1 Corinthians 5:1-5
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. 3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
In this passage Paul confronts the Corinthian church over a church member who is sexually immoral. He commands them "to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord" (verse 5). Scholars may debate exactly what it means to "deliver this man to Satan", but it is clear from the context (see verses 12-13) that Paul at least wants them to remove the member from the church. He is arguing to not ignore sexual sin, but to expose it. Notice that the goal of Paul is not to destroy the person but to destroy the sinful nature and ultimately save the person ("that his spirit may be saved"). In a sense the man was already in the control of Satan, but his pretending to still be a good Christian was preventing him from breaking free. It is the hiding of our sin that keeps us stuck in it. Healing starts with admitting our sin.
Lord, I confess to wanting to hide my sin. But that keeps me stuck in the sin. Help me to be honest and repentant about my sin, that my spirit may be saved.
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. 3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
In this passage Paul confronts the Corinthian church over a church member who is sexually immoral. He commands them "to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord" (verse 5). Scholars may debate exactly what it means to "deliver this man to Satan", but it is clear from the context (see verses 12-13) that Paul at least wants them to remove the member from the church. He is arguing to not ignore sexual sin, but to expose it. Notice that the goal of Paul is not to destroy the person but to destroy the sinful nature and ultimately save the person ("that his spirit may be saved"). In a sense the man was already in the control of Satan, but his pretending to still be a good Christian was preventing him from breaking free. It is the hiding of our sin that keeps us stuck in it. Healing starts with admitting our sin.
Lord, I confess to wanting to hide my sin. But that keeps me stuck in the sin. Help me to be honest and repentant about my sin, that my spirit may be saved.