1 Corinthians 5

After chapters 1–4 of 1 Corinthians, which deal with divisions and apostolic authority, this chapter begins a section on ethical problems within the church. The warning at the end of 1 Corinthians 4, "shall I come unto you with a rod," now leads into a specific case.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 Paul has received a report that a man has taken his father's wife. Yet the members are puffed up; they have neither mourned nor removed the man from among them.
• Verses 3–5 Paul says that, though absent in body, he is present in spirit and has already judged the matter. He tells them to assemble in the name of the Lord Jesus and deliver the man to Satan, explaining that the purpose is that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
• Verses 6–8 Paul uses the image of a little leaven spreading through the whole lump. Since Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed, he urges them to purge out the old leaven and keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
• Verses 9–13 Paul clarifies that the instruction "not to company with" in his earlier letter referred not to the people of this world but to anyone called a brother. He concludes that God judges those outside, while the church is to put away the wicked person.

Key Verses

• 1 Corinthians 5:6 "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" — frequently cited as an image of how one person's unaddressed sin affects the entire community.
• 1 Corinthians 5:7 "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" — directly links the death of Christ with the Passover lamb.
• 1 Corinthians 5:13 "Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person" — generally regarded as drawing on the recurring expression in Deuteronomy, "so shalt thou put the evil away from among you."

People and Places

• Paul: The apostle who wrote the letter. He renders his judgment while absent.
• The man who took his father's wife: He is not named. "His father's wife" is usually understood to mean his stepmother.
• Corinth: The Greek port city where the church involved was located.
• Satan: The one to whom the offender is to be delivered (verse 5).

Points for Reflection

• The meaning of "deliver unto Satan": This is generally read as excommunication, that is, removal from the church community. "For the destruction of the flesh" is interpreted in two main ways. One view takes it as physical suffering or death; another takes it as the subduing of the sinful nature (the flesh). In either case, interpreters emphasize that the aim is the person's salvation and restoration. A similar expression appears in 1 Timothy 1.
• This man and the later letter: A traditional view identifies this man with the person who is forgiven in 2 Corinthians 2. Many scholars, however, regard these as separate incidents.
• The "epistle" mentioned in verse 9: The common view is that this refers to an earlier letter that has not survived.
• "With such an one no not to eat": Interpretations differ over whether this means only exclusion from the Lord's Supper or also the severing of ordinary table fellowship.
• Connections with the Old Testament: The prohibition concerning a father's wife appears in Leviticus 18, and unleavened bread and the Passover appear in Exodus 12.
• Who exercises discipline: Together with Matthew 18, this chapter serves as a basis for church discipline. Presbyterian churches hold that discipline is administered by a governing body such as the session. Baptist and Congregationalist traditions point to the phrase "when ye are gathered together" in verse 4 to argue that the whole congregation makes the decision.