Scandal in the Church

The church of Corinth has been described as "a little island surrounded on every side by a sea of paganism." As American culture changes, that is becoming an apt description of the Christian Church, and the Christian family, in our own country. But as we venture off the island to interact with the world, the world's allurements and the deceitfulness of our own hearts can tempt Christians to behave much like unbelievers---and sometimes, we can behave worse than those we should be trying to reach. This is what happened in the church of Corinth in the matter of sexual immorality. How the church should respond to it, when it happens, is what Paul addressed in this portion of his letter.