1 Corinthians 5

Chapter Overview

What happens in 1 Corinthians 5

Paul confronts a shocking case of sexual immorality in the Corinthian church and commands the congregation to remove the unrepentant offender, using the imagery of Passover leaven to explain why tolerating sin corrupts the entire community.

Scripture

Confronting Immorality in the Church

Study note

Paul addresses a case of incest that even pagans would find abhorrent: a man is living with his father's wife. Rather than mourning over this sin, the Corinthians are puffed up with pride. Paul, though physically absent, has already passed judgment in the Spirit and commands the church to assemble in the name of the Lord Jesus and hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, with the ultimate goal of saving his spirit on the day of the Lord.

1 There are reports everywhere that sexual sin is happening among you -- and it is a kind so bad that even people who do not follow God would never do it. A man is sleeping with his father's wife. 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 instead of being heartbroken about it, you are puffed up with pride! You should have been so upset that you removed this man from your group. 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 Even though I am not there with you physically, my spirit is there. And I have already reached a decision about the man who did this, just as if I were standing in the room. 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 When you all meet in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ -- with my spirit there and the power of our Lord Jesus with you -- 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 hand this man over to Satan so that his sinful desires are destroyed. The goal is that his spirit will be saved on the day the Lord Jesus returns. 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 Leaven of Sin

Study note

Paul warns that their boasting is dangerous, using the powerful image of leaven: just as a small amount of yeast works through an entire batch of dough, tolerating sin affects the whole community. He calls them to purge the old leaven and become a new, unleavened batch. Christ, their Passover lamb, has already been sacrificed, so they should celebrate the ongoing feast of the Christian life with sincerity and truth rather than malice and wickedness.

6 You have nothing to be proud of here. Have you not heard that a tiny bit of yeast works its way through the entire batch of dough? Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

7 Clean out the old yeast so you can be a fresh, new batch of dough -- which is what you already are. After all, Christ, our Passover lamb, has already been sacrificed. 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 So let us celebrate -- not with the old yeast of hate and evil, but with bread that has no yeast: honesty and truth. 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.

Judging Those Inside the Church

Study note

Paul clarifies a previous letter: he did not mean believers should avoid all immoral people in the world, which would be impossible. Rather, they must not associate with anyone who claims to be a fellow believer yet persists in serious sin. The church's responsibility is to judge those within its own community and maintain its moral integrity, while leaving judgment of outsiders to God.

9 In my last letter, I told you to stay away from people who are sexually immoral. I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:

10 I was not talking about every sinful person out in the world. I did not mean every greedy, dishonest, or idol-worshiping person. If I meant that, you would have to leave the planet! 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 What I mean is this: do not spend time with anyone who calls themselves a believer but keeps living in sexual sin. This also goes for anyone who is greedy, worships idols, tears people down, gets drunk, or cheats people. Do not even eat with someone like that. 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 It is not my job to judge people outside the church. Is it not the people inside the church that you are supposed to hold accountable? For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

13 God is the one who judges outsiders. Get rid of the wicked person from your group. But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

Key Themes

Themes in 1 Corinthians 5

Church discipline as an act of loveThe corrupting influence of tolerated sinChrist as the Passover lambDistinguishing judgment of believers from judgment of the worldCorporate responsibility for holiness

Prophetic Connections

How this chapter points to Christ

1 Corinthians 5:7 Exodus 12:21-23

Paul identifies Christ as the Passover lamb who has been sacrificed, directly connecting the Lord's atoning death to the original Passover deliverance in Egypt when the blood of the lamb spared Israel from death.

1 Corinthians 5:13 Deuteronomy 17:7

The command to remove the wicked person from among yourselves echoes the repeated refrain in Deuteronomy where Israel is commanded to purge evil from their midst.

Apply This Today

Living 1 Corinthians 5

Understand that accountability within a faith community is not judgmental harshness but an act of love aimed at restoration and the protection of the whole body. Tolerating known, unrepentant sin damages everyone. At the same time, recognize the distinction between holding fellow believers to a standard of integrity and imposing those standards on people outside the faith.

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