1 Corinthians 5-7
Carnal Relationships

This psalm is linked to the next one by having a very similar structure. The psalmist exhorts his readers to praise God for His superiority over idols, shown by His saving acts towards His people, Israel. He is great, rules over nature and kingdoms, and shows favor to Israel. Note that God does multiple things for His people. Therefore people should fear, trust, and bless (speak well of) Him, for those who trust in dumb idols become like them. 

Two hallmarks of a Biblical church are submission and separation. There needs to be a commitment to be submitted to: the Lord Jesus, the word of God, each other, and Biblically-qualified leadership. It's that common commitment which provides the basis for God-glorifying unity. The second hallmark is implicit in the first, and that is a commitment to live Biblically, and thus separate from sin, which means church discipline, or removing from the Body those diseased cancerous parts that endanger the Body. Sin is like a yeast that is pervasive and destructive. It's lethal in leadership, and a blemish among believers. A church that is committed to holiness and purity deals with sin it its midst, sanctifying the saints or separating from them when the saved sinner chooses not to be submitted to their Lord and His Body.

In Corinth, the capital of carnality, there were some sins that even the unregenerate shunned, one of which was incest. The broad-minded (empty headed – see Proverb 1 naïve) Corinthian “saints” were so insensitive to God's Spirit, that they were proud of their tolerance and acceptance, rather than grieving over the sin that would result in judgment for the individual. In chapters 2 and 4 Paul warned the carnal baby Christians against judging others because they didn't have the Biblical understanding to do so (the logs were still stuck in their eyes; see comments on Mt 7:5), but here he delineates the responsibility of the more mature to do so (5:12-13). A hallmark of a carnal baby Christian is that they cry “don't judge” whenever the subject of judging sin comes up. However the spiritual believers have the mandate and requirement from God to do so, especially elders who are tasked with shepherding the flock.

Paul gives directions which should be used in conjunction with Matthew 18 and Galatians 5:1-4 (see comments in both places, especially Mt 18). This is really the final stage of Matthew 18:15-18, where the church is told, confronted the sinning believer, and the person chooses sin over sanctification and glory (clearly a Satanically motivated choice). Since the believer has turned from God, God demonstrates that separation by having the Body reveal the real nature of things: the believer is in Satan's camp.

Following Paul's command, in accordance with his judgment and authority/power as an apostle, the church is to gather (after they've heard about the sin and sought to secure the repentance of the sinner, as in Mt 18), and as the Body of Christ, express Christ's will toward the person, but consigning the unrepentant believer to the destruction of Satan. Believers connected with a Body enjoy some protection from Satan under the “umbrella” of the Holy Spirit operating in the Body. Just like a child is protected from evil influences and acts by his/her family, so a spiritual babe is protected by a Biblical church. They follow what the church says until they should be on the right track. Eventually they should be able to discern and embrace the truth directly, but until they learn the truth, there's safety in following those who are following Christ. Within a couple of years of becoming a believer, a person should have progressed to knowing, living, and loving others with the truth. It took Jesus three years to train His disciples [but then they didn't have the Holy Spirit, nor a NT, nor DailyTruthbase :) ].

The purpose of turning a person over to Satan (see outline on Church Discipline on Truthbase.net for specifics), is not merely punitive, but restorative (hopefully). When a person loses the protection and fellowship of the Body, they might come to their senses and repent. As Satan afflicts them by taking away everything he promised (he is a liar), they might realize that the grass isn't greener on the dark side. The flesh (desire for the temporal -see Rm 6 comments) gets destroyed (either directly or through the law of diminishing returns) so that the person will repent, and his spirit (that part of him which relates to God) might be saved in the judgment (1Cor 3:15) Day of the Lord. This is referring to the glorification aspect of their salvation, not their justification/forgiveness, which is the bedrock foundation. See more on loss of inheritance/reward in the last half of the next chapter, 1Corinthians 6. Letting a person continue merrily in their sin and not taking steps to confront and purge it, is not the loving thing to do. It's like letting a person wander off the edge of a cliff and not saying anything to warn them about their body getting dashed to pieces on the jagged rocks below. See the Watchman Principle in comments on Ezekiel 3 and 33.

God isn't just concerned with the holiness of the individual, but also that of the Body. In the OT the entire community had the responsibility of eliminating sin from their midst (Dt 13:14; 17:4), so God's blessing could come upon them. God gives blessing only to those who obey Him (Dt 28:2). If the corporate culture is pursuit of holiness by the saints, then young believers will join in seeking God. If the corporate culture is toleration of sin by putrefied pew sitters, then the new believers will sit, soak, and sour. Paul uses the Passover-Unleavened Bread analogy to encourage them to get rid of the destructive influence of sin. Among other things, unleavened bread symbolized a break with the sins of the past.

Paul had written a previous letter to the Corinthians which the Holy Spirit did not see fit to preserve. In it he had counseled them to not fellowship with fornicators; now he clarifies his instruction, based upon information he probably received form Chloe's household (1:11). Separating from a sinning believer does not mean we have nothing to do with sinning unbelievers. Some well-intentioned but misguided folks think the unbelievers are the enemy, but in reality they are the prisoners who need to be freed. Having nothing to do with them makes it difficult to save them. Jesus partied with the pagans and sinners to bring them to faith. To avoid unbelieving sinners we'd have to leave the world, since they're all over the place. It's a different story with sinning believers. Being loyal to God requires that the believer exercise discernment and judgment. Usually whenever I hear someone railing against judging another, it's because they don't want their own sin exposed. Most believers can only recognize two sins: adultery and changing the time or order of the service. However, God says to discern/judge and avoid believers who do the following (avoid as in not eat or fellowship with them as if nothing is wrong, don't invite them into your house nor accept their invitations, until they repent). It's been my displeasure to know born-again believers (many of them unfortunately “Christian leaders”) engaging in all these sins/vices (although usually not all at the same time). All of them show up in the next chapter in Paul's list of believers who will lose their inheritance/reward in the Messiah's kingdom. There are sermon outlines on Truthbase.net on all these topics for insight into how to overcome these sins in your own life, and help others do the same.

The immoral – the word is fornication, which can imply a wide range of sexual sin, as reflected by most translations. These are the people who live for their passions and pleasures, harming others by their illegitimate self-gratification. Their needs aren't met by God, so they attempt to use others to meet their needs for intimacy, not recognizing that physical sex is subject to the law of diminishing returns (otherwise all would be monogamous).

The covetous – there's actually a commandment about this, the last one, which addresses the longings of our hearts. This is the close cousin of immorality, in which a person seeks to meet their needs for worth and value through possessions rather than physical pleasure. They've never learned the secret of contentment, trusting that God will give what's best when it's best to those who are blessable.

The idolater – this is not the person who burns incense and bows down to a piece of wood or stone (although you might encounter a rare believer who does this) but those who burn the midnight oil and sacrifice family, fellowship and DailyTruthbase (I mean their relationship with God) to be able to achieve significance and security though their job or success, rather than God (you probably know a lot of these folks). For help in pointing out their sin, see TOYL Purpose and Objectives on Truthbase.net.

The slanderer – the one who murders with their words, putting down others to make themselves feel superior, or to balance out the guilt they feel from their sin by blaming others. They think that saying something to damage the reputation of those speaking the truth invalidates the truth of their words. The opponents of Jesus and Paul did this all the time, and the agents of Satan are alive and well on planet earth doing the same today. Paul warned Timothy against those believers who were taken captive by Satan to do his will, rather than God's will (2Tim 2:26).

The drunkard – these are the folks to be pitied, because they are experiencing the painful consequences of failing to abide in Christ, and seek to dull it with escapism. Getting drunk is just one pain-killer, drugs, TV, music, gaming, pornography, etc, are just a few of the ways they dull their senses to their purposeless and meaningless existence. They are spiritual sluggards, and that stupor carries over into other areas of their life as well. There is a solution, but one has to be sober enough to choose to embrace it.

The extortioner – the word means to take away what others have, usually by force. Modern usage of an extortioner is someone who takes away the peace, security, or possessions of another by threat of force. Governments, officials, and corporations can be guilty of this. Just because something is legal doesn't make it moral. Think how you would explain your values and actions to Christ (because we will all have to - 2Cor 5:9-10). You usually don't find too many direct thieves in the Body of believers, but you do find folks obsessed with amassing wealth by any means. Capitalism fueled by greed and not contained by righteousness, a concern for justice, and the final judgment could fit this category. If the only governing objective is shareholder value, without regard for the welfare of employees, suppliers, and customers, then one is in danger of slipping into this sin and drowning. Max Weber demonstrated that the combination of Christianity and Capitalism were largely responsible for the advancement of Western Civilization (see Let's Play Civilization for a taste). Without the confines of Christianity, capitalism can become rapacious, and its perpetrators will be judged. Fair warning.

Paul concludes with a reiteration of the responsibility to judge one another, and an echo of Deuteronomy 17:7 “The hand of the witnesses shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from the midst of you.”

Paul offers the flip side of not judging unbelievers, with the admonition of not having them judge believers. The Corinthians were going to secular judges to settle their disputes with each other. Paul offers two solutions: first bring the case before other believers to judge, since they should be competent to make wise decisions. If believers will judge/rule over the world and angels, they should be able to decide disputes relating to this life. In the Ancient Near East, it was from the king or ruler that one got justice. The fact that believers can't settle their own disputes amicably, and have to air their dirty laundry in public before pagans, is a defect in their love and eternal focus. They would rather harm a brother believer for getting their “rights” in this life. The second solution is to let oneself be wronged or defrauded. God will judge the offender and make it up to the “wronged” one on Judgment Day. This does not mean that Christians should be doormats, but they should be agents of righteousness and justice. Sometimes it is in the best interest of the sinner and society to have an evildoer punished (which is how the Jews viewed the situation with Jesus). Justice among believers is a far cry from ecclesiastical courts and Inquisition evil medieval times. In the process of seeking their “rights” believers were doing it the wrong way. They should have sought the intervention of the Body of believers, and if necessary suffered loss rather than do wrong.

The motivation for obedience and allowing oneself to be wronged rather than do wrong is one's reward or inheritance in the Messiah's kingdom (Col 3:24 equates the two). Paul warns believers against being deceived or in error on this issue. It's not about forgiveness or justification, but about loss of reward. See 1Corinthians 10 and Some Rewarding Verses for Contemplation on Truthbase.net (or the Survey of Rewards if you want an education) for the evidence that bad believers get disciplined for disobedience just like Israel did. Base your belief on the clear truth of Scriptures, not some bogus oral tradition, otherwise you'll be deceived and wind up being disciplined rather than delighted by God. Paul's solution (verse 11) is not to trust Christ for forgiveness, in fact he explicitly states they had already done that.

Paul expands upon the list of bad believers from the last chapter who were living just for this life rather than the next. The new additions are:

The adulterers – these join the immoral (literally fornicators) as those who will lose out in the future. “Doing whatever you want as long as you don't hurt anybody” is a nice slogan, but someone always gets hurt, the spouses, the kids (who are less healthy, less wealthy, and less wise than their counterparts in stable two parent families). Among the wounded are those engaging in sin, for they are using another person to meet needs that only God can meet, leading to guilt, depression, and despair.

The “male prostitutes” - the Greek word underlying this translation is “soft” (as in fine luxurious clothes Mt 11:8) which leads to the poor translation as “effeminate” in some versions. However, the term occurs here in a list of sexual sins, mere indulgent living isn't the only thing in view. Classical authors used the term in a number of ways, one of which was to refer to Catamites, boys kept for sexual pleasure, but that would be redundant to the next term of homosexuals (and would mean that female prostitutes or “butch” lesbians are OK). So the most likely meaning is those who engage in an indulgent sexual lifestyle gratifying one's passions to excess.

The homosexuals – the word in Greek is a compound, meaning “men in bed” and the word for bed is the marriage bed. Paul addressed homosexuality (and lesbianism) in Romans 1. Moses (and God) did in Genesis 18-19. Note that homosexuality is just one in a list of sins, it is not the unpardonable sin. God loves all sinners, and wants them to repent and be free, as some of the Corinthians had (verse 11).

The thieves – these are the sneaky extortioners, who take your stuff by stealthy rather than outright force. Jesus compared false teachers/shepherds to them in John 10.The rest of the list are profiled in chapter 5. All these believers who behave badly will lose their inheritance in the kingdom. See comments in the gospels (Mt 25:34 and references). Remember, the kingdom which comes from God, as promised in the OT is not heaven. It is the Messiah's Millennial Kingdom.

Paul seeks to motivate the badly behaving believers to righteous behavior by showing them the inconsistency between their position in Christ and their worldly values. They used to be like the folks he just described, but Paul uses three aorist “snapshots” of their position:

• they were washed/cleansed by Jesus – the only other use of this term in the NT is in Acts 22:12 of Paul's conversion and washing away his sins;
  
• they were sanctified - the world means set apart or made holy. Jesus used this term in His prayer to the Father in John 17:17 of believers being sanctified by obedience to the Truth. He also used it in His commissioning of Paul in Acts 26:18 “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith towards me.” to qualify the inheritance rights of those who received the forgiveness of sins (they needed to have continued faith in Jesus). Paul used the term in Acts 20:32 when commending the Ephesian elders to the word of God, which was able to give them an inheritance among the sanctified. Paul carried out that commission writing to Romans who already had faith, so “that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” (Rm 15:16). Paul used the term in 1Corinthians 1:2 to describe His audience, as those that “are sanctified in union with Christ Jesus, called to be saints/holy ones.” This sanctification is a process that begins with trusting Christ, but needs to be continued as 1Thess 5:23; 2Tim 2:21. The Corinthians had a holiness as a result of trusting Christ (that would be necessary for blessing, just like God would only bless Israel if they were holy (1Pt 1:16; Lev 20:7 where many of the sins Paul just condemned are mentioned).
  
• they were justified – this most likely refers not to their state of being forgiven, but the declaration that they were declared righteous in the name of Christ (given a clean slate) and thus should not go back to get enslaved and polluted again.
  

Paul continues to make his case for their ongoing sanctification and victory over sin by quoting “slogans” (like the one above in reference to adulterers), and then refuting them. All things might be lawful (since he's freed from the law), but not all things will result in profit or reward, nor will he be brought under the power or enslavement of anything (see Romans 6). Food was designed for the belly, and the belly for foods, but God will destroy both, therefore don't make indulging physical passions and appetites your focus, because there is a judgment coming, and higher principles are in play. He segues from the belly to the proper use of the body, indicating that it is not ours to do with as we please, but to use for the Lord's purposes (which does include legitimate sex – next chapter). Sex can be especially destructive and enslaving because it immerses our mind, will/spirit, worth/values and emotions, as well as our body in a process that marks us indelibly. The more of our being that is invested in something the more difficult it is to undo an entanglement. (Fortunately God's grace gives all the power we need to do His will -Heb 13:21.) Our bodies are sanctuaries containing the Holy Spirit, and therefore should not be defiled by illegitimate sex. We don't even own our bodies. They were created by God, and purchased by God, so they are totally His, and should only be used for His purposes. That not only applies to our sexuality, but all aspects of our body (maintenance, work, and play) and our spirit (ambitions and purposes and aspirations). In all, everything we have is to be placed solely at God's disposal, and used to bring Him glory by our lives, for that's why we were created. See TOYL How to Glorify God if you can't immediately articulate your purpose for living, and how your daily activities and pastimes contribute to that.

Paul now turns from the information he had received via Chloe's household of difficulties in the church, to questions they had written him about sex and marriage. He will reply in general principles as well as address first century-Corinthian-specific issues (present distress -7:26). He will also give both direct commands of the Lord and then his perspective/judgment on the best course of action in light of the current (that day) conditions. The first question about a man not “touching” a woman (probably a euphemism) which might be restatement of the question (a “slogan” that he will refute), or a general principle, that he qualifies. The moral climate at Corinth, and the low spirituality of the carnal Corinthian Christians was such that Paul advised them to get married to avoid fornication (which would disqualify them from their inheritance -6:9). Those who were married were under obligation to render/deliver their “due benevolence” to each other. The words are those of paying a debt. Sex was to be a mutual pleasing of the other, since neither had ownership of their own body, but their spouse did. Later Paul will talk in more general terms of marriage as two people focused on pleasing each other. Remember, love is sacrificing yourself to do what is in another's best interest, it's giving of one's self, not self-gratification. “Deprivation” was only to be by mutual consent, for prayer and fasting, for a limited time, so that Satan didn't tempt them due to their lack of self-control. In Galatians Paul will write of self-control as a fruit of the Spirit (5:23), which the carnal Corinthians obviously lacked (no transforming going on in Corinth, but lots of talking in tongues -14:23). Paul wishes that all had a gift (literally grace-thing) by which power/grace they could keep themselves pure, but it also takes grace/power to be married. If single people don't have self-control, it's better to marry than burn (in passion or judgment). How's this for a Corinthian christian marriage proposal: “I think you're hot; I have no self-control; I am a carnal slave to my burning passions; so, will you trust my other centered love and spiritual leadership and commit to following me the rest of your days, in marriage, to please me?” If that's the basis for a marriage, it's no surprise that Paul next addresses the topic of divorce. Marriage, like friendship succeeds best when the participants can succeed without it, because they've learned to have their needs met by God, not another person.

Paul concludes with two points: marriage is permanent, so proceed cautiously. It is better to be married years less to the right person than one extra day to the wrong person. It's also impossible to miss God's will if you're seeking it wholeheartedly according to His word. You'll know, at the appropriate time what He wants for you, as will all the godly people around you. If God hasn't revealed His plan for you, you have His present will in front of you. Paul, wants what's best for his readers; he isn't anti-marriage (1Tim 4:3; Eph 5), but in light of the present circumstances in Corinth, and in any times of persecution, being single is the better choice.

Paul cites Jesus' teaching on marriage (see comments on Mt 19) as the basis of prohibiting divorce. But in some cases, separation is preferable to destructive battling, yet remarriage is prohibited, with a view toward reconciliation. That instruction is apparently to believers (folks that God views as married – see comments on Malachi), because these next verses deal with unequally yoked couples, a believer and an unbeliever. If a Corinthian became a believer and their spouse didn't, it was not necessary to divorce them. The children would be considered “holy,” that is undefiled, which is the opposite of what would be the case in OT times. If the pagan was content to live with the believer, the believer shouldn't leave them. Who knows, maybe the Christian, by their godly living, would win over the unbelieving spouse. However if the unbeliever wants out, let them go. The believer is not under bondage. If they're not bound to the unbeliever, they are free to remarry (although Paul doesn't explicitly state this). Otherwise, why would Paul be stating that they're “free.” Jesus said that what God had joined together, man shouldn't separate. As in the case of God commanding the post-exilic community to divorce their foreign wives (see comments on Ezra 10), God didn't join the unbelievers together. There are a number of views on this subject, this best explains all the facts as I understand them. Divorce is not the unpardonable sin, nor is it Plan A. Plan B is understanding and changing what caused the problems in the first place, and then reconciliation and remarriage. Plan C is remaining single. Plan D (as in doomsday) is repeating the same mistakes, making yourself and somebody new (or used) miserable.

Paul addresses the issue of slavery and circumcision, with the advice to stay as you are, what matters is keeping God's commands. If you are a slave, and have the opportunity to be free, go for it. If you don't have that opportunity, it's OK, you're free in the Lord, and can experience Plan A right where you are.

Paul returns to the topic of marriage, to address a question they asked specifically regarding single women (parthenoi), a subset of the “non-married” in verse 8. Because of the “present distress,” persecution from the Jews or Rome, it would be better to remain single. But if you were engaged/bound, don't break it. If you are single, don't seek it. But if you do get married, you haven't sinned. The times were such that Paul again advocates remaining single to avoid distress (see Lord of the Ringless and other resources on Truthbase.net). He wants to spare them grief; if their spouse was murdered in the persecution, they would be better off single, with the possibility of marriage when things settle down. He doesn't want them to be burdened with the issues of marriage. An unmarried person has great freedom in serving the Lord, while a married person has to divide up their time between their responsibilities to God, spouse, children, family, etc. Single people are not free to indulge their desires (Gal 5:13); nor do married people. A spouse has to be concerned with pleasing their spouse, since that is what they committed to, and what God requires of them (see TOYL outlines on Marriage). Since spouses tend to be imperfect people, it can get messy at times. And then kids get added to the mix, and the mess multiplies. As above, if people ignore Paul's advice they don't sin if they get married. If Paul was talking to a more mature audience than carnal babes in Christ, he probably would have said in verses 36 and 39 “let him/her do as the Lord desires” not as “he/she desires.” If a person doesn't have the maturity to discern God's subjective will for their life (by first learning to obey His objective will) they have no business inflicting their immaturity and carnality on another.