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Priscilla: I Corinthians 5:1-13
Sexual Immorality Defiles the Church

1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.

2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:

10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

[King James Version]

Dear God, my Beloved Father, today I offer you my reflection on the Word of God in I Corinthians 5:1-13 regarding the lack of discipline in the Church.

I understand verses 1 and 2 as follows: The Apostle Paul learned that there was sexual immorality in the Church in Corinth. A man was committing adultery with his father’s wife, an act of incest that brought shame upon the Church and was something that even non-believers would not do. The Church in Corinth should have been saddened and ashamed of the sin that occurred within it. However, they were arrogant, behaving according to the desires of the flesh. They did not care about the sin that occurred within the Church, tolerating it, not correcting it, and not removing the offender from the Church. As a result, this bad news spread to other Churches, and perhaps made non-believers in Corinth despise and mock them.

I understand verses 3-5 as follows: Although the Apostle Paul was not physically present in the Church in Corinth, he was present in spirit, which is the spiritual body. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by His power, the Apostle Paul called on the Church in Corinth to judge the offender in the Church. He hoped that the sinner would be tormented by Satan so that he would repent before he died and be saved when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to take the Church out of this world.

I understand verses 6 to 8 as follows: Paul urged the Church in Corinth not to be arrogant, boastful, or act in a fleshly way, and not to let evil continue to develop in their lives. Every believer in the Church had been sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ, so they should keep their lives like unleavened bread, which is a holy and pure life. This is true of those who have been created anew, full of the holy spirit of God. Paul wished that the believers in the Church in Corinth would discipline themselves, execute discipline, punish the offender justly, and keep the Church pure.

I understand verses 9 and 10 as follows: Paul did not mean to advise the people of God to stay away from unbelievers in the world. It is impossible to avoid contact with those who have sinned in the world while living in it. On the contrary, the people of God need to approach them to proclaim the Gospel of Salvation.

I understand verse 11 as follows: The Apostle Paul advised the people of God in the Church at Corinth not to associate with those who claim to have the same faith but engage in homosexual acts, are greedy, idolaters, violent, drunkards, or extortioners. The people of God must break off all relations with those who claim to be the people of God but still live in sin. The Word of God teaches, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness” (II Corinthians 6:14)?

I understand verses 12 and 13 as follows: The Apostle Paul said that neither he nor any of the people of God have the right to judge or condemn those who do not believe in God, for that judgment belongs to God alone. However, in the Church, the people of God must judge each other justly according to the teachings of the Word of God. And the people of God have the right to excommunicate and remove wicked people from the Church.

Father, please protect and keep Your Church in holiness. Use this lesson to remind Your Church of the need for discipline for those who have sinned, and if any sinner does not repent, then the Church must break off all relations with them. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Priscilla Christian Huynh
05/01/2023