What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 5:1? It is actually reported • Paul begins with shock: “It is actually reported…” (1 Corinthians 5:1), signaling news so grievous it demands immediate pastoral attention. • His wording shows this is no rumor; reliable witnesses have confirmed it—much like the earlier report from “Chloe’s people” (1 Corinthians 1:11) and the later mention of divisions at the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 11:18). • The gravity echoes the Old Testament pattern where leaders took seriously any verified charge of sin in the camp (Deuteronomy 13:12-14; Joshua 7:1-26). that there is sexual immorality among you • The term covers any sexual activity outside God-ordained marriage (Genesis 2:24; Hebrews 13:4). • Paul is stunned this sin exists “among you”—inside the fellowship that bears Christ’s name (Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). • The church’s calling is holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16), so unchecked immorality undermines its witness (Philippians 2:15). • Left alone, such sin leavens the whole loaf, a point Paul drives home two verses later (1 Corinthians 5:6) and had already warned about in Galatians 5:9. and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans • Corinth’s culture was infamous for sexual excess, yet this case crosses a moral line even they recognized (Romans 2:14-15). • When the surrounding world is appalled, the church’s compromise becomes doubly shameful (Ezekiel 16:27; Titus 1:16). • Scripture often contrasts believers’ higher standard with the Gentile norm (Ephesians 4:17-19; 1 Peter 4:3-4); here Paul shows the congregation has sunk beneath that norm. A man has his father’s wife • The sin is incest with a stepmother, strictly forbidden in the Law: “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife” (Leviticus 18:8; see also Deuteronomy 22:30; 27:20). • The present tense “has” implies an ongoing relationship, not a one-time lapse, revealing hardness of heart (Hebrews 3:13). • Consequences of this sin in Scripture include curse and exclusion (Deuteronomy 23:1; Leviticus 20:11). • Practical fallout: – Dishonors the father’s authority and covenant (Exodus 20:12). – Corrupts the church’s purity (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). – Scandalizes unbelievers, hindering gospel witness (2 Samuel 12:14; Romans 2:24). • Paul’s next instructions (1 Corinthians 5:2-5) call for loving yet firm discipline, mirroring Jesus’ steps in Matthew 18:15-17 and aiming at both the offender’s restoration and the body’s protection. summary The single verse exposes a shocking, ongoing incestuous union inside the Corinthian church. Paul’s astonishment underscores how any verified, unrepentant sexual sin contradicts the holiness Christ expects. Even a permissive pagan society knew this act was wrong, magnifying the church’s failure to confront it. The passage reminds believers to uphold God’s moral standards, practice biblical discipline, and guard the testimony of the gospel. |
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