“Jesus Christ
The Sure Foundation for a
Troubled Church”
Saturday, September 9, 2006
1 Corinthians chapter 5
“Echoing the sin of your father”
“Purge, therefore the old leaven...”
5:7a
1
PRAY
2
Survey the Major Cities
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/index.html
PONTUS
MEDES
Roman Empire
ELAM
30 AD
35 AD
Antioch
40 AD
45 AD
50 AD
3rd
Ephesus
Arabia
2nd
Corinth
1st
Timothy
55 AD
60 AD
65 AD
3
70 AD
So here we are 56 AD in
Ephesus with Paul
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/index.html
PONTUS
MEDES
Roman Empire
ELAM
Luke
3rd
4yrs
Arabia
30 AD
35 AD
Antioch
40 AD
45 AD
50 AD
Ephesus
2nd
Corinth
1st
55 AD
60 AD
65 AD
4
70 AD
Outline of First Corinthians
• Written to answer questions on
– Marriage (Chapter 7)
– Idolatry (Chapter 8-11)
– Spiritual gifts (Chapter 12-14)
– Gospel (Chapter 15)
– Money (Chapter 16)
• Issues before answers (Chapters 1-6)
5
What kind of society did the
Corinthians live in?
•
•
•
•
Greek - Olympics - Athletic idols
Port City Enslaving Prosperity $$$$
Corinthianize = Sexual immorality
University - Worldly Wisdom
San Francisco +
New Orleans +
Las Vegas =
Corinth, Greece, AD 56
6
What kind of people have we seen in
the Corinthian Church?
• Missing father (1:11)
• Idolatry
– Of leaders (ch 1)
– Of Miracles and Ceremonies (ch 2)
– Of Worldly Wise (ch 2)
• Four-year old diapered spiritual babies on milk (ch 3)
• Divisive, wounded, jealous, & self-destructive (ch 3)
• Insecure, seeking approval, honor, recognition (ch 4)
7
What kind of people will we see in
the Corinthian Church?
• Gross sexual immorality (ch 5)
• Ripping each other off (ch 6)
• Binge eating of the Lord’s supper, get drunk and leave
some hungry (1Co 11)
• Out of control church service, likely emphasizing the
“seen” gifts (1Co 12-14).
• No discernment and abusing and being abused (2Co
11:20).
8
What is missing in the
Corinthian Church?
• Who’s your daddy? (1:11)
• “Lead-dolatry” - Pedistal for leaders (ch 1)
then themselves (4:8-13)
• Following the gifted (ch1) abusing the gifts
(ch 12)
• Following titles (ch 1) abusing titles (ch 4)
• Missing a name, approval, empowerment,
and a mission
• Searching for their missing “Da
d-dolatry”
9
Things you should have gotten
from your father (4:7-13)
• A Name – A heritage
– A family
– A name
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Things you should have gotten
from your father (4:7-13)
• Worth – I value you
– I love you
– I support you
– I want to be with you
11
Things you should have gotten
from your father (4:7-13)
• Wealth – Virtue - unseen riches
– Giftings - Strengthen the weak
– Limitations - Get help from the strong
– Uniqueness - you are special
12
Things you should have gotten
from your father (4:7-13)
• A mission – Direction for your giftings
– Guidance
– Advice
– Support
13
“This is my beloved son in whom
I love. In him I am well pleased,
listen to him”
• Baptism (Mt 17:5)
• Transfiguration (Lk 3:22)
14
“This is my beloved son in whom
I love. In him I am well pleased,
listen to him”
•
•
•
•
My Son - The Name
Beloved - Worth
Well pleased - Favor, Wealth
Listen to him - Mission
15
What are the word-pictures
that Paul uses of himself?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Servant - huperetes = under rowsman (4:1)
Steward - oikonomos = house manager (4:1)
Minister - diakonos = waiter (3:5)
Planter - pheuteo = seed planter (3:6)
Laborer - sunergos = co-laborer (3:9)
Apostle - apostolos = mail carrier (3:9)
Bondservant - doulos = term servant (Ro 1:1)
Father - pater = all of the above (4:15)
16
Idolatry: A poor substitute for a
father’s love (4:7-13)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Division over Differences
Elevate the strong and humiliate the weak
Titles, ruling, reigning, power, authority
Seen wealth
Knowledge to puff up
Visible strength
Prideful self-idolatry is a cancerous substitute
for a real father’s love!
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Imitation: give away the love
you’ve experienced (4:14-17)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Read it!
Begetter vs 10k instructors
Imitate vs listen
Beloved vs instructed
Relationship vs knowledge
Warned vs shamed
Seen Father & Son (Paul & Timothy) vs
heard instructors
18
What if my dad didn’t do these
things? Am I unqualified?
• Overcome his failings - Get a new
Father!
• Substitute his failings - A “poser”
• Reject his failings - An “opposer”
• Echo his failings - A “loser”
19
Paul is sending Timothy?
•
•
•
•
•
•
From a divided home (Ac 16:1)
An unbelieving father (Ac 16:1)
A youth (1Ti 4:12)
Too sickly (1Ti 5:23)
Paul’s spiritual son (1Co 4:17)
God is his father (1Co 4:17)
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Read and Outline all of Ch 5
•
•
•
•
•
•
Warped sexuality (vs 1)
Warped discernment (vs 2)
Paul’s reaction (vs 3)
Paul’s direction (vs 4-5)
Paul’s proper, Passover picture (vs 6-8)
Directed discernment (vs 9-12)
21
5:1 ¶ 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.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Key words?
Look for repetition
Look for repetition
Look for repetition
Look in the context
Look for word pictures
Look for modern word usages
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5:1 ¶ 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.
• Fornication - [4202 porneia porneia porni'-ah]
• Porneia = sexual immorality
• Root word for porn, pornography
• Porneia is similar to “eido”latry
23
5:1 ¶ 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.
Porneia vs “eye-dolatry”
• Both originate in the eyes “seen thing”
• Sexual immorality brings down and enslaves,
and “eido-latry” makes you bow and to serve.
• Prohibited intimacies: Physical
vs. spiritual
• Covenant breakers
• Physical vs. spiritual pouring out
24
5:1 ¶ 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.
What Porneia sins in verse 1?
– Sex before marriage - he wasn’t married to
her
– Adultery because the woman was married
– Incest - within a family
– Sex outside the faith - she’s an unbeliever
– Flagrant, open, public sexual immorality
– Sex to humiliate and to elevate
25
5:1 ¶ 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.
Father’s wife = step-mother
1. Abandoned his son’s mother?
2. Mother is a prostitute, sex slave, and never
married son’s mother?
3. Polygamy? - A two-woman man (maybe several)
4. Divorced/remarried? Not necessary in Corinth!
5. Died/remarried? Get real, this is Corinth & look
at the fruit of the son’s behavior.
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5:1 ¶ 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.
Theory: a two-woman father
First mention of polygamy Genesis 4:19
“And Lamech took unto him two wives: the
name of the one was Adah, and the
name of the other Zillah.”
27
5:1 ¶ 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.
Theory: a two-woman father
First mention of polygamy Genesis 4:19
“And Lamech took unto him two wives: the
name of the one was Adah, and the
name of the other Zillah.”
– Adah = “ornament”
– Zillah = “undesirable”
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5:1 ¶ 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.
Theory: a two-woman father
First mention of polygamy Genesis 4:19
“And Lamech took unto him two wives: the
name of the one was Adah, and the
name of the other Zillah.”
– Adah = “ornament”
– Zillah = “undesirable”
Your pornea woman shines in your eye as a
hollow-shelled idol leaving your wife
second and undesirable
29
5:1 ¶ 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.
A family diagnosis: the women
“Undesirable” is not even mentioned, which is exactly
the point
“Ornament” is likely a younger woman because of the
attraction of her step-son
“Undesirable” is therefore the first wife who is made
last.
Ornament doesn’t respect other’s nor her relationships
Ornament is not a believer because she is not
subjected to the Church’s discipline
30
5:1 ¶ 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.
A family diagnosis: the father
The follow-on woman he married “Ornament” is not a
believer
Because he’s not rebuked for that, I’m assuming he’s
not a believer
I propose that the father is not one woman man
A dull daddy: expecting Ornament to respect marriage?
31
5:1 ¶ 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.
A family diagnosis: the son
Believing son - Paul tells them to disfellowship him NOT kill him.
The son came to faith late in life - Corinth church is only
4 years old
The son has not matured in his faith as the Corinthian
church is full of babies (ch3)
32
5:1 ¶ 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.
A family diagnosis: the son
The son is a child of “Undesirable”
The son is attracted to “Ornament” therefore he has
spent time with her
The son “has” his father’s wife, therefore he is an adult
The son doesn’t respect his father’s marriage
The son has Christ living in him and is probably more
attractive to Ornament than his father
33
5:1 ¶ 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 [Gk echo] his father’s wife.
Diagnosis: the son echoes his father
The son echoes his father’s wife.
The son echoes his earthly father because the son
came to faith late in life
The son echoes his father’s carnality
The son echoes his father’s spiritual immaturity
The son echoes his father’s attraction to Ornament
The son echoes his father’s disrepect of marriage
The son echoes his desire to have a spiritual father by
taking his father’s place in the bedroom
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Ge 35 The son echoes his
father
The Children of Israel
Jacob
(Israel)
Leah
Rachel
Zilpah
Bilhah
Reuben-see a son
Simeon -one who hears
Levi-attached
Judah-praise
Dan-he has vindicated
Naphtali -my struggle
Gad -good fortune
Asher -happy
Issachar -reward
Zebulun-honor
Joseph -may he add
Manasseh -forget
Ephraim-twice fruitful
Benjamin -son of my struggle /
son of my right hand
35
Ge 35 The son echoes his
father
The Children of Israel
Jacob
(Israel)
Leah
Rachel
Zilpah
Bilhah
Reuben-see a son
Simeon -one who hears
Levi-attached
Judah-praise
Dan-he has vindicated
Naphtali -my struggle
Gad -good fortune
Asher -happy
Issachar -reward
Zebulun-honor
Joseph -may he add
Manasseh -forget
Ephraim-twice fruitful
Benjamin -son of my struggle /
son of my right hand
36
Ge 35 The son echoes his
father
The Children of Israel
Reuben
Jacob
(Israel)
Leah
Rachel
• Reuben, son of Undesirable,
echoes his father’s
Zilpah
Bilhah to become the
attraction to Ornament
and uses Ornament
Reuben-see a son
strong father he never
Simeonhad
-one who hears
Levi-attached
• Sex becomes a tool
to elevate, to control, to idolize
Judah-praise
Dan-he has vindicated
• Perpetrator of incest has a motive to
elevate, to control,
Naphtali -my struggle
Gad -good fortune
to idolize themselves
substituting for affirmation from their
Asher -happy
missing/abusive father.
Issachar -reward
Zebulun-honor
Manasseh -forget
• Danger of a blended
family -Joseph
Incest
common
from older
-may he add
Ephraim-twice fruitful
boys, danger of older, unrelated male in your home
Benjamin -son of my struggle /
son of my right is
hand serial polygamy is
•
Today’s dysfunctional family
much more likely to experience incest
37
The son echoes the father
David
Uriah
Michal Ahinoam Abigail Maacah Haggith Abital Eglah Bathsheba
1Sa 18 - (1Sa 25) (1Sa 25) (2Sa 3) (2Sa 3) (2Sa 3) (2Sa 3) (2Sa 11
25:44
1Chr 3:5)
Amnon Chileab Absalom Adonijah Shephatiah Ithream
Concu(2Sa 3) (Daniel) (2Sa 3) (2Sa 3)
(2Sa 3) (2Sa 3)
bines
(2Sa 3:2) Tamar
??
(1Chr 3:1) (2Sa 13)
(2Sa 12)
Additional sons:
Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet,
Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
Elishama, Eliada, Eliphelet
(1Chr 3:6-8)
Solomon
Nathan,
Shimea
Shobab
(1Chr 3:5)
38
The son echoes the father
9 “…Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord,
to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with
the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and
have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.
10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your
house, because you have despised Me, and have taken
the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'
11 Thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will raise up adversity
against you from your own house; and I will take your
wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor,
and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all
Israel, before the sun.’” (2Sa 12, NKJV)
39
The son echoes the father
“So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the
house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines
in the sight of all Israel.” (2Sa 16:22)
David
Uriah
Michal Ahinoam Abigail Maacah Haggith Abital Eglah Bathsheba
1Sa 18 - (1Sa 25) (1Sa 25) (2Sa 3) (2Sa 3) (2Sa 3) (2Sa 3) (2Sa 11
25:44
1Chr 3:5)
Amnon
Absalom Adonijah Shephatiah Ithream
Concu(2Sa 3)
(2Sa 3) (2Sa 3)
(2Sa 3) (2Sa 3)
bines
Chileab
Idolize 2Sa 13:1-2
Tamar
??
(Daniel)
(2Sa 13) Isolate v 9
(2Sa 12)
(2Sa 3:2)
Overpower v 11
Solomon
(1Chr 3:1)
Humiliate v 12
Additional sons:
Nathan,
Shame v 13
Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet,
Shimea
Despise v 15
Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
Shobab
Reject v 16-17
Elishama, Eliada, Eliphelet
Despises herself v 18 (1Chr 3:5)
(1Chr 3:6-8)
Silence v 20
40
The son echoes the father
• Father is not a believer
• Father not a one woman man
• Son echoes father
– Comes out late in life
– Poser, opposer, or loser
• Sanctification is the process of recovery
from son of Adam into an adopted son
of YOUR Father.
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