Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 1
The speaker says he has “never…known of anyone who has been excommunicated or disciplined…because they were covetous,” even in churches with detailed written standards on “entertainment or dress”; what does that reveal about what kinds of sin churches find easiest to police, and what does it suggest about what God prioritizes in passages like 1 Corinthians 5:11?
Another way to ask: The speaker says churches rarely discipline people for coveting, even when they closely watch things like clothes or entertainment. What does that say about which sins churches can “police” easily, and what does it suggest God cares about in 1 Corinthians 5:11?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The transcript suggests churches often police sins that are outward, definable, and easy to prove, while neglecting heart-sins like covetousness. But in 1 Corinthians 5:11, God (through Paul) treats covetousness as serious enough to require real separation, just like the “obvious” sins.
- The speaker says he has “never…known of anyone who has been excommunicated or disciplined…because they were covetous,” even though discipline happens for “drunkards or sexually immoral.”
- He notes churches can have detailed written standards on “entertainment or dress,” yet “They don't usually say anything about covetous.”
- He reads 1 Cor. 5:11 where Paul lists “sexually immoral or covetous…not even to eat with such a person,” implying covetousness is not a minor issue.
- He later explains why it’s neglected: “it is often a sin of the heart,” and “I can't read people's hearts.”
- He argues our neglect can be self-deception: “I think we deceive ourselves if we think” none of us struggle with it.