Washed, Sanctified, and Justified in Jesus
Comments for Study 4
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I. Discipline an Immoral Believer (5:1-13)
>1. What immorality was a member of the Corinthian congregation committing? (1)
* 1 Corinthians 5:1 "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife."
* Some Christian avoid this chapter because some could be offended. I do not mean to offend. I am looking at Paul's instructions here to understand and find hope, faith, and love to continue in my life.
Paul addresses sexual immorality in the congregation. Incest is specifically mentioned in 1 thru 5. He says that the man doing this should be put out of their fellowship. He equated it to handing the man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. (Lev. 20:11 says put him to death.) Yet the man would be saved, for we are saved by grace thru faith. In 2 Corinthians 2:5-11, Paul said to forgive him, love him, and bring him back into the fellowship because he stopped.
Paul then states that they were to not associate with believers that continually engage in 6 actions. He makes it clear that he is not including unbelievers. The actions are sexual immorality, greed, idolatry, slandering, alcoholism, and swindling. I do not believe Paul is introducing the law. Rather he is giving direction to help the congregation from falling into destructive yeast that would cause them to fall into harmful practices.
Sexual immorality is defined in Leviticus 18, 19:20-22, and 20 as 5 actions. Sexual immorality is there defined as incest, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, and during periods.
I am to help people, but only if they want to be helped. I am to not force change on anyone. This is a common error. Some who want change go through a 12 step program. They are good tools God uses. I know that I continually need to check my motives and actions to see if I am guilty of any of these for I do fall into some of these harmful actions from time to time.
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>Why might the congregation be proud in letting this man be a member of their congregation? (2)
* 1 Corinthians 5:2 "And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?"
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>What should have they done instead?
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>2. What does Paul mean by writing he is with them in spirit? (3-4)
* 1 Corinthians 5:3-4 "Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,"
* "Even though I am not physically present"
* "I am with you in spirit"
* "just as if I were present"
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>What does he mean that he has passed judgment on the man?
* "I have already passed judgment on the one who did this,"
* "just as if I were present"
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>What is meant by "the power of our Lord Jesus is present"?
* "the power of our Lord Jesus is present"
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>What kind of assembly were they to enact the judgement on the man?
* "When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus"
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>Why might they be tempted to do this in a secret closed meeting?
* Embarrassed
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>What is handing someone over to Satan? (5)
* 1 Corinthians 5:5 "hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord."
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>3. What is yeast compared to? (6-8; Luke 12:1-3)
* 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 "Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth."
* Luke 12:1-3 "Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs."
* "the yeast of malice and wickedness"
* "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy"
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>If someone were to be continually committing a sin and talking about it among the congregation, what effect would it have?
* "a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough"
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>What Festival contains a sacrifices lamb and what kind of bread was to be eaten after it? (Lev. 23:4-8)
* "Passover"
* Leviticus 23:4-8 "'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. For seven days present an offering made to the LORD by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.'"
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>What does the bread without yeast represent?
* "the bread of sincerity and truth"
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>4. What kind of proclaimed believer are we to not associate with? (9, 11; Acts 15:28-29)
* 1 Corinthians 5:9 "I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people--"
* 1 Corinthians 5:11 "But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat."
* Acts 15:28-29 "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell."
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>Does this refer to an unbeliever? (10)
* 1 Corinthians 5:10 "not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world."
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>Why is this so? (12-13)
* 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. 'Expel the wicked man from among you.'"
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II. Law Suites Before Non-Believers (6:1-11)
>5. What was another problem among the Corinthian congregation? (1, 6)
* 1 Corinthians 6:1 "If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?"
* 1 Corinthians 6:6 "But instead, one brother goes to law against another--and this in front of unbelievers!" *
* Paul addresses 2 problems in the church; lawsuits against another in the congregation and going to a prostitute. The points are rather straight forward. Yet some good truths are also revealed.
First, if there is a dispute between two believers they should settle it among each other. If they cannot do so, then another in the congregation should intervene. Paul said it is very important to settle disagreements. Jesus also taught this.
Secondly, I am the temple of God. Therefore, I should honor God with my body. When a man and a woman lay together no matter the circumstances they become one flesh. This union is sacred, designed by God (Gen 2:24, Mark 10:6-9). His design is for them to never be united with another neither in body, mind, nor heart. The couple is to continually engage in building each other in this union. Looking at marriage statistics, couples I know, and my own life I know this is great and yet hard.
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>Who are the saints? (2-3)
* 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!"
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>When will they judge the world and the angels?
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>Considering this, how should believers settle disagreements? (4-5)
* 1 Corinthians 6:4 "Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?"
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>6. How does the problems in the Corinthian churches indicated a deeper problem? (7-8)
* 1 Corinthians 6:7-8 "The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers."
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>What kind of term is "defeated"?
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>7. What is the kingdom of God and who will not inherit it? (9a)
* 1 Corinthians 6:9a "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:"
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>How is a kingdom inherited?
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>What actions do with wicked commit? (9b-10)
* 1 Corinthians 6:9b-10 "Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
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>8. Should wicked actions be in our past? (11)
* 1 Corinthians 6:11 "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
* "some of you were"
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>How were we cleansed of our past sins and lives?
* "you were washed"
* "you were sanctified"
* "you were justified"
* "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ"
* "and by the Spirit of our God"
>Should someone who has put their faith in Jesus get themselves dirty again?
* No, the New Testament writers are clear. We are to stop sinning.
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>If we are defeated and sin what should a believer do? (John 13:10; Gal. 6:1-2)
* John 13:10 "Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you."
* Galatians 6:1-2 "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
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III. Sexual Immorality (6:12-20)
>9. If the statement "Everything is permissible for me" what two things did the Corinthians forget? (12)
* 1 Corinthians 6:12 "Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything."
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>Who are we to remember in everything we do? (13)
* 1 Corinthians 6:13 "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"--but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."
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>10. With what body was Jesus raised from the dead with and how will we follow him? (14; Matt. 22:29-30; Luke 20:34-36)
* 1 Corinthians 6:14 "By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also."
* Matthew 22:29-30 "Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven."
* Luke 20:34-36 "Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection."
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>With whom are believers united spiritually and could be united physically? (16-17)
* 1 Corinthians 6:16-17 "Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh. But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit."
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>What then should we do? (18)
* 1 Corinthians 6:18 "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body."
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>As a congregation makes a church hospitable, shouldn't all the more we not take care of our physical bodies? (19-20)
* 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
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