It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles--that a man has his father's wife! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Cor. 5:1-5)

CHURCH WITHDRAWAL  One of the problems in Corinth was the failure to see to it that an open fornicator was “taken away from among them.”  They had not even “mourned” the situation; they were too busy being “puffed up.” Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. (1 Cor. 4:6)

CHURCH WITHDRAWAL  WHAT IS WITHDRAWAL?  WHY ARE WE TO WITHDRAW?  FROM WHOM DO WE WITHDRAW ?

WHAT IS WITHDRAWAL?  The church (as a whole) is to: Be “gathered together.” (1 Cor. 5:4) And “deliver such a one unto Satan.” (1 Cor. 5:5) –But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. (1 Cor. 7:15) –He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Col. 1:13)

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. (1 Cor. 10:16-21) This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. (1 Tim. 1:18-20)

WHAT IS WITHDRAWAL?  The members (in particular) are: Not to keep company with.... (1 Cor. 5:9) Not even to eat with.... (1 Cor. 5:11) –And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. (Eph. 5:11) –Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? (2 Cor. 6:14-16)

WHAT IS WITHDRAWAL?  It is “social ostracism” which includes, but is not limited to, withdrawal of active fellowship. (Definition: “to shut out from society, from favor, from privileges, or from association with one's fellows.”)  It is, admittedly, sometimes difficult to balance family responsibilities with spiritual ones.  But even close family members should certainly show their disapproval and disappointment in the fallen.

WHY ARE WE TO WITHDRAW? WHY ARE WE TO WITHDRAW?  For the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Cor. 5:5) I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (Gal. 5:16,17) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. (Rom. 6:12,13)

WHY ARE WE TO WITHDRAW?  For the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. ( 1 Cor. 5: 5)  For the purging of the church, that it “may be a new lump.” ( 1 Cor. 5: 6-8) Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Rom. 13:13,14)

FROM WHOM DO WE WITHDRAW?  From the “sexually immoral,” “covetous,” “idolater,” “reviler,” “drunkard” and “extortioner.” (1 Cor. 5:11)  From “such.” (1 Cor. 5:5,11) Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor. 6:9,10) Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal. 5:19-21)

FROM WHOM DO WE WITHDRAW?  From the “sexually immoral,” “covetous,” “idolater,” “reviler,” “drunkard” and “extortioner.” (1 Cor. 5:11)  From “such.” (1 Cor. 5:5,11)  From “every brother who walks disorderly.” But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. (2 Thess. 3:6) For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. (2 Thess. 3:11)

FROM WHOM DO WE WITHDRAW?  From the “sexually immoral,” “covetous,” “idolater,” “reviler,” “drunkard” and “extortioner.” (1 Cor. 5:11)  From “such.” (1 Cor. 5:5,11)  From “every brother who walks disorderly.”  From those who refuse to withdraw. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. (2 Thess. 3:14,15)

WHAT IS OUR ATTITUDE? Are we “puffed up” so that we would not mourn if and when we might be faced with this or a similar situation, so that “such a one” would not be “taken away from among” us?