November 30

1 Corinthians 5-8 (biblegateway.com)

Holiness, Wisdom, and Love in the Church

After addressing divisions and pride in the church, Paul now turns to issues of moral purity, discipline, relationships, and Christian liberty. His goal is to guide believers toward holiness and love that reflect their new life in Christ. 1 Corinthians 5–8 shows Paul addressing practical issues within the Corinthian church that threaten both its testimony and its unity.

1 Corinthians 5 — Purity in the Church and the Call to Holy Discipline

Paul now turns from divisions to a matter that threatens the very witness of the Corinthian church. Reports have reached him of conduct so shocking that even unbelievers would condemn it. A man is living with his father’s wife, a violation forbidden in both Scripture and common morality (v. 1). Rather than grieving over this sin, the Corinthians have become proud, as if their tolerance proves spiritual maturity (v. 2). Their response reveals a misunderstanding of grace. Grace does not excuse sin; it transforms those who receive it. Paul calls the church to respond, not with pride, but with sorrow that leads to action.

Paul instructs them that when they gather, they must remove this man from their fellowship so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (v. 3–5). Removal from the congregation places the offender outside the spiritual protection and nurture of the church. The purpose is not punishment for its own sake but redemption. Paul expects repentance. Discipline exposes sin’s cost so that the sinner may come to see the need for forgiveness and return to the path of life. A church that refuses to confront sin jeopardizes both the offender’s soul and the congregation’s holiness.

Paul then explains why their indifference is dangerous. Sin behaves like yeast, spreading through the whole batch of dough. If not removed, it influences the entire church (v. 6). Believers have been cleansed by Christ, the true Passover Lamb who has been sacrificed (v. 7). Because Christ has redeemed them, they must live in sincerity and truth, not tolerated corruption or hidden rebellion (v. 8). The Christian life is a feast of holiness, not a celebration of permissiveness. To ignore sin is to deny the very sacrifice that makes believers holy.

Paul clarifies that he is not commanding believers to withdraw from immoral people in the world. That would require leaving the world altogether (v. 9–10). Christians must live among those who do not share their standards, and God expects them to be witnesses in that environment. The problem is not contact with the world but compromise within the church. Paul forbids fellowship with someone who claims the name of brother yet refuses to repent of sin such as sexual immorality, greed, idolatry, reviling, drunkenness, or swindling (v. 11). The church bears responsibility to discern between those who struggle toward obedience and those who refuse correction.

Paul concludes with a crucial distinction. God judges those outside the church, but believers are responsible for those within it (v. 12). The purity of the congregation is not optional. To permit sin to thrive unchallenged is to betray Christ, whose character the church is called to reflect. For this reason, Paul commands them to remove the evil person from among them (v. 13). Discipline protects the church and honors the God who redeemed it.

Reflection on the Purpose and Process of Discipline

Even as Paul calls the church to remove the unrepentant offender from its fellowship (v. 2, 5, 13), he is not instructing them to abandon him. Church discipline is never an act of personal disgust or institutional convenience. It is a theological act rooted in the holiness of God and the redemptive purpose of Christ. The goal is always restoration, not destruction. The church does not cast out sinners because it is finished with them, but because sin must be brought to an end before grace can be rightly received.

Discipline hands a person over to the consequences of their rebellion. Paul describes this as delivering the man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh (v. 5), but this is not a sentence of spiritual execution. It is a severe mercy. Removed from the shelter of the church, the sinner confronts the fruit of his own actions so that, humbled and awakened, he may finally turn back. Paul expects repentance. His language does not close a door; it places a prodigal at a crossroads.

Because of this, the responsibility of the church does not end with removal. Prayer continues. Shepherding does not cease simply because fellowship changes form. Leaders are not free to ignore those who fall. They are obligated to pursue them with truth and compassion. To withdraw accountability but withhold intercession would betray the gospel itself. The Corinthians must correct what is wrong, yet they must also long for and labor toward the offender’s restoration. When discipline is initiated without walking patiently through the entire process of pursuit, correction, and restoration, it becomes a tragedy. Discipline that begins but never seeks reconciliation can leave the offender wounded, disoriented, and more vulnerable to sin than ever before.

This responsibility is even more urgent when the person being disciplined is spiritually young or easily influenced. Immature believers can be swept away by shame, fear, or the world’s temptations, and the church may be the only spiritual witness left in their lives. If discipline results in abandonment, it is incomplete. When the church steps back, the world steps in, eager to welcome the wounded and offer false acceptance, emotional support, or identity apart from Christ, all counterfeits of what God intended His people to provide. Christ is the Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to seek the one who strays (Luke 15:4). His people cannot act as though the lost are someone else’s burden. Removal alters fellowship; it does not cancel love.

Therefore, church discipline has three inseparable parts: correction that protects the church, pursuit that guards the wandering, and restoration that completes the work of grace. To confront sin without seeking restoration is cruelty. To pursue the sinner without confronting sin is compromise. To restore without repentance is deception. Biblical discipline holds all three together, trusting the Spirit to bring conviction and granting the repentant a path home.

1 Corinthians 5 teaches that holiness is essential for the people of God. Grace does not ignore sin; it exposes and confronts it, using every means God provides to call the sinner to repentance. The unrepentant believer is not merely breaking rules but placing his soul in peril, for persistent rebellion carries eternal consequences. Yet Paul does not allow the church to wash its hands of responsibility. Discipline is never an excuse for indifference. To remove a sinner from fellowship without also laboring, praying, and pleading for his return is to abandon him to destruction. The church must confront sin with courage, but it must pursue the sinner with the same zeal, believing that God desires restoration rather than ruin.

1 Corinthians 6 — Lawsuits, Purity, and the Call to Glorify God in the Body

Paul continues addressing problems that reveal the Corinthians’ spiritual immaturity. Instead of resolving conflicts within the Christian community, believers are suing one another in secular courts (v. 1). Paul is astonished. The church, entrusted with the wisdom of God and destined to judge the world and even angels, is now appealing to unbelievers to settle its disputes (v. 2–3). Their actions undermine the gospel. When Christians drag each other into public legal battles, they advertise division and behave no differently than those who do not know Christ.

Paul asks why there is not a single person among them who is wise enough to mediate these issues (v. 5). Their inability to reconcile reflects their failure to apply the gospel they profess. Instead of embodying grace and forgiveness, they retaliate and assert personal rights. Paul makes a shocking statement: it would be better to suffer wrong than to defraud another believer (v. 7). When Christians harm their brothers and sisters for personal gain, they contradict the character of Christ. The courtroom has become a symptom of a deeper sickness: pride, self-interest, and a refusal to live as those who belong to a different kingdom.

Paul reminds them that habitual unrighteousness has no place in the kingdom of God (v. 9–10). He lists behaviors that marked their former lives: sexual sin, idolatry, adultery, homosexual practice, theft, greed, drunkenness, reviling, and swindling. These sins once defined them, but they do not define the redeemed. The Corinthians need to remember who they are. They were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God (v. 11). Their identity has been changed. Grace transforms not only status but conduct. Salvation does not excuse sin; it breaks sin’s dominion.

Paul then returns to the issue of sexual immorality, a problem deeply rooted in Corinthian culture. Some believers are misusing Christian liberty, claiming, “All things are lawful for me” (v. 12). Paul corrects them. True freedom submits to Christ. A believer must not be mastered by anything. The body is more than a physical shell; it belongs to the Lord (v. 13). The resurrection proves that bodies matter. God will raise believers bodily, and therefore what they do with their bodies reveals their allegiance (v. 14).

Paul explains that sexual sin is uniquely destructive. When believers unite themselves with a prostitute, they become one flesh with her, violating God’s design and defiling what belongs to Christ (v. 15–16). Sexual immorality is not merely a private act. It corrupts the temple of the Holy Spirit (v. 18–19). Believers have been bought with a price, the blood of Christ, and therefore must glorify God with their bodies (v. 20). Their bodies are instruments of worship, not objects for indulgence.

1 Corinthians 6 teaches that conflict, sexual immorality, and distorted views of freedom are not personal matters alone; they are congregational issues. When believers act like the world, they obscure the testimony of the gospel. The church is called to demonstrate a different way, one shaped by humility, forgiveness, and purity.

Paul does not deny legitimate legal processes in society, nor does he suggest victims accept abuse without recourse. His concern is the posture and priorities of a redeemed people. The church must cultivate peacemakers, raise up wise leaders capable of resolving disputes, and refuse to let worldly patterns govern its relationships. Believers who have been washed and sanctified are expected to reflect that cleansing in how they treat one another and how they steward their bodies.

The Corinthians’ behavior revealed that they had forgotten who they were. They wanted the benefits of grace without the responsibilities that accompany it. Paul calls them back to the truth of their salvation. They belong to Christ. Their identity is rooted in His sacrifice, and their conduct must reflect that reality. The church must live in a way that displays the transforming power of God: forgiving rather than retaliating, honoring one another rather than exploiting each other, and presenting bodies and relationships as instruments of worship. For those bought with a price, holiness is not a burden but the natural fruit of belonging to Jesus.

1 Corinthians 7 — Marriage, Singleness, Devotion, and Living for the Lord

Paul continues addressing issues raised by the Corinthians’ letter, turning now to questions about marriage, singleness, intimacy, and God’s calling. Because Corinth is marked by both sexual immorality and ascetic extremes, some believers are arguing that total abstinence, even within marriage, is more spiritual. Paul brings clarity, balance, and a Christ-centered perspective to each situation.

Paul addresses a statement circulating in Corinth that claimed it was better for believers to avoid marriage altogether (v. 1). While he affirms that singleness is a valid and honorable calling for those gifted for it, he rejects the idea that marriage is spiritually inferior. Because believers live in a world filled with pressures and temptations, God established marriage as a wise and protective covenant in which husbands and wives support one another (v. 2). Far from being a hindrance to holiness, marriage becomes a place where mutual care, encouragement, and sacrificial love are practiced (v. 3–4). Paul’s instruction elevates marriage by portraying it not as a concession to weakness but as a God-ordained relationship shaped by partnership and responsibility.

He also cautions couples not to distance themselves emotionally or relationally without mutual agreement and only for a brief season devoted to prayer, lest unnecessary strain create vulnerability (v. 5). Paul is not warning against devotion to God; he is safeguarding the unity and well-being of the marriage covenant. True spirituality does not fracture relationships God has established; it strengthens them.

Paul then states that he speaks this “by concession, not command” (v. 6). He personally values singleness because it enables undivided devotion to God, but he does not impose this preference. He says, “I wish that all were as I myself am,” but he adds, “each has his own gift from God” (v. 7). Both marriage and singleness are gifts; neither is more spiritual.

Paul then speaks to those who are unmarried or widowed, noting that remaining single, as he himself was, is a good and honorable path (v. 8–9). Singleness is not a lesser spiritual state but a legitimate calling that can be lived with purpose and purity. However, Paul also recognizes that not everyone is gifted for it; when singleness becomes a struggle rather than a blessing, marriage is a wise and God-honoring alternative. Neither state is superior; what matters is faithfulness to God in the condition He has presently assigned.

He then turns to married believers and offers clear instruction rooted in Jesus’ teaching: husbands and wives are not to abandon the covenant they have made (v. 10–11). If separation does occur, the priority is reconciliation rather than moving on to another relationship. Paul affirms the permanence of marriage, reminding the church that what God joins together carries divine weight. The Christian community is called to uphold and protect marriages, treating them not as casual arrangements but as sacred commitments before God.

Paul then speaks to believers married to unbelievers, a common situation in the early church. If the unbelieving spouse is willing to stay, the believer must not divorce (v. 12–13). The believer’s presence brings sanctifying influence into the household. Their marriage is not unclean or invalid. God extends grace into mixed marriages; He works through the believing spouse to bless the home (v. 14). However, if the unbelieving spouse chooses to depart, the believer “is not enslaved” (v. 15). Peace, not bondage, defines the Christian’s calling. Paul acknowledges the complexity: the believer does not know whether he or she will lead the spouse to salvation (v. 16). The responsibility is to live faithfully, not to control outcomes.

Paul then sets a major principle that anchors the entire chapter: “Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him” (v. 17). Marriage status is not the measure of spirituality; obedience is. Paul illustrates this through circumcision and slavery. These outward social or religious distinctions do not define one’s worth in the kingdom. What matters is “keeping the commandments of God” (v. 19). Believers should remain in the condition they were called, unless freedom becomes available (v. 20–24). True freedom is found in Christ, whether bondservant or free; all belong to the Lord, bought with a price.

Paul now turns to questions concerning those who were engaged but not yet married (v. 25). He notes that Jesus gave no direct command on this specific situation, yet Paul offers trustworthy, Spirit-guided counsel. Because of what he calls the “present distress,” likely referring to rising pressures, persecution, or instability in their world, remaining single might spare believers added burdens. His point, however, is not to discourage marriage; it is to encourage careful discernment in light of eternal priorities, not cultural expectations.

Marriage is a good gift from God, but it comes with responsibilities, such as caring for a spouse, providing for a household, and navigating daily concerns (v. 28, 32–34). These obligations are honorable, yet they naturally divide a person’s attention. Singleness, on the other hand, offers a unique opportunity for undivided focus on the Lord and His work. Paul’s aim is not to restrict anyone; he wants believers to make choices that enhance, rather than hinder, their walk with Christ. His concern is not whether someone marries or remains single, but that each decision is made with spiritual clarity and eternal purpose.

Paul then clarifies a practical scenario. If a man believes he is failing in his responsibilities toward the woman to whom he is pledged, and if marriage is the honorable step forward, then they should proceed with confidence (v. 36). But if he is fully persuaded that remaining single is best, and he can do so faithfully, that choice is commendable as well. Paul summarizes with balance: “He who marries does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better” (v. 38), not better morally, but better in terms of freedom for ministry and gospel service.

Finally, he addresses widows. Marriage is a lifelong covenant, binding as long as both spouses live (v. 39). When a husband dies, the widow is free to marry again, but her choice must reflect Christian conviction; she is to marry “only in the Lord,” meaning a fellow believer. Paul believes many widows may find greater peace and usefulness in remaining single, yet he presents this as wise counsel rather than a universal command (v. 40).

In all of this, Paul is not elevating one life situation above the other. Whether married or single, engaged or widowed, believers are called to honor Christ where they are. Marriage and singleness are both gifts, and both require obedience, purity, and a heart that seeks the Lord above all else.

Paul’s counsel reminds us that neither marriage nor singleness defines a believer’s worth; Christ does. Each season of life presents unique opportunities to serve the Lord with faithfulness and purity. Rather than chasing cultural pressures, romantic ideals, or personal fears, believers are called to make decisions that reflect eternal priorities. Whether God has placed us in a home filled with family responsibilities or given us the freedom of singleness, our aim remains the same: to devote ourselves to Christ without distraction. When our hearts are fixed on Him, every relationship, responsibility, and season becomes a platform for His glory.

1 Corinthians 7 confronts the Corinthians’ confusion with clarity, grace, and balance. It teaches that marriage and singleness are both gifts, both holy, and both capable of honoring Christ. The central theme is devotion; whether married or single, believers are called to live for the Lord with purity, wisdom, and wholehearted obedience. In a culture filled with confusion about relationships, desires, and personal rights, this chapter calls the church to Christ-centered priorities: honor your calling, guard your purity, remain faithful in the situation God has placed you in, and pursue undivided devotion to the Lord who has bought you with His blood.

1 Corinthians 8 — Knowledge, Love, and the Conscience of the Weaker Brother

Paul continues addressing the Corinthians’ questions, now turning to the issue of food sacrificed to idols, a matter deeply woven into Corinthian culture. Many believers, confident in their theological understanding, insist that they have the freedom to eat such food. Others, whose consciences are still shaped by their past involvement in idolatry, feel that participating in any way would be a return to their old life. Paul responds with pastoral wisdom, showing that Christian ethics are not driven merely by knowledge but by love.

Paul begins with a crucial distinction that exposes the heart of the problem in Corinth: “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (v. 1). The Corinthians are correct in their theology in that idols have no real existence and “there is no God but one” (v. 4). Yet their confidence has curdled into arrogance. Right doctrine without right love becomes dangerous. Knowledge divorced from charity inflates the ego, but knowledge expressed through love strengthens the church. In Scripture, to truly know God is to love Him, and to love Him is to love His people (cf. 1 John 4:20-21).

So Paul warns, “If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know” (v. 2). The problem is not knowledge itself, but self-assured knowledge that ignores others. True knowledge remains humble and relational, for “if anyone loves God, he is known by God” (v. 3). Being known by God, not winning an argument or defending a preference, is the believer’s deepest identity and security.

Paul affirms their theological point: idols are nothing. The pagan world may name countless “gods” and “lords,” but Christians confess one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer (v. 6). This monotheistic confession forms the foundation for Christian liberty. Meat offered to idols is theologically insignificant. The food cannot contaminate the believer, nor can it commend him to God (v. 8).

However, and here is the pastoral tension, not all believers stand on equal footing. Some, freshly converted from idolatry, still feel the weight of their past. When they see another Christian eating food associated with idol worship, they may interpret the action as endorsement of idolatry and violate their conscience by following suit (v. 7, 10). The act is not sinful in itself, but becomes sin when it pressures a weaker believer to act against conviction. Sin is not merely external behavior; it is rebellion against what one believes God requires of the heart.

Thus, Paul issues a sobering warning: “Take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak” (v. 9). Liberty without love becomes cruelty. To harm a weaker believer is to sin not merely against them, but against Christ Himself, who purchased them with His blood (v. 12). Christ identifies so closely with His people that to wound one of them is to wound Him.

Paul concludes with a personal example that embodies his argument: “If food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble” (v. 13). Christian freedom is not the right to do whatever we want. Rather, it is the freedom to lay down rights in order to build others up. Grace enables rather than excuses behavior; liberty is never license. Love willingly limits itself for the sake of another believer’s spiritual good. That posture, not personal preference, is the true measure of maturity.

1 Corinthians 8 confronts the Corinthians’ pride and replaces it with the law of love. Though they possess correct doctrine, they lack compassion. Paul teaches that knowledge without love becomes destructive, but knowledge expressed through love builds up the church. The chapter calls believers to evaluate their actions not only by what is permissible but also by what is profitable for others’ spiritual growth.

The guiding principle is simple yet profound: Love limits liberty for the sake of another believer’s spiritual good. In Christ’s kingdom, the strong are not those who demand their rights, but those who freely lay them down.

Conclusion

Across chapters 5–8, Paul exposes different problems in Corinth, but the root issue is the same: the church has forgotten who it is in Christ. In chapter 5, unchecked sin threatens the purity of the congregation and the eternal good of the sinner. In chapter 6, lawsuits, sexual immorality, and distorted freedom reveal hearts more shaped by the world than by the gospel. In chapter 7, confusion about marriage and singleness shows how easily believers can measure spirituality by circumstances rather than by obedience. In chapter 8, knowledge without love becomes a weapon that wounds weaker believers rather than building them up. In every case, Paul calls the church back to its true identity as a people washed, sanctified, and bought with a price.

These chapters teach that holiness is not optional, relationships are not expendable, and liberty is not self-serving. The church must confront sin with courage, not to drive people away, but to protect the flock and pursue the restoration of those who wander. Believers must refuse to imitate the world’s patterns of retaliation, indulgence, and self-promotion. Instead, they are called to live as those who belong to another kingdom, settling conflicts with grace, honoring God with their bodies, treating marriage and singleness as gifts entrusted by the Lord, and willingly limiting their freedoms for the sake of weaker brothers and sisters.

Taken together, 1 Corinthians 5–8 calls the church to a life shaped by the cross: a life in which purity reflects the holiness of God, identity rests in what Christ has done, and love governs every use of freedom. The question is not merely, “What am I allowed to do?” but, “What best displays Christ, guards His people, and serves the spiritual good of others?” When God’s people discipline with restoration in view, handle conflicts with humility, honor God in their bodies and callings, and let love rule their liberty, they bear faithful witness to the Savior who gave Himself for them and now calls them to live for Him.