1 Corinthians 5:2

And ye are puffed up, and did not rather mourn, that he that had done this deed might be taken away from among you.

'puffed up' -'you have become arrogant' (NASV); 'And you can still be proud of yourselves?' (NEB) 'The word "puffed up" is. perfect verb which describes. condition which began in the past and continues.' (Willis p. 161) 'And are you (still) puffed up?' (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 807)

Points to Note:

Various views exist which attempt to explain how the Corinthians could of remained proud in view of such. sin being tolerated among them.

1. Many feel that the Corinthians were actually "proud" about what the man was doing. 'Some have conjectured that the sinner was. rich man to whom the church showed respect of persons.' (Willis p. 161) 'Were they smirking about the case? At the nerve of the fellow? Were they just amused by the whole thing?.' (McGuiggan p. 61) Or was this man being justified because he was the leader of one of the "I am" parties? Or did some in the church have. misunderstanding of Christian liberty?. That this was rather. fine assertion of Christian liberty, of emancipation from Jewish law and Gentile convention alike.' (F.F. Bruce p. 54)

2. Or was Paul simply rebuking the "pride" of this congregation in general? The "pride" which had been manifested in their divisions. 'You think you're. great church, but just look at you!' (McGuiggan p. 61) 'And in spite of this incest in your midst, you continue to hold your heads high toward me as you have been doing? '

3. Pride blinds one to reality. The book of Proverbs often warns one of the consequences of becoming arrogant, 1 Corinthians 11:2 'When pride comes, then comes dishonor..'; 1 Corinthians 13:10 'Through presumption comes nothing but strife..'; 1 Corinthians 16:18 'Pride goes before destruction, and. haughty spirit before stumbling'; 1 Corinthians 29:23. A man's pride will bring him low.. '

'Whatever the actual relationship of their pride to the incest, it has blinded them both to the fallen brother's true condition and to their own.' [Note:. Fee p. 202]

Here is. warning for us: An abundance of talented members and spiritual gifts, didn't keep habitual sin from being practiced in the church at Corinth. The need for church discipline will never cease! Even in the most talented of congregations, with great speakers (Apollos and Paul), and excellent teaching programs, some members (since man has. free-will) will still fall into sin.

Sometimes congregations feel embarrassed when they have to withdraw from. member, they feel that they have failed, or that such sin being found among them, reflects negatively on the congregation as. whole. Paul didn't have that view. Paul said the shameful thing, is to allow it to go on unchecked.

'and did not rather mourn' -'The verb "filled with grief" probably refers to the kind of "mourning", that deep anguish of soul frequently related to true repentance...mourning is the proper response to such sin in their midst.' [Note:. Fee pp. 202-203]

Mourning is the proper response toward sin (Matthew 5:4; James 4:9 'Be miserable and mourn and weep..')

Points to Note:

1. Why "mourn"? Because the man is spiritually dead in such sin! (Ephesians 2:1) Because the practice of sin sides you will the Devil (1 John 3:4).

2. All commanded "mourning" for sin, infers the existence of eternal punishment! Why mourn for the sinner, if there is nothing to fear after death? Why mourn for the sinner, if 'God will save them anyway?'

'Rather than being tolerant of the evil or Stoic toward the loss of. brother or sister, the church should be mourning over what has happened. However, this grief is not. passive grief; it leads to. corresponding action.' (Willis p. 161)

3. We forget the damage that this sin might have been doing to the influence of the Church in Corinth.

'Such..would bring the Church and the gospel into public disrepute; many people were only too ready to believe the worst about Christian morality. and this would provide them with material ground for their suspicions.' [Note:. F.F. Bruce p. 54]

When we continue in. sinful practice, or hold on to. sinful attitude, we are only giving the world "one more reason" why they shouldn't become. Christian. (1 Timothy 5:14)

'he that had done this deed' -apparently, only the man in this incestuous relationship was. Christian.

'might be taken away from among you' -'They should have withdrawn from him! Confess that his sin was horrible. Admit that it was outrageous.' (McGuiggan p. 62)

'might' -to me this infers that the church in Corinth wasn't ignorant concerning "church discipline". They knew the truth on the subject, Paul or Apollos had taught them well. They had simply refused to act.

Point to Note:

Here is. good place to test the theory of situation ethics. Apparently some members in Corinth were trying to theologically justify this man. And that's not hard to imagine. We can almost hear them now, 'But they're so much in love', 'We just had them over last night, and they are such. darling couple', 'Her mother said that she has never seen her daughter happier.'

One the other hand, the church is often blasted for "assuming the worst". Christian's who assume that an unmarried couple are involved in fornication because they are living in the same house and are sharing the same bed, are rebuked for having dirty minds. Well, what did Paul think about this situation? This same writer who later would say, 'Love believes all things' (1 Corinthians 13:7) including believing the best about others, didn't have his head in the sand. The apostle was. man,. man with all the same desires found in other men (1 Corinthians 9:27),. man who wasn't born yesterday!

In summation, Paul's attitude is, 'Call it what you want, but it's still fornication, and the fornication needs to be removed right now!'

'An easy-going attitude to sin is always dangerous. It has been said that our own security against sin lies in our being shocked at it..When we cease to take. serious view of sin we are in. perilous position. It is not. question of being critical and condemnatory. It is. question of being wounded and shocked and hurt. It was sin that crucified Jesus Christ.' [Note:. Barclay p. 49]