This chapter proves times don’t change the way humans think and act. We are still weak in the same ways they were back then. Human nature and sin remains the same no matter what time period we live in. Paul has received a report about a church member who is having sexual relations with his step-mother (I’m assuming here, hoping “his father’s wife” isn’t his mother, but it could be).
1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?
Rather than reprimand the man committing this sin, his fellow church members are congratulating him for his conquest. Paul is asking them why they are not mourning the wrong doing and why they haven’t removed him from their fellowship.
3For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. 4So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
Paul tells them that although he is not with them physically, he is still a part of their congregation and is with them in spirit. As a member of their church, he asks them to carry out his wishes by removing the man from their fellowship.
The Greek word translated as “flesh” is sarx, which refers to the sinful state of human beings. So Paul tells them to point out his sinful exploits so he can understand the error of his ways and repent so his spirit may be saved. The man had fallen out of favor of the Lord by committing the sin. The only way he will know to repent is if they show him where he is wrong.
“Hand this man over to Satan” means to exclude him from the fellowship of the believers. When separated from the church, the man would be left alone with Satan, for Satan rules the world. Hopefully this reality would cause him to repent, destroying his sinful nature.
Although this action of removing immoral members from the church is necessary to keep them from corrupting others within the membership, we should do it in love the same as a parent disciplines a child to teach them. It should never be done out of anger or hatred, but to correct and restore the offender so he will be motivated to repent and return to the church.
6Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7Get 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. 8Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
If the church members don’t hold him accountable and continue to encourage him by congratulating him on his virile ploys, they are allowing his sin to penetrate the entire church. They need to keep their eyes on Christ and the sacrifice Christ made. Throw out the wickedness and hold fast to sincerity and truth.
Paul did not expect believers to be sinless. All of us struggle with sin on a daily basis. But he was referring to people who deliberately sin, feel no guilt, and refuse to repent. This kind of blatant sin, left uncorrected, can confuse and divide a congregation.
Yeast: As the Hebrews prepared for the exodus from Egypt, they were commanded to prepare unleavened bread because they did not have time to wait for the bread to rise. Since that time, yeast became a symbol for sin throughout the scriptures.
9I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But 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.
Paul reminds them of a previous letter, known as the lost letter because a copy was not preserved, in which he told them not to associate with immoral people, but they may have assumed he meant those outside the church. He tells them he was also referring to those within the church who were immoral.
The Greek word translated as “brother or sister” is adelphos and refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family.
The end of verse 10 says in order to not associate with people of this world who are immoral, greedy, swindlers, or idolaters, “In that case you would have to leave this world.” We cannot disassociate ourselves from the world and still carry out the great commission of Christ. Jesus commanded us to go into the world and teach others about him and deliver the gospel to all. This would become impossible if we separate ourselves from unbelievers. But if we do not distance ourselves from those who claim to be Christians while living a life of sin, we hurt our testimony as well as diminish the message of Christ. A church is supposed to be the light of the world, God’s light. But immoral members snuff out the light.
12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
The scriptures tell us not to judge others. However, Paul says we are not to judge those outside of the church. God will be their judge. But in order to help keep them on the right path, we must judge our fellow believers. If we discipline them and they still will not turn away from their immoral behavior, then it is our duty to expel them from the church fellowship. Paul quotes scripture from Deuteronomy including 13:5, 17:7, 19:19, 21:21, 22:21, 24, and 24:7. Each of these verses ends with “You must purge the evil from among you.”
This chapter of verses give us instruction on dealing with open sin within a church congregation by a person who claims to be a Christian but sins without remorse. It does not give us permission to gossip or be critical of others. Nor should Paul’s instructions be used for trivial matters, for revenge, or to settle individual problems between believers.
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