course-1 Corinthians-03 ~ Written By William MacDonald

In the last talks, we have been dealing with the first four chapters of the Epistle to the Corinthians, over which I have suggested we could write the word disunity. Now we're going on to chapters five and six, and over these chapters I would write the word disorder. I find no joy in reading the fifth and sixth chapters of Corinthians. I confess to you that when I think of the moral sin in chapter five, the sin associated with the body, and when I think of the material sin in chapter six, the sin associated with the business, I am utterly amazed that these things could ever be found in a church. And so here and now, I want to bear testimony to the fact that while it's been one's joy in many parts of the world to have gathered with and ministered with God's people, I want to say that I have never yet come across a church as wicked as the church at Corinth. I have never yet come across a church where iniquity has abounded so much as in the church at Corinth. But I do confess this, that every day I open my newspaper, every day I turn the knob of my wireless, I confess the fact that in the world there is as much iniquity, for we have never lived in such days of immorality as the days in which we live. And so the church needs to be able to know what its attitude shall be if this thing should lift its head amongst those that love the name of the Savior. In chapter five, dealing with moral sin, the sin of the body, it seems that the chapter divides into three parts. The first lesson is a very real one, for the apostle reminds us, led of the Spirit, that when there's moral sin, our testimony is affected. But then he goes further, and in verses four and five, he reminds us that the transgressor is afflicted. Then he goes another step, and from verses eight to the end, he reminds us that the truth is affirmed. May I repeat that? The testimony is affected. The transgressor is afflicted, and yet the truth is affirmed. How is our testimony affected? Well, verse one tells us that it is affected externally, for the world gossips and talks. They dare point their finger at those that name the name of Christ. They dare to remind one another that these are the people that call themselves Christians, but look what they do. When moral sin comes, says verse one, it is talked about, it is reported by everyone, but it not only affects them externally in their witness, but it affects them, says verse two, internally. Why? It speaks of those, even in circumstances like this, who have not mourned but have puffed up. Why? They ignore it, and in ignoring it, oh, how vile, how vile that church becomes. But what must we do about it? It's all very well to speak of our testimony being affected, and it is, but what shall we do about it? Well, from verse four through verse five, I suggest to you that the transgressor is afflicted. For we are told that this person must be delivered to Satan. Of course, this does present a problem. What does it mean? And you will understand that godly men have sometimes interpreted it in a different way. For instance, Mr. Darby suggests that this and this is the work alone of an apostle. The apostles are no longer with us. Nowhere else in the Bible are we told that a church will deliver to Satan a man for the destruction of his body. So this is just the work of an apostle. And then some have said, just as in baptism, a person by an act acknowledges to all the lordship of Christ. So this person, by his action, his sin, has told men and women that he has come under the lordship of Satan, and it must be publicly acknowledged by the assembly. And so the church is gathered together, and this person is dealt with publicly. And then, of course, some have felt that it simply means that he is put out of the fellowship. In the Church of God, the Lord is the head. In the world, Satan is the prince of the power of the air, so he's put out of the assembly, and he's put into the sphere of Satan, that he might, in his body, reap the consequences of his sin. I only know this, that a transgressor is afflicted, and that if you and I sin, then the assembly has the right to deal with this matter. For never let us forget that at the closing verse of this chapter we read, therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. If it is not delivering him to Satan for the destruction of the body, it is removing him from the assembly. It is removing her from the assembly because of the deed. And then will you notice that not only is the testimony affected and the transgressor afflicted, but out of this terrible act, the truth of God is affirmed. From verse eight: therefore let us keep the feast not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth. He dares to go on to tell us that nothing, nothing should be allowed in the church of God that will mar that church. And the purging out of the old leaven, the putting away of that wicked person is what must be done. When it comes to chapter six, it is not moral sin, but it is material sin, the sin of the business. Brother going to law with brother, and going to law before ungodly men. Oh, what a tragedy this is. And yet, there were some that were doing it. Now, the apostle deals with it in a remarkable way. First of all, he tells us that we must realize our role in the church and in the world. Verse two and three: Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? Verse three: do you not know that ye shall judge angels? He reminds us of our dignity. He reminds us of our exalted position, our role in the affairs of God and in the affairs of the world. He says that we will be judges. But then he reminds us not only of our role, but he asks that we shall recognize our responsibility. Verse four to six: Is there not a wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren. If we're going to judge, he says, the world and judge angels, can't we judge these small matters of our business, the small matters of our daily living? Let's face our responsibility. The tragedy today in the Church of God, so infrequently do we find men who are prepared to face the responsibility of judging matters. But then he goes further, and he asks us to realize our role. He asks us to recognize our responsibility, but then he asks us, and this is most wonderful, he asks us to be willing to renounce our rights. Verse seven: Now, therefore, there is utterly a fault among you, because you go to law one with another. Why do you not rather take the wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Oh, oh, you say, but just a moment. That brother has really defrauded me. That brother has really done me ill. Ah. But isn't it worthwhile for the sake of God and his testimony even to renounce our rights, to be willing to suffer? And why must we be willing to renounce our rights? Well, he says, I want you to remember your redemption. Verse eleven: And such were some of you, but ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. He's daring to remind them of the wonders of God's salvation, that you've been washed. You didn't deserve to be washed. You've been sanctified, set apart for my glory. You never deserved that. You've been justified. You never deserved that. Well, that brother that sinned against me, maybe he doesn't deserve forgiveness. He doesn't deserve that he shall be one who shall be allowed to get away without judgment of his action. But neither did you deserve it, and neither did I deserve God's mercy towards us. Then he comes to the clouds, and isn't it wonderful how he comes to the clouds? He goes on to remind us that we're a body, that we all need one another. He goes on to remind us of the fact that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost is in us, and he's been given us by God, and that we are bought with a price, and the purpose of our living is that we should glorify God in our body and in our spirit, for that belongs to God. Oh, my friend, never let us forget that our God is available for us. The spirit is within us, that God is there waiting through his son to minister to our need. And if we find that moral and material sin is marring our testimony, God give us the grace to get on our knees, to confess this matter, to put it right with God, and then go out to put it right with our brethren and sisters, that God's name may be glorified in the testimony of our church.