Our lesson in 1st Corinthians chapter 5:1-8 marks a stark departure from the subject of the previous chapters. Having dealt with sectarian division caused by pride Paul now dives into the heart of the corruption that unrestrained pride has caused. This corruption being sexual immorality of a kind that is not even tolerated by the pagan gentiles, let alone the house of the living God, Chapter 5:1.
Instead of being humbled and afraid of allowing such sin to exist among them. The Corinthians are prideful and arrogant. A pride fueled by cults of personality created by divisive cliques forming around a particular teacher. These cults of personality are not necessarily caused or encouraged by any of these individual teachers. They originate within the Corinthians own hearts. We know this because the they apparently included Christ in their folly, Chapter 1:12, and we know that Christ is not the author of such arrogance. It is pride in their own knowledge of what is good and what is evil as opposed to the revealed word of God that is the issue. This pride in their own knowledge led to their sinful choices.
How often do we find ourselves, as a church and individual believers, compromising God’s word? Do these ideas sound familiar? “God knows my heart". "What I am doing is not that bad". "Everyone knows this is how the world works". These are just a few of the philosophical justifications based on our personal understanding of good and evil that we use to reject the word of God. Make no mistake, we are rejecting the word of God just as any pagan would when we use such justifications.
It is up to church leadership to lovingly counsel such an individual or group who is struggling in a quagmire of sin. It is also up to each one of us to fight the good fight of faith to be free of the sin that so easily pounces on us. In this way we can purge the levin of pride from among and within us through Jesus who is the Christ and our passover lamb. This levin always originates from our own prideful knowledge of what we have decided is good and what we have decided is evil.
This this truth shouldn't be surprising. After all, we know that relying on our own knowledge of good and evil is the root and tree of rebellion against God. Geneses 2:16-17.