Thread by @ThomasCoutouzis

Last night I said, "A church full of passive men is a judgment from God."

I was asked for biblical examples, so I have two, but there are definitely more:

1. The Fall

2. 1 Corinthians 5 when the church knowingly allowed a man to have adulterous relations with his step mother.

2/ As the serpent tempted Eve scripture is clear that Adam was right there with her watching, yet doing nothing to protect his wife from Satan's scheme.

In his passivity he allowed Eve to be persuaded by Satan as both partook in this act of rebellion.

3/ The result of this was God's curse upon them and His creation for this act of Cosmic treason. It is Adam's passivity that allowed the curse to fall upon man and creation.

A church full of and led by passive men invites temptation in and subsequently God's judgment.

4/ In 1 Corinthians 5, a man in the church is sleeping with his step mother, which even the Gentiles could recognize was wrong, but somehow the church at Corinth could not.

How was a sin that even the Gentiles could recognize, nit be recognized by the leaders of the church?

5/ Because they were passive to sin. In fact it was obviously someone who was not passive in the church who brought it to Paul's attention as he said, "It is actually reported that there is immorality among you."

A faithful servant of Christ must have been grieved over this.

6/ Paul points out why the leaders in the church are passive in verse 2, saying,

"You have become arrogant and not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst."

7/ Sin requires swift action, not coddling. If you coddle it, it will destroy you. Just as the famous Puritan pastor John Owen said, "Be killing sin or it will be killing you."

The church had become passive because of their "arrogance" as Paul said. The Greek word is "Phusioo"

8/ This word means "to inflate". Paul is using Phusioo metaphorically. He is saying, "You are puffed up".

What puffs man up? Pride

Pride caused these passive leaders to allow this sin to fester and become acceptable to the church when discipline was necessary.

9/ Paul then says, "Clean out the leaven" meaning sin.

Then in verses 9-13 Paul gives us a list of sins and tells the church "not to associate" with those who willfully practice them.

How did the sin get in? Because the leadership was passive to sin.

10/ This one person who told Paul of the sin that was allowed in the Corinthian Church helped this sin to be dealt with and the church to be purified. Praise God for these people. For they love God more than compromise for the sake of unity.

11/11 Thus a church full of passive men is a judgment from God. Passive men will allow sin in the church unchecked every single time.

If the leadership gets angry when you challenge sin, then it may be time to leave that church.

*not to associate with a brother/sister who practices these.