The instruction given by the apostle Paul in I Corinthians 5 has almost completely disappeared from the thinking of church-going people and certainly from church leadership.
Today if someone is doing something wrong (like adultery or fornication) and he attends church and is called a Christian, what happens?
If such is known to the church leadership, what action do they usually take? Counselling? Prayer? No action? Try to hide the problem?
What does Bible tell us to do with a brother who is committing fornication and such evils while calling himself a Christian.
That is what we go by, what the Bible says to do, for the Bible is inspired by God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: II Timothy 3:16
Here is what the Bible tells us to do about such matters.
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I Corinthians 5:1-13 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Your glorying is not good.
Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
But them that are without God judgeth.
Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
We have the case of the TV preacher, Jimmy Swaggart, as an example of how the Assembly of God church leadership dealt with him when he was caught with a prostitute.
Swaggart appeared on his TV show at that time and was in tears as he said, "I have sinned."
I don't think most people who saw this TV appearance or the TV newscast showing this can forget the image of Swaggart's face with tearful eyes as he sobbed and spoke stressful words.
So what did the church leadership do?
I was visiting a small Assembly of God church one Wednesday night at that time.
The pastor said, "We should pray for Brother Swaggart."
I was very shocked, and quietly responded, "He should be put out of the church."
The woman seated directly in front of me heard what I said and she turned and glared at me.
The church leadership chose to counsel Swaggart and pray for him.
Amazingly, a year or so later, Swaggart was caught with another prostitute.
The second time he said, "The Lord said it is flat none of your business." (Swaggart: Wikipedia)
Church people too often want to look reasonable to the world.
The only consideration is what does the Bible tell us to do? And we do that.
The church people often want to judge the world and ignore the sin in the church.
This is backward to the scripture.
We are not to judge the world, but we are to judge a "brother" if he is doing wickedness of fornication, or is covetous, or an idolater, or an extortioner (many pastors are extortioners), or a drunkard.
We are to put him "away" from us, out of the church. We are to keep no company with him.
We had a situation like this occur in our church group in the 1980's.
A man who was a Bible teacher at the church I attended was said to have a "girlfriend." I went to him and asked about this girlfriend. He skirted the issue. Then I point blank asked, "Are you having sex with this woman?" He replied, "Of course." I then told him, "You know the Bible as well as I do. I can no longer have any association with you." He said, "OK." He didn't seem to care.
We certainly have a "right" to approach another person who is attending our church group if there is such a question about this person. It is our business in the church to deal with the church. It is our business to get facts if a question arises concerning another member of our church. We have the right to expect those in the church to conduct themselves in a godly way.
The leadership at that church took no action at all concerning this man who was teaching in their church. It was at a church called Word of Faith in Farmer's Branch, Texas, outside Dallas, Robert Tilton was pastor. That church is now defunct.
Sins defined in Bible:
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness (defrauding another), lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft (superstitions), hatred, variance (to vary, debate, argue), emulations (to try to beat others), wrath (ill will, seeking revenge against another), strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Notice that drunkenness is listed as a sin, not an illness.
While the world calls drunkenness a disease, God, through Bible, calls drunkenness a sin of the flesh.
For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Your glorying is not good.
Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
But them that are without God judgeth.
Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
*****
We have the case of the TV preacher, Jimmy Swaggart, as an example of how the Assembly of God church leadership dealt with him when he was caught with a prostitute.
Swaggart appeared on his TV show at that time and was in tears as he said, "I have sinned."
I don't think most people who saw this TV appearance or the TV newscast showing this can forget the image of Swaggart's face with tearful eyes as he sobbed and spoke stressful words.
So what did the church leadership do?
*****
I was visiting a small Assembly of God church one Wednesday night at that time.
The pastor said, "We should pray for Brother Swaggart."
I was very shocked, and quietly responded, "He should be put out of the church."
The woman seated directly in front of me heard what I said and she turned and glared at me.
The church leadership chose to counsel Swaggart and pray for him.
Amazingly, a year or so later, Swaggart was caught with another prostitute.
The second time he said, "The Lord said it is flat none of your business." (Swaggart: Wikipedia)
After Swaggart was caught with prostitute the second time, the Assembly of God church leadership "defrocked" Swaggart, disassociating with him, which is what they should have done in the first situation, according to Bible.
Swaggart continues to appear on his TV show.
Swaggart continues to appear on his TV show.
*****
Church people too often want to look reasonable to the world.
The only consideration is what does the Bible tell us to do? And we do that.
*****
The church people often want to judge the world and ignore the sin in the church.
This is backward to the scripture.
We are not to judge the world, but we are to judge a "brother" if he is doing wickedness of fornication, or is covetous, or an idolater, or an extortioner (many pastors are extortioners), or a drunkard.
We are to put him "away" from us, out of the church. We are to keep no company with him.
*****
We had a situation like this occur in our church group in the 1980's.
A man who was a Bible teacher at the church I attended was said to have a "girlfriend." I went to him and asked about this girlfriend. He skirted the issue. Then I point blank asked, "Are you having sex with this woman?" He replied, "Of course." I then told him, "You know the Bible as well as I do. I can no longer have any association with you." He said, "OK." He didn't seem to care.
We certainly have a "right" to approach another person who is attending our church group if there is such a question about this person. It is our business in the church to deal with the church. It is our business to get facts if a question arises concerning another member of our church. We have the right to expect those in the church to conduct themselves in a godly way.
The leadership at that church took no action at all concerning this man who was teaching in their church. It was at a church called Word of Faith in Farmer's Branch, Texas, outside Dallas, Robert Tilton was pastor. That church is now defunct.
*****
Sins defined in Bible:
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness (defrauding another), lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft (superstitions), hatred, variance (to vary, debate, argue), emulations (to try to beat others), wrath (ill will, seeking revenge against another), strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Notice that drunkenness is listed as a sin, not an illness.
While the world calls drunkenness a disease, God, through Bible, calls drunkenness a sin of the flesh.
*****
Our desire should be to be godly in the sight of God.
You will not be godly while casting aside scripture. It is impossible.
The church is for the church, for those who belong to God. We, in fact, are the church.
The body of Christ is not for the wicked.
Therefore if the wicked tries to sit among us, we do not allow it to happen.
Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
There are terrible things happening in today's churches.
We cannot be a part of such.
The apostate church of the end times:
II Thess. 2 (NASB)
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed
The one restraining the man of lawlessness was Jesus, THE WORD, the scriptures.
As soon as scripture, even a portion of scripture, was removed, the restraint which held lawlessness back from the churches was removed so antichrist could move into the churches and lawlessness could reign inside the churches.
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed
The one restraining the man of lawlessness was Jesus, THE WORD, the scriptures.
As soon as scripture, even a portion of scripture, was removed, the restraint which held lawlessness back from the churches was removed so antichrist could move into the churches and lawlessness could reign inside the churches.
*****
Poison Gas Dream:
Destruction was everywhere.
A man was speaking to a group of people. I went into the room and began to listen.
Another man rushed into the room and said: "Stop ... Wait ... Can't you see? ... It's too late ... It's already begun."
The first man resumed speaking.
I looked out the windows to see what had "already begun."
I was very shocked at what I saw!
There was a tall pole with a yellow civil defense type warning speaker on top of the pole. Out of the speaker was coming a gas that was poison. It was coming directly toward us. I knew it would kill us.
The speaker that was set there to warn us was the device being used to gas us to death.
I looked at the man sitting next to me. He had a big smile on his face. But he was a corpse. He was already dead. I looked around the room at the other people. They were dead too, though they seemed to be alive. And as I sat among them, I began to feel sleepy and I knew as I sat there with them, the gas coming from the speaker was killing me too.
God was showing me the conditions of the church groups at the time of this dream, 1979. It is much worse in churches today.
Destruction was everywhere.
A man was speaking to a group of people. I went into the room and began to listen.
Another man rushed into the room and said: "Stop ... Wait ... Can't you see? ... It's too late ... It's already begun."
The first man resumed speaking.
I looked out the windows to see what had "already begun."
I was very shocked at what I saw!
There was a tall pole with a yellow civil defense type warning speaker on top of the pole. Out of the speaker was coming a gas that was poison. It was coming directly toward us. I knew it would kill us.
The speaker that was set there to warn us was the device being used to gas us to death.
I looked at the man sitting next to me. He had a big smile on his face. But he was a corpse. He was already dead. I looked around the room at the other people. They were dead too, though they seemed to be alive. And as I sat among them, I began to feel sleepy and I knew as I sat there with them, the gas coming from the speaker was killing me too.
God was showing me the conditions of the church groups at the time of this dream, 1979. It is much worse in churches today.
*****
We are living the perilous times spoken of by the apostle Paul, and sadly these are in the churches, but it is easier to endure this when we understand that the apostasy in the churches had to happen for Jesus could not return unless this happened.
II Thess. 2 (NSAB) It (the day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first,
KJV says "the falling away" ... churches will fall away from scripture. That is what we are seeing in today's church groups. It has been going on for many decades but is getting worse as Paul told us it would do toward the end and as we grow closer to the return of Jesus.
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Paul explains as follows: II Timothy 3:1-5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
While gathering with the church, they deny the power of the scriptures to rule over them, explaining scripture away or completely ignoring the portion of scripture which conflicts with their own personal preferences.
II Timothy 3:13-17 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
The scriptures are instruction in righteousness. We have to do those instructions without explaining them away.
Treating sin in the church as Paul told us to do in I Corinthians 5, is critical. We must not go along with reasoning such instruction away and substituting counseling and prayer for the instruction given in the Bible, as did the Assembly of God leadership in the example of Jimmy Swaggart.
We just simply do what the Bible says to do with such sins in the congregation and sins in the ministry itself when such appears.
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