Apostle Paul addresses another problem at the Corinthian congregation, their handling of a member who is engaging in sexual immorality of a kind that does not occur even among pagans (1). The woman involved, according to the phrase the apostle used, “father’s wife”, suggests that the woman was his step-mother. Some commentators have suggested that his father had passed and his son married her. However, that is unimportant, for it is not mentioned by Paul in his letter (though, perhaps in 2 Corinthians 7:12). The Old Testament prohibited such a marriage (Leviticus 18:8; Deuteronomy 22:30, 27:20).
The church leadership, if they had one at this time, had done nothing about the ongoing sin. In fact, the congregation was proud of their liberty, a distortion of grace (2). Not even the pagans had tolerance for the disgrace of a father’s bed. The Roman orator Cicero states that incest was practically unheard of in Roman society.
Some modern congregations are betrothed in the distorted grace of another type of sexual immorality, which I will not address, for BDBD is intended to be a personal devotional.
So, considering tolerance with the continued sexual sin of even a casual friend, it is best to take Apostle Paul’s direction, and meet with them in the name of your Lord Jesus, and as the power of our Lord Jesus is present. Hand this person over to Satan, that is, tell them you no longer consider them a friend because of their continuing in a sexual immorality that cannot be tolerated, especially since you will not live with a distorted grace. This seems harsh, for it is. Pray for them for quite some time, and you will see that distorted grace burns both.
