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1 Corinthians 5

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Judging Immorality in the Church 1–5

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,
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. ​

The Danger of Leaven 6–8

6
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? ​
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: ​
8
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. ​

Clarification on Social Separation 9–13

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. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Corinthians 5

Verse 1

his father's wife — The sin is porneia, the general word for sexual immorality, here incest; the law said 'The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover' (Lev 18:8). 'Not so much as named among the Gentiles' marks it as shameful even to the nations.

Verse 2

puffed up — Physioo, to inflate, Paul's word for the Corinthians' pride (1 Cor 4:18). They should have 'mourned' (pentheo, to grieve), so that the offender 'might be taken away' (exairo), the verb repeated in the command of v.13.

Verse 5

deliver such an one unto Satan — Paradidomi, to hand over: the offender is put out of the church into Satan's sphere, as Paul did with Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Tim 1:20). The aim is redemptive: 'the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved'.

Verse 6

Your glorying is not good — Kauchema, a boast. They boasted while the sin stood unjudged. 'A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump' is a proverb Paul uses again (Gal 5:9); leaven works unseen through all the dough, as sin tolerated spreads through the church.

Verse 7

Purge out therefore the old leaven — Ekkathairo, to cleanse thoroughly, recalls the Passover command: 'ye shall put away leaven out of your houses' (Ex 12:15). 'Christ our passover is sacrificed for us' (pascha, the Passover) is the ground: the sacrifice is made, so the leaven must go.

Verse 8

let us keep the feast — Heortazo, to keep a festival; the Passover was followed by seven days of unleavened bread (Ex 12:15), and the Christian life is that continuing feast. The 'leaven' is 'malice and wickedness' (kakia, poneria); the bread is 'sincerity' (eilikrineia) and 'truth'.

Verse 9

I wrote unto you in an epistle — Paul refers to an earlier letter. Synanamignymi, 'to company with', means to mix up together with; it occurs only here, in v.11 and in 2 Thess 3:14, 'have no company with him, that he may be ashamed'.

Verse 10

Yet not altogether — The earlier instruction did not cover the world outside: 'fornicators of this world', the 'covetous' (pleonektes, grasping), 'extortioners' (harpax, rapacious) and 'idolaters'. Avoiding them entirely would mean leaving 'the world'; Christ prayed not 'that thou shouldest take them out of the world' (John 17:15).

Verse 11

called a brother — The rule concerns one who bears the name of a brother. To the list of v.10 are added the 'railer' (loidoros, abusive) and the 'drunkard' (methysos). 'No not to eat' (synesthio) forbids table fellowship; compare 'have no company with him' (2 Thess 3:14).

Verse 12

them also that are without — Exo, outside the church; 'within' is eso. The church is answerable for its own members, while outsiders are left to God (v.13). The question 'do not ye judge them that are within?' expects the answer yes: discipline is the church's own task.

Verse 13

put away from among yourselves that wicked person — The words echo the law's refrain for removing evildoers from Israel: 'So thou shalt put the evil away from among you' (Deut 17:7). Exairo, 'put away', is the verb of 'taken away' in v.2; the chapter ends where it began.