Confronting Sin Within: An Exposition of I Corinthians 5
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.
And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
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,
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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.
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
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:
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.
I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
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.
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.
For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
I Corinthians 5 addresses a difficult but crucial aspect of church life: confronting and dealing with sin within the community of believers. The apostle Paul, with both pastoral concern and apostolic authority, tackles a disturbing situation in the Corinthian church, offering timeless principles for maintaining the purity and health of the body of Christ. This chapter serves as a powerful reminder that love and accountability must coexist in a thriving Christian community.
A Scandalous Situation (I Corinthians 5:1)
Paul begins by expressing his dismay at a report he has received: “It 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” (I Corinthians 5:1). The sin in question is incest, a relationship that was considered abhorrent even by the standards of the surrounding pagan culture. Tony Evans notes that the woman in question was likely the man's stepmother, highlighting the particularly egregious nature of the offense. This was not a private matter, but a widely known scandal that brought shame upon the church.
Arrogance Instead of Grief (I Corinthians 5:2)
Instead of responding with grief and repentance, the Corinthian church was apparently puffed up with pride. Paul rebukes them, asking, "And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you rather have mourned, so that the man who did this would be put out of your fellowship?" (I Corinthians 5:2). Their arrogance blinded them to the seriousness of the sin and their responsibility to address it. Evans aptly compares their behavior to someone boasting about their health while ignoring a malignant cancer. The focus should have been on removing the sin, the "cancerous tumor," from their midst.
This verse serves as a powerful reminder that a healthy church is characterized by its response to sin. Do we grieve over the sins of fellow believers, seeking their restoration? Or do we turn a blind eye, prioritizing a false sense of unity over biblical truth and holiness?
Judging Actions, Not Motives (I Corinthians 5:3-5)
Paul, though absent in body, declares that he has already judged the situation. He instructs the Corinthians to gather in the name of the Lord Jesus, with His power present, and “hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord” (I Corinthians 5:5).
This is a challenging passage, and the phrase "hand this man over to Satan" has been interpreted in various ways. Some understand it to mean excommunication from the church, removing the individual from the sphere of God's protection and exposing him to the consequences of his sin. The ultimate goal, however, is not punishment but restoration. As Evans explains, the purpose is "for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved." This severe measure is intended to drive the man to repentance, even allowing the devil to be used as an instrument to accomplish this.
It's important to note that Paul is not advocating for judging a person's motives or inner thoughts, but rather their outward actions. As Evans points out, while we are not called to judge motives, we are to judge actions, especially when those actions are public and scandalous.
The Leaven of Sin (I Corinthians 5:6-8)
Paul uses the analogy of leaven to illustrate the pervasive nature of sin. "Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (I Corinthians 5:6-7). Just as a small amount of leaven can permeate an entire lump of dough, so too can sin spread and corrupt the entire church.
He then connects this imagery to the Passover, reminding the Corinthians that Christ is their Passover lamb, sacrificed for their salvation. Just as the Israelites were to remove all leaven from their homes during Passover, so too must believers rid themselves of sin. Paul urges them to "keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (I Corinthians 5:8).
This passage highlights the importance of vigilance in guarding against sin within the church. Unaddressed sin can fester and spread, impacting the spiritual health of the entire community.
Avoiding Immorality (I Corinthians 5:9-11)
Paul clarifies a previous instruction he had given them about avoiding association with sexually immoral people. He explains that he was not referring to unbelievers in the world, as that would be impossible. Rather, he meant that believers should not associate with anyone who claims to be a Christian but continues to engage in unrepentant sin: "But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people" (I Corinthians 5:11).
This is a difficult but necessary measure. As Evans emphasizes, unbelievers are expected to live as unbelievers, but those who claim to be part of God's people are expected to live as God's people. To call oneself a child of God and live like a child of the devil is a contradiction.
Judging Those Inside (I Corinthians 5:12-13)
Paul concludes by reiterating that the church is not to judge those outside the church, as God will judge them. However, they are responsible for judging those inside: "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked person from among you’" (I Corinthians 5:12-13).
This passage underscores the importance of church discipline. A church that refuses to address unrepentant sin is not functioning as a biblically centered, New Testament church. As Evans puts it, the local church is to be a hospital for the sick, a place where sinners can come to be healed. But the church must not allow the sick to be content with being sick.
Conclusion
I Corinthians 5 provides a challenging but essential teaching on the importance of confronting sin within the church. It calls for a balance of love and accountability, reminding us that true Christian community requires both grace and truth. By addressing sin with both firmness and compassion, the church can maintain its purity, protect its members, and ultimately, lead sinners to repentance and restoration. This chapter is a powerful reminder that the health and vitality of the church depend on our willingness to confront sin and pursue holiness together.
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.
And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
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,
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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.
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
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:
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.
I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
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.
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.
For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
I Corinthians 5 addresses a difficult but crucial aspect of church life: confronting and dealing with sin within the community of believers. The apostle Paul, with both pastoral concern and apostolic authority, tackles a disturbing situation in the Corinthian church, offering timeless principles for maintaining the purity and health of the body of Christ. This chapter serves as a powerful reminder that love and accountability must coexist in a thriving Christian community.
A Scandalous Situation (I Corinthians 5:1)
Paul begins by expressing his dismay at a report he has received: “It 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” (I Corinthians 5:1). The sin in question is incest, a relationship that was considered abhorrent even by the standards of the surrounding pagan culture. Tony Evans notes that the woman in question was likely the man's stepmother, highlighting the particularly egregious nature of the offense. This was not a private matter, but a widely known scandal that brought shame upon the church.
Arrogance Instead of Grief (I Corinthians 5:2)
Instead of responding with grief and repentance, the Corinthian church was apparently puffed up with pride. Paul rebukes them, asking, "And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you rather have mourned, so that the man who did this would be put out of your fellowship?" (I Corinthians 5:2). Their arrogance blinded them to the seriousness of the sin and their responsibility to address it. Evans aptly compares their behavior to someone boasting about their health while ignoring a malignant cancer. The focus should have been on removing the sin, the "cancerous tumor," from their midst.
This verse serves as a powerful reminder that a healthy church is characterized by its response to sin. Do we grieve over the sins of fellow believers, seeking their restoration? Or do we turn a blind eye, prioritizing a false sense of unity over biblical truth and holiness?
Judging Actions, Not Motives (I Corinthians 5:3-5)
Paul, though absent in body, declares that he has already judged the situation. He instructs the Corinthians to gather in the name of the Lord Jesus, with His power present, and “hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord” (I Corinthians 5:5).
This is a challenging passage, and the phrase "hand this man over to Satan" has been interpreted in various ways. Some understand it to mean excommunication from the church, removing the individual from the sphere of God's protection and exposing him to the consequences of his sin. The ultimate goal, however, is not punishment but restoration. As Evans explains, the purpose is "for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved." This severe measure is intended to drive the man to repentance, even allowing the devil to be used as an instrument to accomplish this.
It's important to note that Paul is not advocating for judging a person's motives or inner thoughts, but rather their outward actions. As Evans points out, while we are not called to judge motives, we are to judge actions, especially when those actions are public and scandalous.
The Leaven of Sin (I Corinthians 5:6-8)
Paul uses the analogy of leaven to illustrate the pervasive nature of sin. "Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (I Corinthians 5:6-7). Just as a small amount of leaven can permeate an entire lump of dough, so too can sin spread and corrupt the entire church.
He then connects this imagery to the Passover, reminding the Corinthians that Christ is their Passover lamb, sacrificed for their salvation. Just as the Israelites were to remove all leaven from their homes during Passover, so too must believers rid themselves of sin. Paul urges them to "keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (I Corinthians 5:8).
This passage highlights the importance of vigilance in guarding against sin within the church. Unaddressed sin can fester and spread, impacting the spiritual health of the entire community.
Avoiding Immorality (I Corinthians 5:9-11)
Paul clarifies a previous instruction he had given them about avoiding association with sexually immoral people. He explains that he was not referring to unbelievers in the world, as that would be impossible. Rather, he meant that believers should not associate with anyone who claims to be a Christian but continues to engage in unrepentant sin: "But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people" (I Corinthians 5:11).
This is a difficult but necessary measure. As Evans emphasizes, unbelievers are expected to live as unbelievers, but those who claim to be part of God's people are expected to live as God's people. To call oneself a child of God and live like a child of the devil is a contradiction.
Judging Those Inside (I Corinthians 5:12-13)
Paul concludes by reiterating that the church is not to judge those outside the church, as God will judge them. However, they are responsible for judging those inside: "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked person from among you’" (I Corinthians 5:12-13).
This passage underscores the importance of church discipline. A church that refuses to address unrepentant sin is not functioning as a biblically centered, New Testament church. As Evans puts it, the local church is to be a hospital for the sick, a place where sinners can come to be healed. But the church must not allow the sick to be content with being sick.
Conclusion
I Corinthians 5 provides a challenging but essential teaching on the importance of confronting sin within the church. It calls for a balance of love and accountability, reminding us that true Christian community requires both grace and truth. By addressing sin with both firmness and compassion, the church can maintain its purity, protect its members, and ultimately, lead sinners to repentance and restoration. This chapter is a powerful reminder that the health and vitality of the church depend on our willingness to confront sin and pursue holiness together.