5 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.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
St. Paul wrote to the church of Corinth that the unrepentant sinner should be cast out and excluded for the sinner’s sake: “deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”, and so that he must face God and His judgment.
Christians today (including us) abhor this idea. We favor of the idea that we must preserve a sinner’s flesh and pretend his soul will be saved. We’d rather they don’t suffer, perhaps never meet God, die, and go to Hell. We think its better if we keep them in our hands than deliver them to the wisdom, justice, and (yes) mercy of God’s hands.
We celebrate the festival of Christ’s resurrection with the old leaven of malice and evil by making those the weights against which we measure our words and actions instead of choosing words and actions which have been measured according to their truth and sincerity. If someone asked us we’d deny it, but when we make decisions based on what won’t upset the other guests, or won’t cause someone hurt feelings, or won’t make us look like judgmental hypocrites, then guess what? That is the measure of the old leaven of malice and evil.
God, have mercy on me.
Things that We have Heard and Known 
On me as well.
I think that congregations put people out all the time for repeatedly promoting heresy, though. But not for sexual immorality, unless the person is there being annoying about it, true enough. Yet people who have been remarried aren’t allowed ordination, and probably it would be scandalous for somebody who always shows up with his live-in. “unmarried” girlfriend to teach Sunday School. Luckily, there are sacraments and sacramentals for devout Christians to partake of, and to build up grace with, in this era of largely unchecked immorality.
Thanks be to God. Praise him; alleluia.
Indeed Death row has facilitated many conversions.
We have become to lax for soft reasons. In the early Church soldiers were regularly excommunicated for a year after service due to the nature of secular war being considered dirty. They bore it without the howling complaint you would hear today.
Now a woman who ruthlessly broke her marriage over a dispute about where her son would go to school receives communion at my Church.
Thank you for this. I am a third-generation member of a Christian organization—brazenly so at its founding—that now officially is post-Christian/non-Christian. I will have to step down from a local leadership role and this helped me do so.
Intercession for your people is necessary, as Daniel did. And the greatest sin is idolatry, and the pagan goddess is libertas.
But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
Why would the average person in the church support this? They are all idolaters.
Good listen
Haven’t heard from you in a while Cane, hope all is well.
@8 in the Gate
Thanks. I’m doing all right. To be forthright: I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be doing here.
Do you mean with the blog? I would encourage you to keep your voice, even if it’s comments over at Dals. You always get me thinking – considering things differently, usually at a deeper level than I had thought of.
Peace and Clarity to you.
There’s so much to do as religion goes. If you’re bookish, learn an ecclesiastic language (Latin, Greek, Hebrew). If you love history, expound on Church history. If you’re a people person, find the thin line that divides gossip from legitimate criticism and fall on the safe side. If you want power, preach Heaven and Hell. If you like variety, take a little bit from each on a regular basis.
Same, I enjoy reading here even if I do it in spurts now. I’ve also found your articles useful in talking with other people.
Haven’t seen a new post in a while. Everything ok?
Cane,
Keep commenting and writing. Your writing makes me think, and ponder.
Cane I keep checking back for some of your thought provoking writing. You have a gift. Maybe explore why you are unsure of what to write about. These are perplexing times in many ways.
“These are perplexing times in many ways.
Fast forward 15 months and the “perplexing” part has been multiplied several times over.