CHAPTER 5

(A.D. 59)

MORAL STANDARDS

¹It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you (fornication speaks of all types of immorality; it seemed to have been more widespread than just a case or two), and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles (meaning this type was not common among the Gentiles), that one should have his fathers wife (refers to the mans step-mother; it also seems the Father was alive [II Cor. 7:12]).

²And you are puffed up (it seems that some were attempting to say such was allowed under the guise of Christian liberty), and have not rather mourned (presents that which should have been the norm, but seemingly was not), that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you (the idea is the individual repent, thereby ceasing such activity or be disfellowshiped).

JUDGMENT OF SIN

³For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit (means that even though he is not present personally in Corinth, the direction he will now give is still to be taken just as seriously as if he were there personally), have judged al ready, as though I were present, concerning him who has so done this deed. (Does not, as some think, contradict Jesus instructions to not judge [Mat. 7:1-5]. Paul is judging an action here, as all Believers are called upon to do, i.e., Fruit [Mat. 7:15-20].)

⁴In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ (refers to Christ as the Head of the Church), when you are gathered together (presents the authority of the local Church), and my spirit (refers to Paul being there in spirit, even though he could not be there in the flesh), with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. (The authority is in the Name, and the Power is in the Person of Christ. This recognizes Him totally as the Head of the Church.)

⁵To deliver such an one (the one committing the sin of incest) unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh (it refers to ceasing all prayer for such an individual, and can be done by the local Body, providing the Church is correct in its position; God will no more honor wrong committed by the Church than He will by an individual), that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (it is hoped that such action will cause the person to repent).

LEAVEN

⁶Your glorying is not good (these people had taken liberty into license). Do you not know that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? (Leaven is figurative of such that is minuscule in quantity, but extremely pervasive in its penetrating force.)

⁷Purge out therefore the old leaven (spoken in Old Covenant terminology, but with the same meaning carried over in the hearts and lives of New Testament Believers), that you may be a new lump (start acting like what you are, a new creation), as you are unleavened (speaks of the position that one has in Christ; that is our standing; it is the business of the Spirit to bring our state up to our standing). For even Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us (the Believer can have victory over all sin by placing his Faith exclusively in the Cross of Christ, which Sacrifice addressed all sin):

⁸Therefore let us keep the feast (is meant to serve as a symbol of the Jewish Passover, when all leaven was purged from the household), not with old leaven (old sins committed before conversion), neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness (refers to the ways of the world from which the Child of God has been delivered); but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (can only be attained by ones Faith being anchored solely in the Sacrifice of Christ).

SOCIAL RELATIONS

⁹I wrote unto you in an Epistle (refers to a previous letter written to the Church of Corinth, which has been lost) not to company with fornicators (actually means, not to be mingled up among):

¹⁰Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world (places a difference between those in the world and those in the Church), or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must you needs go out of the world (refers to normal commerce and activity with those who are unsaved, which is different than those who profess Christ).

¹¹But now I have written unto you not to keep company (Believers must not condone such immoral activity in other Christians, considering that they refuse to repent), if any man who is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner (plainly tells us that many will call themselves Christian or Brother, who practice these type of sins); with such an one no not to eat (speaks more so of the Lords Supper than anything else).

¹²For what have I to do to judge them also who are without? (The idea is that we have no right to apply these standards to people who have not professed Christ as Saviour.) do not you judge them who are within? (As Believers, we have enough on our plate without having to call unbelievers to task. That is not our obligation.)

¹³But them who are without (unsaved) God judges (so lets leave the unredeemed to Him). Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person (If the Believer will not repent of obvious wrongdoing, and we speak of scandalous sins, then that person must be disfellowshiped).