1 Corinthians 5:1-13

A certain amount of tolerance is important in any church, as we all come to differing conclusions about matters of conscience. Should we partake of alcohol, or abstain? Should we homeschool, or send our kids to public or private schools? Such tolerance is an expression of bearing with one another in love (Romans 15:1; Ephesians 4:2) and is an aspect of being brothers and sisters in Christ. However, when it comes to things that the Bible calls sin, tolerating sin actually becomes sin (Romans 1:32). In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul rebukes the church for tolerating grievous sin among them. This passage demonstrates how the practice of church discipline can be used to restore people, and helps us to see the importance of purity in the local church.