1 Corinthians 5

Structure:

Immorality and Lawsuits in the Church (1 Cor 5:1–6:20)

The Problem (1 Cor 5:1–5)

The First Problem: Incest (1 Cor 5:1)

The Second Problem: The Corinthians’ Boasting (1 Cor 5:2)

Paul’s Response (1 Cor 5:3–8)

Paul Responds to the Incestuous Man (1 Corinthians 5:3–5)

Paul Responds to the Corinthians (1 Cor 5:6–8)

Paul Corrects the Corinthians’ Misunderstanding (1 Cor 5:9–13)

Paul’s Previous Letter (1 Cor 5:9a)

A Clarification (1 Corinthians 5:9b–11)

Judgment from within the Community (1 Cor 5:12–13)

Issues in the Chapter:

The instance of sexual immorality

Hand over this person to Satan

Destruction of the flesh

Separation from immoral believers

Key Word Study: Porneia, “Sexual Immorality”

Study Questions:

1. What issue is Paul addressing, and why is it serious? 2. How did the church respond, and what should they have done? 3. What does "Deliver such a one to Satan" mean in v. 5, and how is it for the sinner's good? 4. Why does Paul contrast boasting with mourning? What can we learn about addressing sin? 5. What does the leaven metaphor in vv. 6–8 teach about sin in the church? 6. How does "keep the feast...with... sincerity and truth" (v. 8) reflect our identity in Christ. 7. What distinction does Paul make between judging insiders and outsiders (vv.9–13)? 8. Why is it vital to balance church purity with grace toward outsiders? 9. How can we avoid indifference to sin in our lives or the church? 10. What steps can we take to address sin biblically?

Sexual immorality includes porn?

11. How does this chapter challenge you, in your walk with Christ and your role in the church?

Sexual Immorality and Porneia:

1. What issue is Paul addressing, and why is it serious?

The entire chapter is focused on an instance of sexual immorality committed by a member of this church. Paul devotes a lot of space, interestingly enough, in addressing the church as a whole than he does the guilty individual. I believe because Paul doesn’t name the man nor the specifics of the sexual immorality, means the church already knew the details and were familiar with the situation.

The Greek word for “sexual immorality” here is porneia. It seems to mean prostitution. There is a traditional link between polytheistic cult-prostitution and temple-worship in the Greek world.

The book of Acts clearly connects abstinence from things polluted by idols and sexual immorality.

Acts 15:20 NKJV

20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.

Acts 15:29 NKJV

29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.

Acts 21:25 NKJV

25 But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

This is a very serious matter; the sexually immoral person is excluded from God’s favor just like an idol-worshipper would be:

1 Corinthians 6:9 NKJV

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,

Also the practice of eating food sacrificed to idols and practicing sexual immorality are liked too:

Revelation 2:14 NKJV

14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

Revelation 2:20 NKJV

20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

Lastly, the term is also used in Jesus’ teachings on sexual immorality and divorce:

Matthew 19:9 NKJV

9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

Matthew 21:31–32 NKJV

31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

Mark 7:21 NKJV

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

Porneia so often appears first in NT “sin lists,” not because the first Christians had a lot of “hang-ups” about sex. But rather, it is because the area of sex was one of the most dramatic places where the ethics of Greek culture clashed with the ethics of Jesus. Sexual immorality was an accepted fact of life for the common person in Greek culture (even their gods were sexually immoral), but it was not to be so among the followers of Christ.

Paul recognized this kind of incestuous relationship was considered taboo even among the pagans, yet the Corinthian church seem accepting of this behavior.

Taken from among you:

As bad as the sin itself was, Paul was again more concerned about the Corinthian church seemed to take the sin lightly, and they were unconcerned about this behavior.

Previously in this epistle Paul dealt with the mental problems of this church: their wrong ideas about God’s power and work and His servants. Now Paul startes to deal with their moral problems. But the two are connected; their moral problems come because they are not thinking rightly about God or His Word.

2. How did the church respond, and what should they have done?

The solution to the problem—to take this notoriously unrepentant man away from the protection of the fellowship of God’s people. Yet, the Corinthian church was not doing this.

Why not?

How could this kind of thing be allowed?

What are we to do today?

Application Overview:

In one sense this passage concerns an individual who committed a grave sin and , apparently, remained unrepentant about his behavior. In another sense, however, our passage illustrates the danger of pride and tolerance within a church. Paul doesn’t directly address the incestuous man in the passage; his fate rests in the hands of the Corinthian Church. Paul speaks primarily to the Corinthians as a church whole, earnestly pleading with them to cast the sinful man out of their midst.

Rather than disciplining the man or rebuking his behavior, the Corinthians had become proud in their tolerance of the man and even boasted of it. They may have even adopted this attitude out of a misunderstanding of God’s grace.

Similarly to the Corinthian church, our churches are susceptible to turning a blind eye to those whom we love. Tolerance can be the easier option if it means avoiding confrontation and church discipline. However, Paul reminds us God’s people, universally and locally, are a holy people which can be spoiled by a small amount of yeast (1 Cor 5:6).

To preserve their status as God’s holy people, Paul urges the Corinthians to take responsibility for the community by casting out the man and, effectively, admitting the error of their ways. The Corinthians’ mistakes serve as a powerful reminder to churches everywhere of how distortions of the gospel and God’s grace can lead to misguided acceptance of the very types of behavior God’s grace overcomes.

Puffed up, and have not rather mourned:

These believers were proud of their acceptance of this man; they thought it said something good about them! But instead of glorying, they should have grieved, both for the man and for what they must do to him?

How will you respond when we have to excommunicate someone in our own church?

Hand Over to Satan:

Paul informs them he has already pronounced judgment upon this incestuous man. He then commands the church to carry out this judgment by “handing over this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

3. What does "Deliver such a one to Satan" mean in v. 5, and how is it for the sinner's good?

By putting this man outside the church, into the world, which is Satan’s domain. The punishment is a removal of spiritual protection and social comfort, not an infliction of evil.

God often protects us from the attacks of Satan, even when we never knew about the attacks.

Job 1:10 NKJV

10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

Luke 22:31–32 NKJV

31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

The fact so many can leave churches without a second thought reveals how weak the Christian culture has become. Church discipline is quite clear: the salvation, not the destruction, of a person’s spirit is the goal. Paul isn’t writing this man off, as forever lost.

All discipline in the church is to be carried out in this attitude of restoration, not condemnation.

2 Thessalonians 3:14–15 NKJV

14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

“Church discipline is not a group of ‘pious policemen’ out to catch a criminal. Rather, it is a group of brokenhearted brothers and sisters seeking to restore an erring member of the family.”–Wiersbe

The sad truth is this level of church discipline is rarely brings the sinner to repentance, because they can so easily go to another church and pretend that nothing happened at all. Or, it is easy for them to play the victim, and act as if their former church was cruel towards them.