Reading through the Bible-Jesus our feast!

1 Corinthians 5:7-8, "Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

Purge out the old leaven: At the Passover feast, all leaven was to be removed from the house, and nothing with leaven in it was to be eaten for a whole week. Paul says that just as the Jews were concerned to remove all leaven from their midst, so the church should have a concern to remove such notorious, unrepentant sinners from their midst.

Christ, our Passover: Paul's connection between the purity of Passover and the Christian life is not a strange stretch; Jesus is in fact our Passover Lamb, whose blood was shed that the judgment of God might pass over us. 

Our Christian lives are to be marked by the same things which characterized Passover: salvation, liberation, joy, plenty, and purity from leaven.

Since you truly are unleavened: Paul's point is both clear and dramatic: live unleavened because you are unleavened. "Be what you are" is the basic message of the New Testament for Christian living.

Sincerity and truth: These are two strong guard-rails for the way of the Christian life.

Dear God, I praise you for the feast of Jesus! 

eading through the Bible-A little pride destroys

1 Corinthians 5:6, "Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?"

Your glorying is not good: Again, the Corinthian Christians were proud and pleased to be ignoring this man's notorious sin! 

A little leaven leavens the whole lump: The leaven mentioned isn't merely yeast, but a pinch of dough left over from the previous batch, as in the making of sourdough bread. This is how bread was commonly leavened in the ancient world, and little pinch of dough from the old lump could make a whole new lump of dough rise and "puff up" - so the work of leaven was thought to be an illustration of the work of sin and pride. The presence of a little can corrupt a large amount.

Dear God, let me glory only in You!!

Reading through the Bible-Judgment

1 Corinthians 5:3-5, "For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."

Absent in body by present in spirit: When Paul mentions his spirit being present, he isn't speaking of astral-projection in the early church. He is truly represented in their midst by his letter, which was a valid spiritual extension of his apostolic authority.

For I indeed … have already judged: Is Paul disobeying what Jesus said in Matthew 7:1-5? After all, "judge not, let you be judged!"

Some judgment is permitted, and some is not. "While Christians are not to judge one another's motives or ministries, we are certainly expected to be honest about each other's conduct." (Wiersbe)

How could they deliver such a one to Satan? By putting him outside the church, into the world, which is the devil's "domain." The punishment is a removal of spiritual protection and social comfort, not an infliction of evil.

The purpose of putting this man outside the spiritual protection and social comfort of the church was the destruction of the flesh, not the body, but his rebellious flesh.

That his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus: The goal of the discipline is clear: the salvation, not the destruction, of his spirit.

Dear God, I pray that I may be under your judgment always and that I am open to the wisdom of those who love me enough to share your judgment of You with me as well.

Reading through the Bible-Mourning Sin

1 Corinthians 5:2, "And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you."

And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned: As bad as the sin itself was, Paul was more concerned that the Corinthian Christians seemed to take the sin lightly, and they were unconcerned (have not rather mourned) about this behavior.

That he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you: Clearly, this was Paul's solution to the problem - to take this notoriously unrepentant man away from the protection of the fellowship of God's people. Yet, the Corinthian Christians were not doing this. Why not? How could this kind of thing be allowed?

The Corinthian Christians were proud (you are puffed up) of their acceptance of this man; they thought it said something good about them! But instead of glorying, they should have been grieving, both for the man and for what they must do to him (be taken away from among you).

Dear God, let me mourn for anyone who stands outside of Your Truth.

Reading through the Bible-Allow sin to trouble us

1 Corinthians 5:1, "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles; that a man has his father's wife!"

That a man has his father's wife: Apparently, someone was having an on-going sexual relationship (either as married or living together) with his stepmother (his father's wife). The woman involved must not be a Christian, for she isn't even addressed.

And such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles: Paul understood that this kind of incestuous relationship would be considered taboo even among the pagans of their culture, yet the Corinthian Christians seem accepting of this behavior.

The ancient Roman writer and statesman Cicero said this type of incest was an incredible crime and practically unheard of. Truly, it was not even named among the Gentiles!

It should have been enough that this is declared sin by the Bible (Leviticus 18:8; Deuteronomy 22:30 and 27:20); it should have been enough that the worldly culture itself considered it sin. But the Corinthian Christians didn't seem bothered by it at all!

Dear God, I pray that your Spirit will trouble me with everything that is not of You.

Reading through the Bible-God's Power

1 Corinthians 4:18-21, "Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?"

Some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you: Some Corinthian Christians were so arrogant as to think that Paul was afraid to visit them. When they thought Paul was afraid of them, it made them all the more proud in their hearts.

Not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power: Those among the Corinthian Christians who loved high sounding words and the image of success had their words, but Paul had the true power of the gospel. The final test of wisdom is power; the Word of the Cross not only has the power to mentally illumine, but also to morally save.

Essentially, Paul threatens to pop the bubble of these puffed up gas-bags.

What do you want? Paul leaves the ball in their court. Which Paul did they want to come? The Paul with the rod of correction (used by shepherds to smack disobedient sheep), or the Paul with the spirit of gentleness?  There is no doubt Paul would prefer to come in gentleness, but he'll leave that decision up to the Corinthians!

Paul is facing some of the real challenges of ministry; how to confront sin without being too harsh, or implying that you are above sin; how to get people to conform their lives to the gospel when they think too highly of themselves. This is tough work in a heart to do, and only a great work by the Holy Spirit can accomplish it!

Dear God, may I rest in Your Spirit and trust in Your Power rather than anything I can create.

Reading through the Bible-God in us

1 Corinthians 4:14-17, "I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church."

Shame you … warn you: With his biting sarcasm, Paul knows the Corinthian Christians might be pretty ashamed. He wants them to know his purpose hasn't been to make them feel ashamed, but to warn them of a significant spiritual danger: pride.

You might have ten thousand instructors: The instructor was apaidagogoi, a guardian or "slave-guide," who escorted the boys to and from school, and who supervised their general conduct.

I urge you, imitate me: The first reaction of many of the Corinthian Christians would probably be horror. "Imitate you, Paul? You are regarded as a fool, as weak, as dishonored; you are hungry and thirsty and poorly clothed, homeless and beaten; you work hard to support yourself with manual labor. People look at you and see filth and the offscouring of all things. And you want us to imitate you?"

I have sent Timothy: Timothy seemed to be Paul's chief "trouble shooter," often being sent to problem churches.

Dear God, may my life be so filled with Your Spirit that others are drawn to You, and not me.