What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 5:10? I was not including the sexually immoral of this world Paul had just told the church “not to associate with sexually immoral people” (1 Corinthians 5:9). Here he clarifies that he does not mean unbelievers who live in open immorality. • Jesus Himself ate with tax collectors and sinners to call them to repentance (Mark 2:15-17). • We shine as lights among those who “walk in the futility of their minds” (Ephesians 4:17-18) so they can see Christ in us. • Completely avoiding unbelievers would contradict our call to be ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). Paul’s focus is on discipline within the church, not isolation from the world. or the greedy and swindlers Greed twists the heart toward money rather than God (Colossians 3:5). Swindling adds the active exploitation of others for personal gain. • Jesus warned, “Watch out and guard yourselves against every form of greed” (Luke 12:15). • Zacchaeus modeled repentance by paying back those he had cheated (Luke 19:8). • Believers remain among greedy people to offer a contrasting testimony of contentment and generosity (Philippians 4:11-13; 1 Timothy 6:17-19). or idolaters Idolatry is worshiping anything or anyone in place of the living God. • The first commandment still stands: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). • Paul describes unbelievers as those who “exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25). • Remaining near idol-worshipers allows believers to declare “turn from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). In that case you would have to leave this world If Christians were forbidden all contact with sinners, the only option would be physical removal from earth. • Jesus prayed, “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). • Until Christ returns, believers live among the lost but “are not of the world” (John 17:16), holding fast to holiness while extending grace (Titus 2:11-14). • Paul’s statement underscores healthy balance: separation from unrepentant sin within the church (1 Corinthians 5:11-13) yet engagement with the lost outside it. summary 1 Corinthians 5:10 distinguishes between discipline inside the church and mission outside it. Paul is not urging withdrawal from unbelievers who are immoral, greedy, or idolatrous; he expects believers to stay in the world, bearing faithful witness. The command to “come out and be separate” applies to professing Christians who persist in sin, while the call to love our neighbor keeps us present among those who have yet to know Christ. |
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