Church Discipline for Open Sin

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

1CO_005

NET Bible Text

5:1 It is actually reported that sexual immorality exists among you, the kind of immorality that is not permitted even among the Gentiles, so that someone is cohabiting with his father's wife. 5:2 And you are proud! Shouldn't you have been deeply sorrowful instead and removed the one who did this from among you? 5:3 For even though I am absent physically, I am present in spirit. And I have already judged the one who did this, just as though I were present. 5:4 When you gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5:5 turn this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough? 5:7 Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch of dough - you are, in fact, without yeast. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 5:8 So then, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of vice and evil, but with the bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. 5:9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. 5:10 In no way did I mean the immoral people of this world, or the greedy and swindlers and idolaters, since you would then have to go out of the world. 5:11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 5:12 For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside? 5:13 But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you.

Simple Summary

Paul rebukes the Corinthians for allowing a known sexual sin in the church. He tells them to remove the man from fellowship, because open sin spreads and dishonors Christ. The church must judge clear sin inside its own body, while leaving outsiders to God.

What This Passage Means

Paul says that a serious sexual sin was being openly reported among the Corinthians. A man was living with his father’s wife, and the church was proud instead of grieving. Paul says they should have mourned and removed the man from among them.

Even though Paul was absent in body, he spoke with apostolic authority. When the church gathers in the name of the Lord Jesus, it must act under His authority. Paul commands them to hand the man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. This is severe discipline. It is meant to bring repentance and final salvation, not revenge.

Paul uses yeast and dough to show that tolerated sin spreads through the whole church. Because Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed, the church must live as a clean, holy people. So they must remove the old yeast of sin and evil and live with sincerity and truth.

Paul also makes clear that he did not mean Christians should avoid all immoral people in the world. They cannot leave the world. He means that they must not keep normal fellowship with someone who claims to be a Christian and still lives in open, serious sin. The church must not even eat with such a person.

Paul ends by saying that believers are not responsible to judge outsiders in this way. God will judge those outside. But the church must judge those inside and remove the evil person from among them.

Important Truths

• Public, scandalous sin in the church must not be ignored.
• The church should grieve over open sin, not boast in tolerance.
• Church discipline is to be carried out under the authority of the Lord Jesus.
• "Hand over to Satan" mainly means removal from church fellowship, with a saving purpose.
• Tolerated sin spreads and affects the whole body.
• The church’s holiness rests on Christ’s sacrifice.
• Christians are not called to withdraw from unbelievers in the world.
• The church must refuse normal fellowship with a professing believer who persists in open sin.

Warnings, Promises, or Commands

• Do not use this passage to teach withdrawal from non-Christians, since Paul says that would mean leaving the world.
• Do not confuse judging open, visible conduct in the church with claiming to know hidden motives.
• Do not reduce "deliver this man to Satan" to either certain physical death or empty words; it is a severe act of exclusion with a restorative aim.
• Do not treat church discipline as private revenge or authoritarian action without gathered-church responsibility.
• Command: remove the openly sinful man from fellowship.
• Command: do not even eat with a professing believer who remains in the listed sins.
• Promise: the severe discipline is meant so that the person’s spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
• Warning: a little yeast spreads through the whole batch.

How This Fits in God's Plan

Paul connects church holiness to Christ’s saving work. Because Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed, God’s people are to live as a clean people without the old yeast of sin. The church is a holy community under Jesus’ authority, while final judgment belongs to God.

Simple Application

Churches should not cover up public, serious sin among members. They should grieve, act carefully, and use discipline when needed, always aiming at repentance and restoration. At the same time, they should still live among unbelievers without withdrawing from the world.