1Cor 5 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 1Cor 5:1-8: 5:1-8 Paul confronts sexual immorality in the church and instructs the Christians to expel a shameless offender from their fellowship. 5:1 sexual immorality: A man was having sex with his stepmother . Such behavior even pagans didn’t do: It violated both the law of Moses (see Lev 18:7-8 ) and Roman law (Gaius, Institutes 1.63).

Summary for 1Cor 5:1-8: 5:1-8 ^a Paul confronts sexual immorality in the church and instructs the Christians to expel a shameless offender from their fellowship. 5:1 ^b sexual immorality: A man was having sex with his stepmother. Such behavior even pagans didn’t do: It violated both the law of Moses (see Lev 18:7-8 ^c) and Roman law (Gaius, Institutes 1.63).
5:2 ^d The Corinthian Christians were proud (see 4:8 ^e, 10 ^f, 18 ^g; 5:6 ^h), when they should have been mourning in sorrow and shame over such sin among them.

• remove this man from your fellowship: This instruction might presuppose that the man had refused their appeals, or that such blatant sin required immediate discipline (cp. Matt 18:15-18 ⁱ).
5:3 ^j in the Spirit: Paul’s spiritual unity with them and the authority he had received from God through the Spirit were effective among them.
5:5 ^k The instruction to throw this man out is not in the Greek text but is implied from 5:2 ^l, 13 ^m.

• and hand him over to Satan: Cp. 1 Tim 1:20 ⁿ. Those who are outside of God’s church are under the power and control of Satan (see Eph 2:2 ^o; 1 Jn 5:19 ^p).

• so that his sinful nature will be destroyed: (literally for the destruction of the flesh): The flesh may be interpreted figuratively as a reference to his evil desires or literally as his physical life (i.e., so that he will die).

• and he himself will be saved: Perhaps he would repent and not be condemned (cp. 2 Cor 2:5-8 ^q).

• on the day the Lord returns: Literally in the day of the Lord, which includes the final judgment.
Summary for 1Cor 5:6-7: 5:6-7 ^r Yeast was often a symbol of sin (cp. Matt 16:6 ^s, 12 ^t; Mark 8:15 ^u; Luke 12:1 ^v; Gal 5:9 ^w). Jews ceremonially cleansed their homes of yeast before the annual Passover meal (Exod 12:19 ^x; 13:7 ^y).

• Get rid of ... this wicked person: Sin, if unaddressed, could spread throughout the church, just as yeast spreads throughout a batch of dough.
Summary for 1Cor 5:7-8: 5:7-8 ^z Paul draws an analogy between the traditional Jewish Passover celebration and the sacrifice of Christ. In the Passover celebration, a lamb was sacrificed and unleavened bread was eaten (see Exod 12:1-27 ^aa; 13:3-7 ^ab). The sacrifice of Christ, which occurred at Passover (Matt 26:2 ^ac; cp. John 1:29 ^ad; 1 Pet 1:19 ^ae), results in the removal of sin for believers.
Summary for 1Cor 5:9-13: 5:9-13 ^af The church is to discipline anyone in the church who is known to be living in sin. 5:9 ^ag When I wrote to you before refers to an earlier letter now lost.

• Sexual sin is any form of illicit sexual activity (see also 6:9 ^ah).
5:10 ^ai Paul generally encouraged believers not to separate themselves from the company of sinful unbelievers (e.g., 10:27 ^aj).
5:11 ^ak Separation from a professing believer who was living in sin was intended to reinforce and maintain the high moral standards of the Christian community. The social pressure it exerted might also encourage repentance in an erring brother or sister (cp. 2 Thes 3:6 ^al, 14 ^am).
Summary for 1Cor 5:12-13: 5:12-13 ^an Christians are not called to judge (i.e., discipline) sin in unbelievers, but in believers.