Thread: I Corinthians 5
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Old 07-23-2009, 06:55 AM
CKG CKG is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Warner Robins, Georgia
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Originally Posted by Amanda S. View Post
My husband is teaching through I & II Corinthians on Wednesday nights and I was struck by the seeming harshness in the passage...Why if we were to not fellowship with a brother for any reason the world and sadly the brethren would certainly call us hateful and condemning...

But amidst the harshness is - that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

It's not to be mean or to glory in a fallen brother, but it's for his own good.

Then I was a little frustrated that we are so apt to categorize sins...

Now fornication!? THAT's the big sin...Drunkard...that one too. But covetous?! Nope, never ever heard that a brother was "put away from" the brethren for being covetous...A railer? I've known quite a few in my lifetime...never once saw them turned away from fellowship.

Anyway, I certainly would feel unqualified to put away someone that was covetous!?

And does this only apply in the church? What about family? Having a couple of uncles that are fornicators and drunkards (at times) do I avoid eating with them at family get togethers and not keep company with them? They both claim salvation and 1 especially has a clear testimony of salvation but that is as far as it goes.

Just a few thoughts to start a discussion. Feel free to bring up anything from this chapter and discuss it.
1 Corinthians 5
9. I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:

10. 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.

11. 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 idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
Paul's instructions is for us to not keep company with a brother who is caught up in these sins because it would be impossible to to separate from everyone in the world who was caught up in these things unless there was some way you could leave the world. As far as a situation like you described concerning your uncles I think that is left up to the discretion of you and your husband. If it were just you and your husband there would probably be no problem with the family togethers, but what about your children? If there is any way they could come in harm's way or under a negatice influence you might want to avoid the family eatings. Most likely though, these uncles aren't drinking and fornicating at the family get-togethers or even speaking of it so you would want to take advantage of being a Christian witness.