Paul turns now to matters of discipline in the Corinthian church. He says that there is an obligation to fulfill in the matter of church discipline (v1-2); there’s a means by which the church ought to exercise such disciplinary measures (v2-5); there’s an explanation, or a reason for issuing such measures (v6-8); and finally, there are ramifications (v9-13) for disciplining or failing to discipline members of the Body of Christ. Let’s take a look.
Expel the Immoral Brother!
1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. 2And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature[1] may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
“A man has his father’s wife.” Though pagan culture (and Gentiles) may have tolerated much sexual sin that Jews did not, even this type of incestuous relationship was surprising to all (v1). Most likely, this wasn’t the man’s mother, but his stepmother, or mother-in-law; but still! And though this man’s sin was condemnable, Paul was most upset at the arrogance and pride of the congregation (v2a, 6) in tolerating such behavior. He asks a question to instruct what should have happened in this matter – the congregation should “have been filled with grief and have put out of…fellowship the man who did this.” Sound doctrine requires discipline – and excommunication in this circumstance (v5). In fact, Paul commands excommunication unto repentance (the destruction of his flesh). He gives this command in the light of Hebrews 12:6, which says, “the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son.” 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 may reveal that the man did repent; but that passage might also be speaking of something entirely different; we’ll look at it when we get there.
Look at v3-4 before moving on. Paul acknowledges that he isn’t there in person; otherwise, he’d have taken care of this matter already. But he is with them now in spirit, having come to know what’s going on. He’s already excommunicated this man, as if he was there, but since he’s not there, he gives instruction for the congregation. When they are together – and by the way, Paul will be there in spirit, and also the power of Jesus will be there – that’s when they “hand this man over to Satan” (v5). Paul says that Jesus confirms the decision that Paul has helped the Corinthians to make to discipline the man.
One commentator concludes, “The believer is put into a sphere, excommunicated into a place, the world, the place where Satan is god, that lies in the lap of the wicked one – and, if you like, he’s fresh meat and fair game for the devil to do with him as he likes. This is frightening stuff, to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. What is the destruction of the flesh? There are different schools of thought: one basically thinks that if you commit a sin like this, or any sin and you’re excommunicated from the church, and you’re outside in the world, that the devil gets his clutches on you physically and you get some disease and you die… But I don’t believe that this is what this means here, the destruction of the flesh, because the flesh in Corinthians usually if not always means that old nature within you, the old man that actually led this individual into his incestuous relationship with his stepmother. The thought is here that for this man’s own good you’re to put him out of the church, and allow him into the realm and the sphere where Satan rules, that Satan may bring him down so far that that desire and fleshly nature within him is quenched and he comes back repentant to the church of God again.”
6Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
The Corinthians likely gloried in their grace to their own brothers. Perhaps they tolerated small sins for the sake of peace in fellowship. But this was no small sin, and their unity was false anyway. Paul points out that tolerance here opens the door for chaos and destruction of the entire body. “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” Ultimately, Paul encourages the Corinthians by reminding them of their purity (“a new batch without yeast – as you really are”) – thanks to the sacrifice of “Christ, our Passover lamb.” Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, should be celebrated by our lifestyles. One commentator says, “The point is this: their indifference actually convicted them…with the offence, because they were guilty of the spread of the evil in the assembly because they didn’t do anything about it.”
And the application for us comes outwardly, corporately for exercising discipline – removing the yeast – in our congregation, and inwardly, individually for exercising discipline – removing the yeast – in our inmost being. In v8, when Paul speaks of keeping the Festival, he’s not talking about the Passover; he’s talking about living out Christianity lovingly and faithfully. We are to remove the malice and wickedness and replace them with sincerity and truth. One commentator notes, “You can’t sit at the feet of Christ and eat His feast, and hate your brother.”
9I have written 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 you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
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 man from among you."[2]
Paul’s earlier (missing) letter urged the Corinthians to live distinctly from the world, but they must have misunderstood, either thinking the request unreasonable and deciding to show grace to all immoral people, or taking it too far unto total separation from immorality (“Be in but not of the world”). Now he gets more specific with that instruction (v11), clarifying that he means “anyone who calls himself a brother, but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.” Paul quotes Deuteronomy in v13 as the chapter closes to make an important parallel between Old Testament Israel and the New Testament Church (1 Corinthians 10:1-11). The Church’s authority extends to its members, but not to non-members (unbelievers).
Paul includes covetousness with fornication, linking the seventh and tenth commandments. You could argue that coveting is the root of all sin; when Paul learned that, he was convicted (Romans 7:7-13). The solution is to be content. And if brothers in Christ who exhibit covetousness of any kind surround us, we ought to abstain from fellowship with them – for their good. We don’t judge those who claim no allegiance to Christ; God will judge the world. But we do hold accountable to faithful living those inside the congregation. And if unrepentant sinners are part of our fellowship, we need to expel them. One commentator concludes that “discipline in the house of God is preventative, it’s preventative against the sin and the leaven spreading. It is purgative, to cleanse out the temple of God from all sin. It’s punitive, for it chastises the individual who has sinned – but praise God, and let us remember this, it is curative. The aim is to bring those people back into restorative fellowship.”
Footnotes
- 5:5 Or that his body; or that the flesh
- 5:13 Deut. 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21,24; 24:7
Bible text from Gospelcom.net. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.