Scandals in the Church: What to Do?
Winter 2025
Key verse - 1 Corinthians 5:7
“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.”
All Bible readers should be shocked to discover that people in a New Testament church could be proud of the scandalous sins of a fellow church member. Yet, here in Canada today, we have churches that parade their scandalous sins by flying rainbow banners outside their church buildings. Apostate church leaders want to tell the world that they are progressive, accepting, and inclusive of perverted sinful practices, which they call “love.” They are proud of their scandalous sins. So, this situation in Corinth comes close to home for all of us today.
SUMMARY OF FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER FIVE
A man who fellowshipped in the church at Corinth was guilty of relations with a woman who had at some point been married to his father. This was such an evil that it scandalized even the Gentiles. It gave opportunity for the ungodly to hurl reproach upon the whole Christian church, dragging its testimony into the gutter.
The facts of this man’s wickedness and of his relations with his father’s wife were well publicized. They were so well established that the apostle Paul could make a judgment, even from afar, that the man was guilty of this most egregious form of fornication.
The apostle Paul taught that the church had the responsibility to denounce this sin and guard its testimony. The pagans in Corinth were already falsely accusing the Christians of using Christianity as a licence for debauchery in their worship. The church was to show that it hated all forms of sin and loved righteousness. The leaven of sin must not be allowed to corrupt the whole congregation. Action was required to stop the evil. The church was to work to save this man from the consequences of his sin and seek to restore him to godly fellowship in the community of the church. This becomes a model case for churches to follow when any form of scandal befalls a member of the church.
OBSERVATIONS ON DEALING WITH SCANDALS IN THE CHURCH
The church must establish the facts. This case of fornication in Corinth was “commonly reported…” (1 Corinthians 5:1). It was no secret to the congregation because they were proud of it. Most likely the guilty pair were emboldened by the encouragement they received from fellow worshippers. This made the establishment of the facts relatively easy.
In many cases, however, interviews and witnesses may be required to ascertain the truth. The leadership of the church should take no action until they are convinced of the truth of any reports that come to them, and the accused should have opportunity to defend himself, or herself, against all charges before the church makes any judgment. Only then should the church call on the guilty person to break off his sin and renounce it. He should be advised on how to plead God’s mercy and cleansing from sin through the gospel of Christ. The leadership must also direct him on how to prove the genuineness of his repentance over a period of time. All involved should always work toward the goal of restoration to full fellowship in the church.
The church is to have an attitude of mourning. The church, which preaches the gospel of Christ’s death to put away sin, should always respond with deep sorrow at the news of a brother or sister’s scandalous sin. The apostle rebuked the Corinthians sharply saying, “And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned” (1 Corinthians 5:2).
We are given a window into the genuine nature of this mourning in 2 Corinthians 2, the chapter where this guilty man was to be received back into the church. When the apostle Paul instructed the Corinthians to discipline this man, he stated that he had written, “With many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you” (2 Corinthians 2:4). That was the tender heart of the apostle regarding this case, and that is how every Christian is to respond in these situations.
It is the mark of the mature church, where spiritually-minded people respond in genuine loving concern toward their guilty brothers and sisters, and for the testimony of the whole church. There can be no joy for God’s people when they receive scandalous reports, and there is no joy in witnessing the pain when individuals are made to face up to their sin.
This sorrow in the hearts of all in the congregation can be the means God uses to bring godly sorrow to the guilty parties. They will see that sin must not be gloried in, but repented of. This is the only way to work for the future restoration of a dear brother or sister who has sinned. To make light of sin, or to glory in sin, as the Corinthians did, is only to entrench a guilty soul in a false peace, while he lives in perpetual sin. The congregation must pray for a true godly sorrow that will lead their guilty brother or sister to true repentance. Then, hopefully, there will be a putting away of the sin that will make restoration possible.
The church must maintain purity within the whole congregation. There is great danger that sinful practices will spread in the life of the church and beyond. Dealing with this case, the apostle Paul likened the spreading of sin in the church to leaven spreading through the whole loaf of bread. One little bit of leaven will eventually affect the whole. Likewise, the toleration of one sin may soon define the whole church, so the church must act to stop sin from spreading. Paul stated, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened” (1 Corinthians 5:7). This is demanding. It is a high standard to achieve for any group of people who are sinners saved by grace, but it is the true goal of a biblical church. Apostate churches in Canada today practice complete tolerance of sin, by total disregard for the law of God. To them there is no right nor wrong. Discernment is despised and judgment is tabooed. Consequently, they adopt “pride” Sundays and preach more on “wokeism” than the Word of God.
Just as every Christian is commanded to put to death the controlling power of sin in their lives, the ministry of the church is to call the saints to purge out the old leaven from their lives to become a God-glorifying people.
The strong motivation for this “no-toleration-of-scandalous-sin” policy is the death of Christ for His church. Paul reminded the Corinthians, “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Christ died to deliver His people from all sin. He pardons all their sins and He empowers His people to live in victory over sin. Rather than allow the leaven of sin to control them, believers are to live in the power of the gospel. By faith in Christ, finding strength through His Spirit, they will know power to obey His commands. Then they will live godly in Christ Jesus.
To do otherwise is to deny that the gospel is according to godliness. The apostle John put it most clearly:
“Whosoever is born of God doth not [habitually] commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:9
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 1John 4:4
The good news regarding this sordid event is that the discipline administered by the church brought the man to repentance. Read 2 Corinthians 2 to learn that the grace of God at work in him brought him to renounce his sin, establish his testimony, and continue to worship in the church. The key to success in this case was the church’s resolve to obey God, and their care to display the love of God toward this guilty man throughout the process of discipline.
This model has been followed by biblical churches down through the centuries. God’s mercy is displayed through this exercise of loving discipline and the church’s testimony of godliness is upheld before the world. For this blessed outcome for which every member of the church must labor and pray when any kind of scandal befalls the church.
Rev. I. Goligher