Bible Discussion Thread

How can Paul deliver two people to Satan?

Hello Mello. Yes, we see this declaration by the apostle in 1 Timothy 1:19,20 and 1 Corinthians 5:1-7. What Paul was doing, was to use Church discipline to identify & weed out those amongst them that were found to be involved in gross sin. In the first passage, Hymenaeus and Alexander were in some way affecting the Church with their blasphemous teaching. In the second, there was fornication evident in the Corinthian Church that was going unchecked & without the required discipline & correction.

When sin is evident in the Body of believers (the Church), there has to be a quick response, as it not only shames the Lord Who purchased her, but also invades & affects the whole lump (the Church), slowly destroying the faith of many. Paul, in these instances, said that the only action that should be taken when there was a refusal to repent of these sins, was to "deliver them to Satan", or, 'cast them out of the assembly, refuse them fellowship, & put them back into the world that is Satan's area of influence & control'. Satan cannot be allowed to have access in Christ's Body & those toying with sin & also wanting Christian fellowship will never influence others for good & will eventually affect the whole. Unfortunately, Church discipline today is not the strongest point in many fellowships, & often blatant sin is either disregarded or addressed without necessary action.