UBF Daily Bread

WE ARE AN UNLEAVENED BATCH

Passage: 1_Corinthians 5:1~13

Key verse: 7

Dealing With a Case of Incest

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.^(A) ²And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning^(B) and have put out of your fellowship^(C) the man who has been doing this? ³For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit.^(D) As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus^(E) on the one who has been doing this. ⁴So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, ⁵hand this man over^(F) to Satan^(G) for the destruction of the flesh,^[a]^[b] so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.^(H)

⁶Your boasting is not good.^(I) Don’t you know that a little yeast^(J) leavens the whole batch of dough?^(K) ⁷Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.^(L) ⁸Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread^(M) of sincerity and truth.

⁹I wrote to you in my letter not to associate^(N) with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰not at all meaning the people of this world^(O) who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. ¹¹But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister^[c]^(P) but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater^(Q) or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.^(R)

¹²What business is it of mine to judge those outside^(S) the church? Are you not to judge those inside?^(T) ¹³God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”^[d]^(U)

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Footnotes

1 Corinthians 5:5 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 5:5 Or of his body
1 Corinthians 5:11 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in 8:11, 13.
1 Corinthians 5:13 Deut. 13:5; 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21,24; 24:7

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Hand him over to Satan; his spirit may be saved (1-5)

Divisions weren't the only problem in the Corinthian church. Sexual immorality was practiced by one individual in the church. And the church was proud of it! They thought their attitude was welcoming. Paul was harshly critical of them for this. They should have kicked him out of their fellowship. God cannot abide with sin. The sin they accepted so openly was damaging the whole church. It infected everything the church did and stood for. God does not compromise with sin. Neither should his church. Paul urged them to hand this man over to Satan, in hopes that this would lead him to repent.

2. The Passover Lamb has been sacrificed (6-13)

Paul urged them to get rid of the old yeast. Bad yeast can affect the whole batch of bread. In the same way, sin affects the whole body of Christ. Christ is our Passover Lamb who was sacrificed for the sin of the world. They should realize that they were an unleavened batch. Paul's judgment was clear. They should not associate with members of the body of Christ who so openly engaged in sin.

Prayer: Father, help me to be clear in my attitude and my life. Help us to live holy lives.

One Word: Get rid of the old yeast