Verse 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.
Remember that the Apostle Paul penned this epistle or letter to a Gentile church that had many problems, and fornication was just one of them. Fornication is sexual sin. Adultery is sexual sin among married men and women and is all part of fornication. Notice that he said this sin was reported commonly. That means there was a lot of sexual sin in the Corinthian church. But some of it was so bad that even the pagan Gentiles did not do what some in the church were doing, and apparently the sin the Apostle Paul was addressing was that of a son co-habitating with either his mother or with his step mother. Incest was in the church and those unsaved people outside of the church apparently did not even commit this sin.
Application: Notice that the Apostle Paul refers to the Gentiles separately from the Corinthian church which was a Gentile church. Why? Because God has one Israel of God, and when someone repents, is baptized in Jesus’ name, and filled with the Spirit of God, they become the Israel of God. Why? Because they have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The real estate on the Mediterranean Sea is not the Israel of God as they have rejected the testimony of Jesus Christ. “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17 Today, who is it who keeps the commandments of God and has the testimony of Jesus Christ? It is all the born again Christian believers from every nation and tribe. The fake Jews in the nation Israel do not keep the commandments of God and do not have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Their god is Satan or the serpent, a fact that can be easily supported through the writings of the rabbis. This is an essential Biblical teaching that most Christians do not understand and so they interpret Scripture and current events incorrectly. The Bible clearly teaches that all Israel will be saved and gathered unto Jesus Christ. So the gathering of the people of Israel has been happening since Jesus’ resurrection and will continue until time is no more and this gathering has absolutely nothing to do with the 1948 Balfour declaration and the invasion of Palestine by European fake Jews at the behest of the Illuminati.
Verse 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.
And a further problem with the Corinthian church was that it was puffed up or proud of this sinful relationship that was going on in their midst. They were protecting this unnamed man and were not sorry that this was happening in their congregation. There was a lack of church discipline and the Apostle Paul was having to provide this discipline from afar as he was not in their city at the time he received the report of this fornication.
Verses 3-5 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.
The Apostle Paul, even though he is not there to correct this church, has passed judgement on the situation and on the man involved in this fornication. His sentence is that this man should be turned completely over to Satan if that would cause him to repent and get right with the LORD Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul is not being unkind, but is more concerned about this man’s soul and whether he will go to Heaven or Hell.
Application: How can a believer be absent physically from a group of people and yet be with them spiritually? By getting in the Spirit while in prayer. The Apostle John received the Book of Revelation from the LORD Jesus Christ while he was “in the Spirit”. “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.” Revelation 1:10 Philip was in the Spirit and physically moved from one geographical location to another. Through the power of the Holy Ghost/Spirit, the Apostle Paul was able to know what was going on in the Corinthian church.
Verses 6-8 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.
The Greek word translated as “glorying” is “kauchema” and it means glorying or boasting. Apparently this sinful relationship was a topic of conversation and the people were not ashamed of it, but boasted about it. The Greek word translated as “leaven” is “zume” and it means physical leaven or metaphorically mental and moral corruption which can infect others. Leaven in small doses pervades a thing, and likewise sin, in small doses, pervades the Church. The Corinthian church needed to remove that which was causing the sin and purify itself so that it was like Christ and not like the world. They needed to follow the truth of the Word and to discipline those who were bringing corruption into the body of believers.
Verses 9-10 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.
In previous instruction, the Apostle Paul had warned these believers to not get mixed up with or be intimate with those people in the world who were engaged in sexual sin of any kind. Nor were they to be involved with those committing other sins. Yes, the Christian believers in Corinth had to participate in activities in their city and socialize to some extent with the unsaved, but they were not to become overly friendly with them. Why? Because these unsaved people could become a snare to the faith of the believers in the church. Remember that this church was a baby church trying to survive and thrive in a totally pagan and evil society.
Verses 11-13 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. (1 Corinthians 5)
Now the Apostle Paul’s warning to part company with those in the world committing sin is extending to those inside the church who are involved with fornication or other sins. The Christians at Corinth did not have the authority to judge those outside of the church. Only God had that authority. But they did have the authority to judge those inside of the church who were willfully sinning.
Application: Righteous judgement within the Church is only for correction and not for condemnation. Those failing to obey the commandments of the LORD Jesus Christ are to be approached in a loving manner and confronted with their behavior and instructed to repent. If they fail to do so, they must be removed from the body of believers until they do sincerely repent, at which time fellowship can be restored. This is God’s way of keeping His Church pure.