1 Corinthians5

Paul addresses a severe case of incest within the Corinthian church and rebukes their complacency. He instructs them to excommunicate the offender, emphasizing the need to purge sin from the community like old leaven. Paul clarifies that while they must separate from immoral believers, judging those outside the church is God's role.

Judging Immorality in the Church

1
It is actually being reported that there is sexual sin among you, and it is sexual sin of a kind that is condemned even by pagans — a man is living with his stepmother! ​
2
And you stay proud? Shouldn’t you rather have felt some sadness that would have led you to remove from your company the man who has done this thing? ​
3
For I myself, even though I am absent physically, am with you spiritually; and I have already judged the man who has done this as if I were present.
4
In the name of the Lord Yeshua, when you are assembled, with me present spiritually and the power of our Lord Yeshua among us,
5
hand over such a person to the Adversary for his old nature to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord. ​

The Danger of Leaven

6
Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know the saying, “It takes only a little hametz to leaven a whole batch of dough?” ​
7
Get rid of the old hametz, so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed. ​
8
So let us celebrate the Seder not with leftover hametz, the hametz of wickedness and evil, but with the matzah of purity and truth. ​

Clarification on Social Separation

9
In my earlier letter I wrote you not to associate with people who engage in sexual immorality. ​
10
I didn’t mean the sexually immoral people outside your community, or the greedy, or the thieves or the idol-worshippers — for then you would have to leave the world altogether! ​
11
No, what I wrote you was not to associate with anyone who is supposedly a brother but who also engages in sexual immorality, is greedy, worships idols, is abusive, gets drunk or steals. With such a person you shouldn’t even eat! ​
12
For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Isn’t it those who are part of the community that you should be judging? ​
13
God will judge those who are outside. Just expel the evildoer from among yourselves. ​

Study Notes for 1 Corinthians 5

Verse 1

The specific sin (a man having his father’s wife) was considered incestuous even under Roman law (likely his stepmother, as the father was possibly still alive). Paul emphasizes the severity, noting it was scandalous even among non-Christians.

Verse 2

Paul condemns their 'puffed up' attitude, which suggests they tolerated the sin, perhaps viewing it as a sign of their radical freedom in Christ. They should have mourned the presence of sin and initiated discipline.

Verse 5

“Deliver such an one unto Satan” refers to excommunication, removing the person from the protective fellowship of the church. This harsh measure is intended to shock the individual into repentance, saving the spirit through the destruction of the flesh (the sinful nature).

Verse 6

The leaven metaphor, common in Judaism (especially around Passover), illustrates how a small amount of sin or false teaching can quickly corrupt the entire community. Paul warns that their tolerance endangers the whole church.

Verse 7

The command to 'purge out' links the removal of sin to the Jewish practice of removing all leaven before the Passover Feast. Christ is identified as the sacrificial Passover Lamb, establishing believers as inherently 'unleavened' (holy in status).

Verse 8

Since Christ has been sacrificed, believers are now perpetually 'keeping the feast' (living the Christian life), which must be characterized by sincerity and truth, not malice and wickedness (the spiritual leaven).

Verse 9

Paul begins clarifying a misunderstood instruction from a previous, non-extant letter, stressing that social separation is necessary to maintain the purity of the church community.

Verse 10

Paul notes that complete separation from sinners in the outside world is impossible and would require leaving society entirely. The responsibility of church discipline is focused internally.

Verse 11

The list defines what constitutes 'wickedness' among those 'called a brother.' The command 'with such an one no not to eat' signifies a complete break in fellowship, including exclusion from the Lord’s Supper, the ultimate step of excommunication.

Verse 12

Paul emphasizes the boundary of the church’s authority: they are responsible only for judging and disciplining their own members ('them that are within').

Verse 13

The chapter concludes with a direct command for excommunication, likely quoting or adapting the disciplinary principle found in Deuteronomy 13:5, demanding the removal of the wicked person from the community.

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