1 CORINTHIANS 5 (NOTES OF A READING)
[p. 27] 1 CORINTHIANS 5 (NOTES OF A READING)
CAC We cannot but notice that the first administrative action in the assembly, referred to in this chapter, is connected with the judgment of evil. It would seem to suggest that that is of primary importance. If the unleavened character of the assembly is not preserved there is no moral foundation for anything. Holiness is the law of God’s house, as it is written, “Holiness becometh thy house, O Jehovah, for ever” (Psalm 93: 5). The assembly of God is marked by great sensitiveness as to what is evil; this was lacking at Corinth, so that there was found amongst them that which was very much condemned, even in the world. Yet they were not mourning about it, but puffed up. They were very well pleased with themselves when they had evil among them that was abhorrent even to the natural man. It shows how they had fallen under carnal influences; it was manifest in how they were divided into parties, and later we find them going to law for redress. It all showed extreme lack of spiritual sensibility. They ought to have been preserved instinctively from such things, without instruction. Priestly sensibilities were lacking. We ought to feel that things are right. Scripture speaks of fulfilling the law according to nature, showing “the work of the law” in man’s heart (Romans 2: 14, 15). They ought to have mourned, even if they did not know how to deal with such a case; then God would have taken this wicked person away. A Christian walking in the flesh may become harder than a man of the world — duller in sensibilities. Even the grace of God can be turned into lasciviousness. There is such a thing as people having a superficial knowledge of grace, making them more careless than when under law. Grace should have a much greater effect. The Corinthians had come under bad influence. It is one of the first instincts of the [p. 28] divine nature to shrink from evil.
And the apostle sets up the standard as to how such things are to be dealt with. Evil is not to be allowed in the assembly. The apostle had judged it himself, and he required that they should judge it, that they should act regarding this person. It is a very solemn warning to us that, after having light from God, and the Spirit, when there was glaring evil among them they were not disturbed.
Rem The assembly is the place of divine light and where judgment is carried out.
CAC We find here that a man that acts wickedly is delivered to Satan. The apostle exercised his authority in delivering him to Satan, which meant, I suppose, some bodily affliction. They had just come out of the heathen world, which was full of dreadful conditions, and had brought a good deal of the old leaven with them. So Paul takes one man as an example — for there were many. As he said in his second epistle, he was afraid he would find many who had not repented. God had the intention of getting to the root of their state. The Corinthians were to judge their condition and cast out the man. He was not the leaven, but it was their whole condition; it was more important that the assembly should get clear. One unhappy feature of the state of christendom is that there is practically no judgment of evil. Only the apostle could commit a man to Satan. It is very wonderful that he takes account of the man as capable of having his spirit saved in the day of the Lord Jesus — that he was a believer. The object in view is the ultimate blessing of a very grave sinner who is to be discredited publicly. We are not exactly called upon to decide whether a person is converted or not, we could hardly do that.
Rem Could this be done today — to put a man away?
CAC We have had some exercise as to whether it is quite suitable under prevailing conditions to do things formally on this ground, but in withdrawal the end arrived at is the same. We are all called upon to carry out 2 Timothy 2,
[p. 29] and the result is that the one withdrawn from is not walking with us nor we with him. 1 Corinthians 5 is a matter of obligation and we have the light of it always before us without assuming exactly to be the assembly. We do not want to weaken one scripture to strengthen another, and in every case of discipline we act on this chapter. Many have felt that in a day of ruin and scattering it is more comely to take the ground of withdrawing from a person. It is proper to the assembly of God that one who has been walking wickedly should be dealt with by God and we look on that as a fixed principle. Paul looks upon them as gathered together (verse 4); that is, there was a solemn act of the assembly and the apostle identified his name with it and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. In any act of discipline we ought to be assured that Paul is with us, and the Lord Jesus Christ in it, otherwise it would hardly be right. And it has absolute authority over us all — it ought to have — and we bow to the commandments of the Lord.
Then he brings in the thought of leaven. If leaven is not judged it will spread, it is the very nature of it. What has the character of unjudged evil will spread, and must be purged out. What the assembly is abstractly remains true — a holy and unleavened company — and nothing contrary to it can be tolerated. There is to be nothing brought over of the old lump (that is, something brought over from our unconverted days). So now it is necessary to keep the feast. We are to realise that Christ was actually sacrificed; that is, there was not the slightest toleration of evil when Christ took the judgment of it upon Himself in love. He had to bear in His holy perfection all the judgment due to us, and if He did, how can we possibly think of going on with it?
“A new lump” (verse 7) — the assembly was to take on that character practically. It is one of the descriptions of the assembly. We once belonged to an old lump that was thoroughly leavened, but we have been taken out of that, to be a new lump without any leaven at all. There is no reason [p. 30] why leaven should work in any saint. The feast of unleavened bread was for seven days; we are always keeping the feast. The passover was the basis of everything. The lamb was “roast with fire” (Exodus 12: 9); that is, every bit of the working of flesh in me — well, Christ bore the judgment of it. I could not very well go on with it if I thought of that, could I?
The “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” is the contrast to the leaven. I think it is the saints viewed in their responsibility, they are to be an unleavened lump. There is no reason that the flesh should ever work in me.
The assembly is a place where discipline is exercised, and where there is no discipline there is no assembly!
Then he shows that we are not to have social intercourse with wicked persons, “with such a one not even to eat”. There is not to be any intercourse with a person who has been removed from intercourse with the brethren, except what is priestly. The priest had to look at a leper from time to time to see if he were healed. We have a responsibility towards, and a care towards, any in the town we have withdrawn from — it is not done to get rid of them, but to secure them; it is their blessing all the time that is in view, and we should always keep that side in view. If we carry on as if nothing had happened, we are really doing that person an injury. The apostle, no doubt, yearned over this man, and this man was liable to be swallowed up by excessive grief (how we should love to see that!). And Paul goes over to the side of comforting him. But he says, “It was not for the sake of him that injured, nor for the sake of him that was injured, but for the sake of our diligent zeal for you being manifested to you before God” (2 Corinthians 7: 12). He was concerned about the assembly, and the Lord always supports His people in that when He sees it.
This chapter is of importance for us, for we are unlikely to go through a course of years without having to do with cases that call for the holy discipline of the assembly.