1 Corinthians 5

Ver. 1, 2. I must now mention some particular offences among you; and first, it is publicly reported, to the great scandal of your holy religion, that one of your members lives in the most shocking incest with his own step-mother:—a form of whoredom detested by, and scarcely known among, civilized heathens:—and, nevertheless, many of you, puffed up with a conceit of your gifts and attainments, have overlooked, if not boasted of him, instead of being deeply concerned for the dishonour hereby done to Christ, the disgrace brought upon his church, and the hurt done to the soul of the offender, and of others;—and of being careful to have such an infamous sinner removed from your holy communion

1 Corinthians 5:3

Therefore, though I am not personally present to direct or influence your procedure, yet being earnestly desirous of your true honour and welfare, under the special direction of the Holy Ghost, I have considered and determined how this base scandal ought to be censured: 4, 5. That ye, whom Jesus Christ hath made spiritual rulers in his church, should, as a court constituted in his name, and after solemn prayer for his direction and assistance, with my hearty approbation, in his name and authority, as the great institutor and ratifier of the sentence, fully excommunicate this notorious offender from all fellowship with the visible church, and deliver him back into the visible kingdom of the devil, as one who has no manifest claim to the promises of the new covenant; in order that, by the blessing of God on this awful sentence, his prevailing corruptions may be mortified and subdued, and he, through fear, grief, and shame, brought to such repentance and reformation as may issue in his solemn acquittal and salvation in the last judgment

1 Corinthians 5:6

Your glorying in such a person, be his gifts and attainments what they will, or in your own spiritual gifts, or the prosperity of your church, is extremely sinful and dangerous. Know ye not that a single instance of scandal or manifest error connived at tends to corrupt the minds and practices of others, and to infect and defile the whole church

1 Corinthians 5:7

In imitation of the Jews, who purge their houses from leaven at their passover, labour not only to purge out corrupt affections from your own hearts, but to cleanse the church from scandalous persons and sins, in honour of Jesus Christ, who offered himself as an atoning sacrifice to God, in order that his people might be cleansed from all iniquity, and rendered zealous of good works

1 Corinthians 5:8

Let us therefore lead our whole life on earth, and particularly celebrate the New Testament festival of his supper, without sinful fellowship with notorious offenders, or indulgence of corrupt affections, envy, malice, or the like; but with integrity and godly simplicity, and a real love to the brethren, according to the truth of the gospel

1 Corinthians 5:9

Being absent, I have in this epistolary manner warned you to abstain from all familiar intercourse with persons addicted to whoredom, as thereby ye would harden them in their sins, and they would tempt you to follow their detestable example

1 Corinthians 5:10

Yet I mean not that you should have no dealings with heathens who live in whoredom, manifest covetousness, extortion, or idolatry; for then it would be necessary for you to leave this world, which is every where filled with such

1 Corinthians 5:11

But I insist that, if any of your professed Christian brethren be chargeable with uncleanness, or be inordinate lovers of money, or join in idolatrous worship, or be given to wrathful, abusive, and opprobrious language, or be lovers of much drinking, or intoxicated with liquor, or given to take the advantage of others by excessive rents or prices, ye carefully avoid all voluntary familiarity with them at common meals, and especially partaking with them at the Lord’s table

1 Corinthians 5:12

For I, as a minister of Christ, have no power to prohibit such converse as the civil offices, secular affairs, and relations of life, call you to; nor have ye power to judge and censure any offenders, but such as are of your own spiritual society

1 Corinthians 5:13

Those flagitious sinners, who are not in church fellowship with us, must be left to the righteous judgment and vengeance of God: but be ye careful to exclude this incestuous member from your church fellowship, and from all familiar and chosen conversation

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. V.—It is very shameful to hear of such scandalous enormities among Christians as even Heathens would be ashamed of. And highly unbecoming when professors, for the sake of party attachments or great gifts, are puffed up rather than humbled and mourning, under such awful events. Flagrant and obstinate sinners must be solemnly cast out from the Christian church, that their souls may be recovered, and the honour of Christ and the purity of his church preserved. For how inconsistent is it for those who were ransomed by, and live upon, a crucified Saviour, to indulge themselves in unholiness of heart and life! And extremely infectious are scandals, if they be not seasonably censured and restrained. Very awful is an excommunication from the church, inflicted in the name of, and ratified by, Jesus Christ the supreme Judge. And happy or terrible are its effects as men are duly affected with it. Heinous and highly aggravated are the iniquities of professed Christians; they render them more detestable and infectious than the very Heathens. With conscientious care should all Christians forbear familiar converse with such scandalous professors, in order to render them sensible of their sins. And church officers ought to proceed with the greatest prudence in their censures with respect to their subjects, manner, and end. But thrice happy will it be when we shall be no more plagued with wicked persons, lusts, or practices