1 Corinthians 5:1

1 Corinthians 5:1 states, 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. Paul had been writing about their elevation of themselves due to their own worldly ideas, but now he moves on to a specific action by a person in this church that was openly spoken of.  We can be sure that if there are things going on in the church that are not consistent with God's will that those who are not Christians will be quick to report it.  As the church, whether a local body of believers or the church world wide, we need to be careful that we don't let sin, especially public sin ruin our witness.  In this case, it was widely known that one of the members was having an affair with his father's wife.  Paul warned the church that this must not be allowed to continue.  Though we are not called to judge other Christians, if their actions are harming the witness of the church, we must deal with those actions so that the church will not be held up for ridicule.  Verse two adds, And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.  Paul stated clearly that the actions of this one person, instead of leading to correction by the church, had led others in the church to be puffed up. We, as followers of Christ, cannot allow anyone to openly sin in the congregation of believers, much less let it lead us to be puffed up in self-pride.  Verse three continues, 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,  Paul said he didn't have to be there in person to judge the actions of this person and the actions of the church to be wrong.  As followers of Christ today, we need to pronounce sin as sin, especially if it occurs within the church.  Forgiveness of all our sins does not give us a license to continue sinning. Verse four states, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,  I believe Paul was reminding them of why they gathered together.  We as followers of Christ need to remember the purpose of gathering together as a body of believers and that is, as Paul reminded the Corinthians, to bring glory to Christ.  When we gather in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must worship in a way to bring Him honor.  Paul said he was with them in spirit and that when they gathered in the name of Christ, they had His power to enable them to worship in spirit and in truth.  There is no room for open, unrepentant sin in the midst of God's people. Verse five adds, 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. Paul offers the remedy.  He said this was to be done under the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit, but such a one was better off being turned over to Satan that the flesh might be destroyed but the spirit might be saved when Christ returns.  My understanding of this is that the person was saved but started to live by worldly standards again.  We have to acknowledge that once we are born again, we are God's children forever.  We cannot obtain salvation through grace and lose it through works.  Still, open sin, rebellion against God, cannot be allowed in the church.  This does not mean that we are the morality police, but that through the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit that we are called on to address sin when we see it in the midst of the body of believers.