The Problem of Sexual Immorality

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Summary

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul confronts both the serious sexual sin within the Corinthian church and the church’s troubling silence about it. He calls believers to respond to sin, whether in our own lives or in the lives of others, with grief, not arrogance or indifference. Sin grows when minimized, and even a little “leaven” can spread through the whole community. Because Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed, we are called to pursue sincerity and truth, resisting excuses that downplay sin’s seriousness. At times faithful love even requires radical action, always aimed at repentance and spiritual restoration.

Discussion Questions

• Why is Paul troubled not only by the man’s sexual sin but also by the church’s silence? What does this reveal about the role of the church community?
• In verses 6 to 8, Paul uses the image of leaven spreading through the dough. How does this help us understand the progressive nature of sin?
• What does Paul mean when he says Christians are not to “judge outsiders” but are to exercise judgment within the church? How is this different from being judgmental?
• Paul says the church should have mourned instead of boasting. Why is grief the right heart posture toward sin?
• We often swing between two extremes in responding to sin: minimizing it (“no big deal”) or reacting in anger. Which extreme do you tend toward, and why?
• What’s the difference between shame, regret, and true godly grief? How have you experienced each?
• Which of the common excuses Paul addresses (“Everyone sins,” “It is too much work,” “We’re only human”) do you find yourself most tempted to use? What makes that excuse appealing?
• What does “radical action” look like when dealing with sin in your own life? What practical steps help you cut off sin before it grows?
• When someone you love is caught in sin, what does it look like to approach them with grief rather than anger or indifference?
• How do Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:27–30 challenge our tendency to downplay “private” or “internal” sins?
• Paul’s ultimate aim is restoration (“that his spirit may be saved”). How does this shape the way we think about correction, discipline, or accountability?
• Verse 7 says, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” How does the gospel keep this from becoming a “do better, try harder” passage?
• What hope does the gospel offer to someone battling sexual sin or any entrenched sin pattern?

Quotes

“How otherwise would St Paul and all the other apostles and carers of souls have so earnestly prescribed as from God this medicine against sin, a medicine so strong and therefore so effective in its healing powers, applying it themselves and vigorously prompting and encouraging everyone to do so, even though this ordinance is not spelled out expressly ot us in the same way as it was to the ancients?” —Martin Bucer, Concerning the True Care of Souls, p.114