What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 5:9? I wrote you - Paul reminds the Corinthians that he has already spoken to them about this matter (1 Corinthians 4:14). - His words carry apostolic weight—“What I am writing to you is the Lord’s command” (1 Corinthians 14:37). - By saying “I wrote,” Paul anchors the instruction in an earlier communication, showing continuity and consistency in teaching (2 Corinthians 13:10). in my letter - The phrase points to a specific written document that the Spirit has preserved for the church, now recognized as Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16). - Written words allow truth to be revisited, tested, and applied (Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). - A letter transcends geography and time; what guided Corinth still guides believers today (Romans 15:4). not to associate - “Associate” implies close, deliberate fellowship—shared meals, ministry, and friendship (1 Corinthians 5:11: “do not even eat with such a one”). - The aim is restorative, to awaken repentance through loving but firm distance (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15). - This separation guards the purity of the church (Ephesians 5:11) and protects weaker believers from harmful influence (1 Corinthians 15:33). - It is not a call to hatred or public shaming but a sober boundary that highlights the seriousness of sin (Galatians 6:1). with sexually immoral people - Sexual immorality (porneia) covers all sexual activity outside the covenant of one-man, one-woman marriage (Genesis 2:24; Hebrews 13:4). - Paul clarifies that he is focusing on those who claim to be believers yet persist unrepentantly in such sin (1 Corinthians 5:10-13). - God judges outsiders, but the church must address sin within its own fellowship (1 Peter 4:17). - Persistent immorality threatens a person’s inheritance in God’s kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Ephesians 5:3-6; Revelation 21:8). - Loving confrontation paired with separation calls the offender back to holiness (James 5:19-20; Jude 23). summary Paul’s brief sentence—“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people”—reaffirms a previous directive. In his authoritative, Spirit-inspired letter, he instructs believers to withdraw close fellowship from anyone inside the church who persists in sexual immorality. The purpose is twofold: to maintain the church’s purity and to prompt the sinner to repent and be restored. This timeless standard, rooted in love and holiness, continues to safeguard Christ’s community and uphold the truth of the gospel. |
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