The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 179

lort,h, until he repents we are not to have fellowship with him not even to eat with him but to sh?w him by our ~ouduct what has been expressed i~ the Church's decree, viz: that he 1s separated until repentance and amendment. If this were not so: 1. The force of, Church discipline woul_d be seriously weakened. It would become largely unmeamng. _It would be ~-ery ~die, as well as scandalously contradictory, to cut off from fellowsh1p and to admit ~o _it _at the same time. 2. The effect upon the offende1· would be ics=ed. Ch,1,ch discipline does not lose si<>ht of his welfare· it is directed towards his recov_ery and_ restorat!on. Ilut if it is to pr~duce this effect it must be felt. It cannot be felt 1f practically 1t 1s destroyed. 3. It would seem a,s though the evil were lightly estee~ed. This would b~ing_ a great scandal upon Christianity. It would not only expose 1t to contempt, but;ustify contempt. 4. There would be much peril to the- other members of the Ohui·ch: (1) In the association. There is often more peril in associating with a false professor than with an open evil-doer. (2) In the conviction that they could sin with comparative impunity so far as the Church was concerned. We may ask-What kiD:ds of sin involve such separation? The apostle gives a list of transgressors. (1) Fo_rnicators. The unclean; professing purity, practising impurity. (2) The covetous. 'Ihose who make a god of the things of sense. Heart-idolatry. (3) Idolaters. Probably those who, professing to serve the only true God identified themselves very closely with idolaters, joined in their feasts and sacritic~s, and so became partakers of their guilt. There are many proressors now who pay homage to "the god of this world." A little wholesome Church discipline might not be altogether thrown away upon some of these. (4) Railers or revilers. Those who say they have a clean hea1t, but keep a foul mouth. (5) Drunlcards. Those who claim to be akin to Christ, and yet sink themselves lower than the brutes. (6) Extortioners. Greedy, grasping souls, who overreach and cheat others, but who overreach and cheat tl,emselves pre-eminently. We may not company with these; we may pray for them, ,ve may labour for their recovery. We may do so gratefully, humbly, remembering- that we stand because Divine grace upholds us.-H. Vers. 1-6.-0hurch discipline. From the subject of the party divisions at Corinth, the apostle passes on to consider other evils which ha.d come to his knowledge. The first is a case of incest, in which a member of the Church had married, or was cohabiting with, his step-mother ; and this incestuous person was permitted to remain in the Christian co=unity. Such a case gives us a glimpse into the sad condition of Corin- thian society. This heterogeneous population was exposed to three influences that were decidedly adverse to a high morality: extensive commerce, involving contact 'l\"ith the vices of foreigners and developing luxurious living ; the Isthmian games celebrated in the neighbourhood; and the worship of Venus. The Church that was drawn from such a co=un.ity could not escape the infection of its low moral tone. Many weeds were already in the soil into which the good seed was cast. We can thus understand how in such a society so gross a case as this might arise. I. SPIRITUAL PRIDE AND GROSS BIN ABE OFTEN FOUND TOGETHER. The Corinthians were puffed up because of their fancied attainments (eh. iv. 8), whilst this awful wickedness was tolerated among them. Spiritual pride is a distemper sure to beget other grosser evils, whether in individuals or Churches. It dims the spiritual eye and blunts the moral sense, and thereby leads to a fall. Perfectionism content to dwell with incest! II. THE EXERCISE OF DISOIPLINE. 1. Its warrant. Every society has the right to reject members whose character is inconsistent with its constitution and ends. T~is is true of the state, as of private associations; and the same right is not to be demed to the Church. As a healthy body throws off disease which finds e. lodgment in an unhealthy one, so a healthy Church will not tolerate in its bosom open transgressors. The true ideal of the Church is not collective, hut selective-not embracing all men as such but only those who have been called out from the world ( l,c,cll.11<Tla). The dividing is line not absolute-there will always be tares among the wheat; but some lin~. there must be. And this inherent right is confirmed by Divine injunction (Matt. xvm. 1~). 2. Its form. In this case the Church is to assemble, Paul himself being present m spirit, and in the Name of the Lord Jesus "to deliver such a one unto Satan" _(co~p. 1 Tim. i. 20). 'l'his probauly points to something more than simple excommumca.hon, ou. v. 1-13.J THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 183