Paul's Bold Move: Lessons in Confronting Immorality
September 9, 2024 - Monday, Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest
1 Cor 5:1-8
Every baptized person has died to sin and begins a new life for God. Yet, we have ample evidence that this journey is not straightforward. The fight against sin and sinful inclinations remains our constant battle. There are also those who do not make much fuss about sin and their sinful way of living. Today, we have such a case in the Corinthian community: someone living with "his father’s wife." The possible scenario could be that his father passed away and, as some scholars suggest, to protect the patrimony, the son "married" that woman. However, from a Christian moral perspective, this was unacceptable.
To solve the problem, Paul calls for excluding the person from the community. It was a bold move on the part of the apostle. Paul had to know that the person had the support of influential members of the community. At the beginning of the letter, we read that "not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth" (1 Cor. 1:26). But some were wise by human standards, influential, and of noble birth, and they wanted to have a say within the community. If the offender belonged to that small group of high status within society, we can understand why the community was not willing to censor him.
Thus, we have a clash between Christian and worldly values. If the man was left to continue his lifestyle, he could affect others. In this way, the Corinthian community, instead of being a light to the world, would become one with the world. Paul knew what was at stake and acted swiftly. Excluding the man from the community until he renounces his worldly lifestyle and embraces Christian morality was the only way to protect the community. Excommunication is often the last resort to make someone aware that they are negatively affecting the Christian community and to call them to repentance.
Paul brings into the discussion the core message of the Gospel—Jesus' Passover sacrifice for our salvation. Before the feast of Passover could be celebrated, the old yeast had to be removed. Paul compares a sinful way of life to this old yeast. Then, when the old yeast was removed, the Passover feast was celebrated with unleavened bread, which symbolized holy living—"sincerity and truth" (1 Cor. 5:8).
Two thousand years later, we are faced with similar problems. Powerful and influential persons within our communities often think that Christian morality does not apply to them. In many places around the world, it is nearly impossible to talk about sin. And yet, at the heart of our message is the proclamation that Christ died for our sins and the sins of the world. His death broke the power of sin, and we can indeed live in sincerity and truth.
May the Lord give us the grace to acknowledge our personal and communal sins, confess them, repent of them, and truly live for God and His glory.