Bible Study 1 Corinthians 5: 1-13

 

Commentary of the Book of 1st Corinthians

By Dr. Barry L. Jenkins

Text Used: Legacy Standard Bible

Bible Study 1 Corinthians 5: 1-13

Text:

Sexual Immorality in the Church

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and sexual immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. 2 And [a]you have become puffed up and [b]have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.

3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present: 4 in the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and [c]I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of [d]the Lord.

6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, also was sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate [e]with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or greedy, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Are you not to judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God will judge. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

Verse by verse commentary:

Verse 1: “ It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and sexual immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.”

The incestuous relationship described—which may have involved the man's deceased father's wife or a stepmother—is the type explicitly forbidden in Leviticus 18:8. While many immoral behaviors were tolerated in Paul’s contemporary Greco-Roman society, this specific form of incest was even condemned by non-believers.

Verse 2: “And you have become puffed up and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.”

The primary problem addressed in this passage was not just the individual's sin, but the Corinthian church's inaction and tolerance of the immorality. This tolerance was coupled with a misguided sense of pride, possibly rooted in a flawed theological justification for the behavior. The church's clear duty was to exercise discipline by removing the offender ("excommunicating the offender") from their midst.

Verse 3: “For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present:”

Paul instructed the Corinthian church to excommunicate an unrepentant, incestuous member to preserve the church's purity. Paul had already judged the individual;  now, the church was to publicly enforce this separation by "deliver[ing] such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh" (1 Corinthians 5:5). This corrective discipline aimed to encourage repentance and save the person's spirit, despite causing suffering to their flesh. This immediate removal was vital for the church's health, as unaddressed sin—like "a little leaven"—could corrupt the entire congregation (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).

Verse 4: “ in the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,”

Paul issues a serious command: the church must gather, and if the brother refuses to abandon his sin, they are to "deliver him over to Satan." This is a stunning statement—one that Paul clearly means. The Word of God substantiates this type of action. Recall, for instance, that Job was also delivered over to Satan. To act "in the name of our Lord Jesus" signifies that one's actions are in accord with His holy nature and desire.

Verse 5: “deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”

The primary objective of this severe judgment is the individual's spiritual welfare and ultimate salvation following repentance. However, true restoration will reveal a profound, internal transformation—specifically, the elimination of the sinful behaviors and worldly enticements that led to the initial fall (referred to as the "destruction of the flesh"). This "destruction" is not physical; rather, it is a mortification (putting to death) of the sin in the believer’s life, enabling his spirit to be preserved and renewed on the Day of the Lord. The discipline serves as a catalyst, compelling the individual to confront their sin and repent, which ultimately brings forth a spiritual deliverance from the destructive and sinful behavior.

Verse 6: “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?”

Paul criticized their "boasting" as being improper. He questioned their lack of understanding: didn't they realize that a small amount of leaven affects the entire batch? Leaven consistently symbolizes evil, not the gospel, and in this context, it represents sin, both in action and in nature.

Verse 7: “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, also was sacrificed.”

Paul encourages the Corinthians by stating that in a fundamental sense, they are already purified, or "unleavened." The apostle then develops this imagery by referring to "our Passover lamb," suggesting that the Passover sacrifice was a foreshadowing, or "shadow of better things to come," that pointed toward the death of Christ.

Verse 8: “Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Paul concludes his argument with a particularly beautiful parallel: comparing the observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the life of holiness expected of Christians.

Verse 9: “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people;”

Before writing the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul had already sent the Corinthians a letter (which no longer exists). In that letter, he had commanded them to distance themselves from believers who were living immorally. The Corinthians' response suggests two possibilities: they either misinterpreted Paul's instruction as a call for complete separation from the world, or they deliberately avoided the issue by claiming his request was unrealistic.

Verse 10: “ I did not at all mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.”

The church appears to have misunderstood the guidance from a previous letter. They incorrectly ceased contact with non-believers in the world, while simultaneously permitting sin among their own members. This tolerance of internal sin posed a greater threat to the fellowship. God's intention is for us to engage with the world as witnesses.

Verse 11: “But now I am writing to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or greedy, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”

Paul explained his earlier instruction: He intended for them to cut ties with anyone claiming to be a brother who was living in consistent sin. This included “not even to eat with such a one,” as sharing a meal at that time symbolized acceptance and fellowship.

Verse 12: “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Are you not to judge those who are within the church?”

Paul establishes a significant comparison between the Old Testament covenant community and the Christian church by citing the repeated command in Deuteronomy (for instance, Deut 17: 7) to "purge" or "expel" the wicked from Israel. This parallel indicates that the church possesses the authority to enforce discipline within its membership; however, this authority is not meant for regulating the conduct of non-Christians.

Verse 13: “But those who are outside, God will judge. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.”

Paul clarifies that his role is not to judge those outside the church; that is God's prerogative. Instead, the church's responsibility is to address and judge the evil within its own community. God will handle the judgment of those outside.