Brief notes on my translation of 1 Corinthians 5
Apostolic Counsel—Incest
1 It is commonly reported that there is sexual sin among youp, and such sexual sin as is not even mentioned among the Gentiles that one should have his father’s wife.
[Most likely a stepmother].
2 Youp are proud of this? Youp should have mourned instead, so that he who has done this deed might be removed from among youp.
3 For truly I—while absent in the body but present in spirit—have already judged, as if I were present, he who has been committing this.
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when youp are gathered along with my spirit and the power of the Lord Jesus Christ
5 To deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord Jesus.
6 Yourp rejoicing [in this] is not right. Don’t youp know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
7 Therefore, cleanse out this old leaven so youp may be a fresh lump of dough, since youp are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.
8 Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
[Leavening agents and in particular yeast are a picture of sin—sin that permeates every part of our being. The steps of sin are seen in Romans 1:18-32 and Galatians 5:8-9. Our Passover meal is to be sincerity (being genuine as a person, the same in private and public, and the same no matter what the group with are associated with. We are always to be a Christian in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds. Truth is reality. God always tells the truth and expects us to live and speak the truth].
9 I wrote to youp in a letter not to associate with fornicators—
10 Yet not in every way with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, extortioners, or idolaters, for then youp would need to go out of the world.
11 But now I have written to youp not to associate if anyone who is called a brother is a fornicator, covetous, idolater, verbally abusive, drunkard, or an extortioner. Do not even eat with such a one.
[The Greek word “associate with” is συναναμίγνυμι synanamígnymi (G4874). It means the crowd, the group, the people we spend time with. Here the group consists of those who claim to be Christians. Spurgeon notes: Sin is as infectious and far more deadly than the small-pox or fever. Flee, then, from every one who might lead you into it. R. Tuck (in Biblical Illustration of the New Testament) notes: II. SPECIAL RELATIONS WITH EVIL WE MAY NOT MAKE.
- For our own sake
- For our friends’ sake
- For the sake of others who may observe our friendship
- For Christ’s sake, who said through His servant, “Come out from among them,” &c. (R. Tuck, B. A.)].
12 It’s none of my business to judge those outside [the church]. Don’t youp judge those who are within?
13 But those outside God judges. So therefore, remove that wicked person from among yourselvesp. [Deuteronomy 17:7, 19:19, 21:21, 22:21-24, and 24:7]