1Cor 5:1-8 | 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.