November 7, 2004

JUDGING WITHIN AND WITHOUT

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

   The Corinthians were not too shy to judge Paul and his ministry. But Paul assured them that not they, but the Lord would be his Judge in His own good time. There were issues, however, that they should be judging. In their midst was a case of sexual misconduct, namely incest. Instead of their judging the guilty person the whole church seemed to be puffed up about it and showed little concern.

   How to handle this? Shall we go to Sinai or to Calvary? How saith the law? "The man that lies with his father's wife…both of them shall surely be put to death..." (Lev. 20:11). How saith grace? "Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us... (our sin debt has been paid)... therefore let us keep festival (joyous in our Christian lives), but not with the old leaven...of malice and wickedness, but with the un-leavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Cor. 5:7-8). Grace does not overlook sin. It calls on the saints to judge it. Paul wrote, "I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already as though I were present, concerning him that has so [daringly] done this deed. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (5:3-5).

   Judging is the responsibility of saints when some of their number fail to walk in "sincerity and truth." "Malice and wickedness" are to be judged now, and not left for the Lord to judge at a future day! Paul further explained that we are not called to judge the world, "them that are without [outside the church]," but adds, "do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judges. Therefore put away from yourselves that wicked person" (5:12-13).

   That we are to judge other matters is clear, for "dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more the things that pertain to this life?" (6:3).

Ivan L. Burgener