1 Corinthians — Chapter 5
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1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.
2And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this?
3Although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.
4When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of the Lord Jesus,
5hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord.
6Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough?
7Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.
9I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.
10I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
11But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
12What business of mine is it to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
13God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
1It 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.
2And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3For 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,
4In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5To 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.
6Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
7Purge 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:
8Therefore 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.
9I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
10Yet 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.
11But 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.
12For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
13But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
1It is actually reported that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not even among the Gentiles, that one [of you] hath his father`s wife.
2And ye are puffed up, and did not rather mourn, that he that had done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3For I verily, being absent in body but present in spirit, have already as though I were present judged him that hath so wrought this thing,
4in the name of our Lord Jesus, ye being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
5to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
6Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
7Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, even as ye are unleavened. For our passover also hath been sacrificed, [even] Christ:
8wherefore 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.
9I wrote unto you in my epistle to have no company with fornicators;
10not at all [meaning] with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous and extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world:
11but as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat.
12For what have I to do with judging them that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within?
13But them that are without God judgeth. Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.
1It is actually reported that sexual immorality exists among you, the kind of immorality that is not permitted even among the Gentiles, so that someone is cohabiting with his father’s wife.
2And you are proud! Shouldn’t you have been deeply sorrowful instead and removed the one who did this from among you?
3For even though I am absent physically, I am present in spirit. And I have already judged the one who did this, just as though I were present.
4When you gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of our Lord Jesus,
5hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
6Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough?
7Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch of dough—you are, in fact, without yeast. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
8So then, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of vice and evil, but with the bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
9I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.
10In no way did I mean the immoral people of this world, or the greedy and swindlers and idolaters, since you would then have to go out of the world.
11But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person.
12For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside?
13But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you.
1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that one has his father’s wife.
2You are puffed up, and didn’t rather mourn, that he who had done this deed might be removed from among you.
3For I most certainly, as being absent in body but present in spirit, have already, as though I were present, judged him who has done this thing.
4In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5are to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
6Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump?
7Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place.
8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9I wrote to you in my letter to have no company with sexual sinners;
10yet not at all meaning with the sexual sinners of this world, or with the covetous and extortionists, or with idolaters; for then you would have to leave the world.
11But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortionist. Don’t even eat with such a person.
12For what do I have to do with also judging those who are outside? Don’t you judge those who are within?
13But those who are outside, God judges. “Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.”
Summary
Paul addresses a report of sexual immorality in the church worse than what even pagans tolerate — a man involved with his father's wife — and is shocked that the church is proud rather than grieved, when they should have already removed him (vv. 1-2). Though physically absent, Paul has already passed judgment and instructs the church, when gathered in the Lord's authority, to hand the man over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh so that his spirit may be saved (vv. 3-5). He warns that tolerating this sin is like a small amount of yeast working through an entire batch of dough, and urges them to clear out the old sinful influence, since Christ, their Passover lamb, has already been sacrificed (vv. 6-8). He clarifies an earlier instruction not to associate with sexually immoral people: he did not mean avoiding unbelievers entirely, which is impossible, but refusing fellowship with anyone claiming to be a believer while living in unrepentant sin (vv. 9-11). Judging outsiders is God's business, Paul says; the church's responsibility is to judge those within it and remove the wicked person from among them (vv. 12-13).
Authorship & Background
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines the nature of the sin, the church's wrong response, the purpose of discipline, and the leaven principle.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of 1 Corinthians -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Pride Instead of Mourning (v.2) — The Corinthians were arrogant about a serious sin in their midst instead of grieving over it. When you become aware of sin in your own church community, is your instinct grief and concern, or indifference?
- Discipline Aimed at Restoration (v.5) — Paul's instruction to remove the unrepentant man from the church is meant to save his spirit, not simply punish him. How does knowing the goal of church discipline is restoration change the way you think about accountability?
- Small Sin Never Stays Small (v.6) — Paul warns that a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough, meaning tolerated sin spreads. Is there something in your own life you've been excusing as small or manageable that's actually growing unchecked?
- Christ's Sacrifice as Motivation for Holiness (v.7) — Paul points to Christ as the sacrifice that makes a holy life both possible and necessary, not optional. How does Christ's sacrifice on your behalf shape your pursuit of holiness rather than becoming an excuse to keep sinning?
- Judging Those Within, Not Those Without (vv.12-13) — Paul says the church is responsible for addressing sin among its own members, while leaving outsiders to God's judgment. Are you holding fellow believers accountable with grace while resisting the urge to police those outside the church?