1 Corinthians 5:6-8

The reason for church discipline 1 Corinthians 5:6-8: The first purpose of church discipline is the salvation of the offending brother. God still wants this brother saved. Another reason for discipline is to keep the sin from spreading in the church. Paul said, "Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Corinthians 15:6-8)

The idea was that the spiritual cancer must be cut out in order to keep it from spreading. They must do that in order to continue in Christ, the Christian's passover. They were to purge out the sin just as the Jews were to purge out the leaven from their houses before that Passover. They were to literally engage in the service of God by putting away evil from the church.