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1 Corinthians 5

1

It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.

2

And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

3

For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

1
4

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

5

To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

6

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

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7

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:

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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.

9

I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:

10

Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

11

But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

12

For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

13

But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

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1 Corinthians 5

A case of sexual immorality—a man living with his father's wife—has arisen, and the Corinthians have boasted rather than mourned, failing to remove the one who did this thing from their midst. Paul issues a directive: deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord, a severe but redemptive measure. He invokes the Passover: clean out the old leaven, for Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed; celebrate the feast with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, not with the old leaven of malice and evil. Paul clarifies a previous letter he wrote warning against associating with the sexually immoral: he meant those inside the church, not those outside the world, for you are not to judge those outside but only those inside. If someone inside is immoral or a drunkard or swindler, you must not even eat with such a person. God judges those outside; the assembly judges those inside.

1 Corinthians 5:10

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 — Paul clarifies: if he meant worldly sinners (hoi porni ho tou kosmou), the Corinthians would have to withdraw from society entirely (exit the world). That is not feasible or commanded. Christians live in a pagan world; contact with sinners is unavoidable and proper.

1 Corinthians 5:11

But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a person do not even eat — 'anyone who calls himself a brother' (ei tis adelphos onomazomenos) is the key: the prohibition targets professing believers engaged in serious sin. 'Not even eat' (mēde synesth­ienai) means no table fellowship, the mark of community. Excommunication is signal that the person has severed themselves from the body.

1 Corinthians 5:12

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? — 'Those outside' (exō) are non-believers; judging them is God's domain (cf. v. 13, citing Deut 17:7). 'Those inside' (esō) are church members; the church's responsibility is internal discipline. Paul redirects the Corinthians' focus: stop elevating external judges (pagan courts, ch. 6); establish just judgment within the community.

1 Corinthians 5:13

God will judge those outside. 'Expel the wicked person from among you' — the quotation from Deuteronomy 17:7 commands removal of those who commit serious sin. 'Wicked person' (ponēros) does not mean anyone who sins but one who scandalously transgresses and refuses to repent. Expulsion is the church's exercise of keys: binding and loosing through discipline and restoration. The incestuous man must be removed; his spirit's salvation rests on humiliation and (potentially) repentance.

1 Corinthians 5:5

Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord — 'Hand over to Satan' (paradidōmi Satanā) means expulsion from the church (Satan's domain) and loss of spiritual protection. 'Destruction of the flesh' (olethros tēs sarkos) may mean death or severe illness (cf. 1 Tim 1:20). The paradox: harsh physical judgment aims at spiritual salvation ('spirit may be saved'). Discipline is not punitive but redemptive. The 'day of the Lord' is the final judgment; the discipline hopes his spirit endures to salvation then.

1 Corinthians 5:6

Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? — the shift to Passover imagery: yeast (zymē) corrupts dough (phyrama). The Corinthians 'boast' (kauchasthai) in their tolerance or wisdom; Paul warns this pride is misplaced. One person's unchecked sin (like yeast) permeates the whole community. Discipline is not about the individual alone but the church's sanctity.

1 Corinthians 5:1

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father's wife — the charge is gravely specific: incest (with stepmother, or possibly biological mother). The report (akouō, 'heard') is public knowledge; even 'pagans' (ethnē, non-believers) consider it abhorrent. Roman law condemned such unions. The Corinthian church's tolerance of this sin is shocking. Sexual immorality (porneia) is not peripheral; it violates the temple's sanctity (3:16-17).

1 Corinthians 5:8

Therefore let us keep the Festival of Unleavened Bread, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth — the extended metaphor: 'keep the feast' (heortazō) by living ethically. 'Old yeast' (palaias zymēs) symbolizes 'malice' (kakia) and 'wickedness' (ponēria); 'unleavened bread' symbolizes 'sincerity' (eilikrineia, purity, lit. 'judged by sunlight') and 'truth' (alētheia). Christian life is continuous Passover, continuous celebration of freedom through Christ, manifest in ethical purity.

1 Corinthians 5:9

I wrote to you in my earlier letter not to associate with sexually immoral people — Paul references a previous letter (now lost), in which he wrote about separation from sexually immoral persons (pornoi). This earlier counsel is being misunderstood. He must clarify: the prohibition is not absolute separation from all sinners (impossible in the world) but from such persons within the church.

1 Corinthians 5:7

Get rid of the old yeast, that you may be a new batch without yeast — just as you are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed — the command 'get rid of the old yeast' (ekkatharthē) echoes the Passover requirement (Exodus 12-13). The church must purge itself of sin-yeast. The grounds: Christ is 'our Passover lamb' (Pascha hēmōn). Just as Passover celebrated liberation, Christians celebrate liberation through Christ's sacrifice. Living as 'unleavened' (azymoi, sinless) reflects that cosmic redemption.

1 Corinthians 5:2

And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your community the man who has done this? — 'Proud' (physioō, puffed up) reveals misplaced values: the Corinthians boast in wisdom while tolerating sin. Appropriate response is 'mourning' (penthos, grieving the church's defilement). 'Put out' (airō, remove) means excommunication. The failure to discipline is spiritual negligence masquerading as grace.

1 Corinthians 5:3

For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus — Paul's spiritual presence and judgment are real despite physical absence. 'In the name of our Lord Jesus' (en tō onomati tou kyriou Iēsou) means with Christ's authority and presence. Paul's judgment is not personal vindetta but Christ-mediated discipline.

1 Corinthians 5:4

So when you are gathered together in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present — assembly 'in the name of our Lord Jesus' (en tō onomati kyriou Iēsou) and with Paul's spiritual presence, Christ's 'power' (dynamis) will be manifest in corporate judgment. The church's gathering and Christ's presence are inseparable.