How would you respond to 1 Corinthians 5:12 in relation to Abortion, Homosexuality and other sins?

[Big_Dummy]

1 Corinthians 5:12
New International Version (NIV)

Paul wrote,

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?

 

[Hail_Linus]

1 Corinthians 5:12
New International Version (NIV)

Paul wrote,

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?

Well this is how I see it… There are two types of Judging. One type of Judging is to Judge a person’s behavior. Which is fine. The type of Judging that is bad is when you actually pass judgement or condemn the person. This is why the Catholic Church never says that a person is in hell.

We must not pass that type of Judgment on a person because we really do not know all of the circumstances in the persona life that caused them to sin. For example, maybe the sin is promiscuous a drinks too much and it is a result of psychological trauma from abuse or abandonment or perhaps there is an actual organic brain disorder. Maybe the person that stole was desperate to feed himself or his family.

We can certainly judge a person’s behavior but we should not pass judgement on the sinner. Only God truly knows what is in a person’s hearts.

 

[JRKH]

1 Corinthians 5:12
New International Version (NIV)

Paul wrote,

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?

It’s one thing to judge a person, it’s another thing to judge an action.

You might not wish to judge an individual who steals because you don’t know all of the circumstances of the person. Yet it is perfectly legitimate to judge that stealing is wrong.
I’m speaking here of civil codes not religious codes.

So one can choose not to judge a person who has SSA, and still judge that homosexual acts are wrong.
Likewise one can choose not to judge an individual who has an abortion and yet still judge that abortion is wrong.

Peace
James

 

[Big_Dummy]

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[c] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”d

in context it seems to be saying not to judge the actions of unbelievers, that it is the place of God to judge them for such actions.

 

[Hiskid1973]

He was writing to those in the Corinth church…Supposed to be living godly lives but not.
Like a rotten apple ruining the whole barrel…Those who are unredeemed really don’t know any better so they can’t be judged for ungodly lifestyle as they will stand accountable denying the redemption of Christ…They don’t know any better but those in the church should know better and be held accountable …That’s why they’re to be put out from under the covering of the church… Doesn’t me they deny Christ but are under
demonic influence…It’s all about who/what is being judged…

 

[TimothyH]

Paul was writing as one in a position of authority over a specific group of people. He was discussing discipline within the context of the Church.

The very next verse says, “God will judge those outside.” God will hold those outside the Church accountable for their actions. But the Corinthains to whom Paul was writing were baptized into Christ, professed faith in Christ, and faithfullness the commandments of Christ as taught to them by the Church. These were under the authority of Paul and he was responsible for correcting them to to the extent that he was able.

It’s a lesson for us in the Church who supposedly profess obedience to the teaching of the Church.not an affirmation of behavior of those outside of the Church or a command to ignore sin. Paul is simply saying that the Corinthains had enough problems of their own for him to deal with, without having to bring the rest of the non-Christian city into the argument. .

-Tim-

 

[John21652]

1 Corinthians 5:12
New International Version (NIV)

Paul wrote,

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?

it depends upon your interpretation of “to judge”.

St. Paul tells us explicitly how to judge those within the Church. If they be “…an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler…” we are to have nothing to do with them. He even tells us *"…not even to eat with such a one." *That is akin to shunning them, or, in terms of the entire Church, ex-communicating them.

As for “outsiders”, Paul says we are to leave the Judging to God. However, since paul wrote that, great nation states have grown up and societies are huge and interconnected. Members of the Church are also part of a wider political and social context and one not envisioned during the time of St. Paul. Catholics must live in that wider social context. As moral values decline, is it not the right of catholics to participate in debates about shared moral values?

Paul tells us to not judge those outside the Church, lest there be so many that Church members are forced to “go out of the world”. Well, is it not the case that as immorality increases in the society in which Catholics must live, catholics are not only entitled to speak out and judge, but are obligated to do so? Otherwise, they are forcing the Church and its members to “go out of the world”, both practically and figuratively speaking.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

This portion of Paul’s epistle is to address an issue over incest in Corinth. It is not about abortion or homosexuality. Individual sentences should not be taken out of their context.

 

[John21652]

This portion of Paul’s epistle is to address an issue over incest in Corinth. It is not about abortion or homosexuality. Individual sentences should not be taken out of their context.

Matt, St. Paul’s reference to possible incest is at 5:1. However, by the time he gets to 5:9 and through to 5:13 he is broadening out the use of the term “immorality” and he includes as being immoral a range of vices that should cause people to judge others.

That’s my take, anyway.