It was reported that there was sexual immorality among the Corinth brethren, as wasnot even named among the Gentiles-that a man has his father’s wife. Yet the brethren were puffed-up and have not rather mourned that the guilty one who had done the deed be taken away from among them (v.1-2).
Paul, being physically absent from them but present in spirit, had already judged (as though he was present) him who has so done the deed. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ when they were gathered together, along with Paul’s spirit, with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, they were to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (v.3-5).
The glorifying of the Corinth brethren was not good. For a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Therefore, they ought to purge the old leaven that they may be a new lump, since they truly were unleavened. For Christ the Passover was sacrificed for them. They ought to keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (v.6-8).
Paul wrote to them not to keep company with sexually immoral people. He did not mean the sexually immoral people of the world, or with covetous, or extortioners or idolaters, since then they would need to go out of the world. But he wrote to them not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral or covetous or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner-not even to eat with such a person (v.9-11).
For what had Paul to do with judging those who are outside? Do they not judge those who are inside. Those who are outside, God judges them. Therefore, they were to put away from themselves the evil person (v.12).
COMMENTARY
It was reported that there was sexual immorality among the Corinth brethren, not even named among the Gentiles. A man had taken his father’s wife. The church was puffed-up and did not mourn, that the one who committed the deed be taken away from them. Their glorifying was not good. For a little leaven leavens the whole lump.
As an apostle, Paul executed his divine authority to judge the one guilty of such sexual immorality. Though absent physically from the Corinthians, yet was present in spirit, Paul judged the man who committed the evil deed. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and with the power from Him, Paul told the Corinth church to deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (KJV states ‘for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus).
That was excommunication from the church, exercised on a man who committed mortal sin. The purpose was to safeguard the holiness of the church. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. The church at Corinth did not even mourn over the evil so that the one who took his father’s wife be put away from them.
When it was reported that such sexual immorality not even named among the Gentiles happened in the Corinth church, Paul exercised his divine authority as an apostle and judged him. He commanded the church to put away the man who committed the evil from them. (KJV: ‘for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus’ implies that the guilty man be excommunicated and delivered to Satan for destruction, in order that the church ‘spirit’ be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.)
Purge out the old leaven that the church may be a new lump since the brethren truly are unleavened. For Christ the Passover was sacrificed for them. Christ died and became the propitiation by His blood to be received by faith.
The church was to keep the feast not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. The brethren were not to keep company with sexually immoral people or the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, not meaning such people of the world, since then they would have to go out of the world. But those guilty of such evil inside the church among the brethren. They were not to keep company with anyone named brother if he is sexually immoral, covetous, extorts, and worships idols, reviles or is a drunkard-not even to eat with such a person.
The church today is purchased with the blood of Jesus and is a new lump, so we must keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, not with the leaven of malice and wickedness (v.6-11).
The apostles and church minister with divine office are bestowed authority through the name of Jesus Christ. With power from him, they ought to maintain discipline among the brethren to judge those who commit sins and great evil.
Lest a little leaven leavens the whole lump, they ought to exercise excommunication on those guilty of sexual immorality and who instigate rebellion in the household of God according to His holy will. They are to judge those guilty of mortal sin among the brethren inside the church, not judge those outside. The Lord Jesus Christ shall execute His righteous judgement in the day of His return when heavens and earth shall pass away. On that day all men shall stand before His judgment throne.
The righteous are saved for eternal life and the evil are committed to eternal punishment (John 20:21-22; Matt. 18:15-18; Rom. 16:17-18; Ps.98:9; Rev. 20:11-15; I Tim.1:19; II Tim.2:17). Yet for now, whoever the church binds on earth, he is bound in heaven. Whoever the church loses, he is loosed in heaven.
TEACHINGS
Tolerate not any sexual immorality among the brethren in the church. Put away from the company of brethren in the church those who commit sexual immorality, extort, covet, practise idol worship, revile and are drunkards (I Cor.6:18-20, Heb.13:4; Rev. 2:14; 20-21).
Keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Jesus Christ the Passover is sacrificed, and the church being cleansed with His blood truly is truly unleavened. Be watchful and wary that a little leaven leavens the whole lump.
Thus, ministers with divine offices must maintain the holiness of the church and execute disciplinary actions with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ in a spirit of love and with faithfulness to Him (Acts 5:1-9; 8: 18-23; 13:9-16).
