1 Corinthians 5:11
But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
But now I am writing you
This phrase indicates a shift in Paul's communication. The Greek word for "writing" (γράφω, graphō) suggests a formal and authoritative instruction. Paul is emphasizing the importance of his message, which is not merely a suggestion but a directive for the church's conduct. Historically, letters like this were vital for early Christian communities, serving as a means to maintain doctrinal purity and communal integrity.

not to associate
The Greek term used here is "συναναμίγνυσθαι" (synanamignysthai), which means to mix together or keep company with. Paul is instructing the Corinthians to avoid close fellowship with those who claim to be believers but live in sin. This separation is not out of hatred but as a form of discipline and protection for the church community, reflecting the holiness God desires for His people.

with anyone who claims to be a brother
The term "brother" (ἀδελφός, adelphos) signifies a fellow believer, someone who is part of the Christian family. Paul is addressing those within the church, highlighting the expectation that believers should live according to the teachings of Christ. This distinction is crucial because it underscores the responsibility of Christians to hold each other accountable.

but is sexually immoral
The Greek word "πόρνος" (pornos) refers to someone engaged in sexual immorality. In the historical context of Corinth, a city known for its licentiousness, this warning was particularly relevant. Paul is calling the church to a higher standard of purity, reflecting the sanctity of the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit.

or greedy
The term "πλεονέκτης" (pleonektēs) denotes someone who is covetous or avaricious. Greed is seen as idolatry in the Bible because it places material wealth above God. Paul warns against this sin, reminding believers that their treasure should be in heaven, not in earthly possessions.

an idolater
"Εἰδωλολάτρης" (eidōlolatrēs) refers to someone who worships idols. In the ancient world, idolatry was rampant, and for the Corinthians, it was a constant temptation. Paul is urging the church to remain faithful to the one true God, avoiding the spiritual adultery of idol worship.

or a verbal abuser
The Greek word "λοίδορος" (loidoros) describes someone who is abusive in speech. This includes slander, gossip, and harsh words. Paul emphasizes the power of words and the need for believers to speak life and truth, reflecting the character of Christ in their communication.

a drunkard
"Μέθυσος" (methysos) refers to someone who is habitually intoxicated. Drunkenness is condemned in Scripture as it leads to a loss of self-control and impairs one's ability to live a godly life. Paul calls for sobriety, which allows believers to be alert and ready for the Lord's work.

or a swindler
The term "ἅρπαξ" (harpax) means a thief or extortioner. This behavior is contrary to the Christian ethic of honesty and integrity. Paul is instructing the church to distance itself from those who exploit others for personal gain, as this is incompatible with the love and justice of God.

With such a man do not even eat
In the cultural context, sharing a meal was a sign of fellowship and acceptance. By instructing the Corinthians not to eat with such individuals, Paul is advocating for a form of social and spiritual discipline. This action serves as a wake-up call to the sinner, encouraging repentance and restoration while protecting the church's purity.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul the Apostle
The author of 1 Corinthians, addressing issues within the Corinthian church.

2. Corinthian Church
The recipients of the letter, a Christian community in Corinth struggling with moral and ethical issues.

3. Immoral Brother
A professing Christian engaging in sinful behaviors listed by Paul.

4. Corinth
A major city in ancient Greece known for its wealth and moral decadence.

5. Christian Community
The broader body of believers who are called to live according to Christ's teachings.
Teaching Points
Understanding Church Discipline
Church discipline is a biblical mandate aimed at restoring the sinner and protecting the church's purity.

The Importance of Holiness
Believers are called to live holy lives, reflecting Christ's character and avoiding behaviors that contradict their faith.

The Role of Accountability
Accountability within the Christian community is crucial for spiritual growth and maintaining integrity.

The Impact of Sin on Community
Sin not only affects the individual but also the entire community, necessitating a collective response.

Balancing Grace and Truth
While addressing sin, believers must balance grace and truth, aiming for restoration rather than condemnation.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Paul's instruction in 1 Corinthians 5:11 align with Jesus' teaching on dealing with sin within the church community?

2. What are the potential consequences for a church that fails to address the behaviors listed in 1 Corinthians 5:11?

3. How can believers effectively practice accountability without falling into judgmental attitudes?

4. In what ways can the principles in 1 Corinthians 5:11 be applied to modern-day church discipline?

5. How do the additional scriptures connected to this passage enhance our understanding of dealing with sin in the church?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 18:15-17
Jesus' instructions on dealing with a sinning brother, emphasizing the process of correction and restoration.

Galatians 6:1
Encourages believers to restore someone caught in sin gently, highlighting the spirit of humility and care.

Ephesians 5:11
Advises believers to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

2 Thessalonians 3:6
Paul instructs believers to keep away from any brother who is idle and disruptive, reinforcing the need for discipline within the church.

1 Timothy 5:20
Calls for public rebuke of those who persist in sin, serving as a warning to others.
Absent in Body, But Present in SpiritProf. J. R. Thomson.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Christians Ought to be Solicitous About the Spiritual Condition of Others1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Church DisciplineJ. Lyth, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Church not to be Judged by Her HypocritesC. H. Spurgeon.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Discipline in the Corinthian ChurchJ. Lyth, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Ecclesiastical ExcommunicationF. W. Robertson, M. A.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Exclusion from Christian Fellowship Where Duly InflictedJ. Lyth, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Gross ScandalsJ. Lyth, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
That Wicked PersonS. Cox, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
The Deplorable and the Commendable in a ChurchJ. W. Burn.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
The Duty of the Church in Cases of Open ImmoralityJ. Lyth, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
The Extreme Penalty of the ChurchJ. Lyth, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
The Power of Excommunication Must be ExercisedJ. Lyth, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
The Socially Immoral in ChurchesD. Thomas, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Want of Discipline in a ChurchJ. Lyth, DD.1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Little SinsJ. Armstrong, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:6-13
Little Sins -- Their InjuriousnessI. C. Booth, LL. D.1 Corinthians 5:6-13
Purging Out the LeavenC. H. Spurgeon.1 Corinthians 5:6-13
Sin a Malignant LeavenJ. Lyth, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:6-13
Supplementary Views and ExplanationsC. Lipscomb 1 Corinthians 5:6-13
The Evil of Self-ComplacencyJ. Lyth, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:6-13
The Leaven of Sin WorksJ. Lyth, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:6-13
The Purification of the ChurchJ. Lyth, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:6-13
The True Church a FeastD. Thomas, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:6-13
The Limits of FellowshipJ.R. Thomson 1 Corinthians 5:9-11
Avoid the Company of SinnersJ. Lyth, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:9-13
Converse with the UngodlyW. E. Hurndall, M. A.1 Corinthians 5:9-13
Converse with the UngodlyE. Hurndall 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
Danger of Worldly Intercourse1 Corinthians 5:9-13
The Christian Law of Association with EvilR. Tuck, B. A.1 Corinthians 5:9-13
The Christian Law of Association with EvilR. Tuck 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
The Company of Sinners to be AvoidedC. H. Spurgeon.1 Corinthians 5:9-13
The Intercourse of Christians with the WorldH. Bremner 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
The Limits of FellowshipProf. J. R. Thomson.1 Corinthians 5:9-13
The Snare of Worldly ConformityW. Landels, D. D.1 Corinthians 5:9-13
People
Corinthians, Paul
Places
Corinth
Topics
Abusive, Actually, Addicted, Anyone, Associate, Avarice, Avaricious, Bearing, Bears, Brother, Calls, Company, Covetous, Desire, Desires, Drink, Drunkard, Eat, Extortioner, Flesh, Force, Fornication, Fornicator, Gain, Greed, Greedy, Guilty, Hard-drinking, Idolater, Idol-worship, Immoral, Immorality, Language, Letter, Lewd, Meant, Mix, Named, Ought, People's, Property, Railer, Rapacious, Rather, Reviler, Robber, Sense, Sexual, Sexually, Sinner, Slanderer, So-called, Swindler, Swindler-not, Using, Violent, Whoremonger, Worse, Written, Wrote
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Corinthians 5:11

     5661   brothers
     5871   greed, response to
     7922   fellowship, with God

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

     6026   sin, judgment on
     8466   reformation

1 Corinthians 5:9-11

     5311   extortion
     5729   one flesh
     6213   participation, in sin
     8204   chastity

1 Corinthians 5:9-12

     7028   church, life of

1 Corinthians 5:9-13

     5217   authority, in church
     8341   separation

1 Corinthians 5:11-13

     7918   excommunication

Library
Easter Sunday
Text: First Corinthians 5, 6-8. 6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, even as ye are unleavened. For our passover also hath been sacrificed, even Christ: 8 wherefore 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. EXHORTATION TO WALK AS CHRISTIANS.[1] [Footnote 1: This and all the following sermons
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

March the Fifth the Tent and the Building
2 CORINTHIANS v. 1-9. At present we live in a tent--"the earthly house of this tabernacle." And often the tent is very rickety. There are rents through which the rain enters, and it trembles ominously in the great storm. Some tents are frail from the very beginning, half-rotten when they are put up, and they have no defence even against the breeze. But even the strongest tent becomes weather-worn and threadbare, and in the long run it "falls in a heap!" And what then? We shall exchange the frail
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

July the Twenty-Eighth all Things New!
2 CORINTHIANS v. 14-21. Here is a new constraint! "The love of Christ constraineth me." The love of Christ carries me along like a crowd. I am taken up in its mighty movement and swept along the appointed road! Or it arrests me, and makes me its willing prisoner. It lays a strong hand upon me, and I have no option but to go. A gracious "necessity is laid upon me." I must! And here is a new world. "Old things are passed away." The man who is the prisoner of the Lord's love will find himself
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Of the Nature of Regeneration, and Particularly of the Change it Produces in Men's Apprehensions.
2 COR. v. 17. 2 COR. v. 17. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. THE knowledge of our true state in religion, is at once a matter of so great importance, and so great difficulty that, in order to obtain it, it is necessary we should have line upon line and precept upon precept. The plain discourse, which you before heard, was intended to lead you into it; and I question not but I then said enough to convince many, that they were
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

Of the Nature of Regeneration, with Respect to the Change it Produces in Men's Affections, Resolutions, Labors, Enjoyments and Hopes.
2 Cor. v. 17. 2 Cor. v. 17. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. AMONG the various subjects, which exercise the thoughts and tongues of men, few are more talked of than Religion. But it is melancholy to think how little it is understood; and how much it is mistaken and misrepresented in the world. The text before us gives us a very instructive view of it: such a view, that I am sure, an experimental knowledge of its sense would
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

The Festal Life
'Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven ... but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.'--1 COR. v. 8. There had been hideous immorality in the Corinthian Church. Paul had struck at it with heat and force, sternly commanding the exclusion of the sinner. He did so on the ground of the diabolical power of infection possessed by evil, and illustrated that by the very obvious metaphor of leaven, a morsel of which, as he says, 'will leaven the whole lump,' or, as we say, 'batch.'
Alexander Maclaren—Romans, Corinthians (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)

Christ Our Passover
Israel was in Egypt, in extreme bondage; the severity of their slavery had continually increased till it was so oppressive that their incessant groans went up to heaven. God who avenges his own elect, though they cry day and night unto him, at last, determined that he would direct a fearful blow against Egypt's king and Egypt's nation, and deliver his own people. We can picture the anxieties and the anticipations of Israel, but we can scarcely sympathize with them, unless we as Christians have had
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 2: 1856

2 Corinthians v. 17, 18
Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new: and all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. I have, from time to time, spoken of that foolish misuse of the Scriptures, by which any one opening the volume of the Bible at random, and taking the first words which he finds, straightway applies them either to himself or to his neighbour; and then boasts that he has the word of God on his side, and that whosoever differs from him, is disputing and despising
Thomas Arnold—The Christian Life

The Education of the World.
IN a world of mere phenomena, where all events are bound to one another by a rigid law of cause and effect, it is possible to imagine the course of a long period bringing all things at the end of it into exactly the same relations as they occupied at the beginning. We should, then, obviously have a succession of cycles rigidly similar to one another, both in events and in the sequence of them. The universe would eternally repeat the same changes in a fixed order of recurrence, though each cycle might
Frederick Temple—Essays and Reviews: The Education of the World

We are Ambassadors for Christ 2 Cor 5:20
We are ambassadors for CHRIST 2 Cor 5:20 Thy message, by the preacher, seal, And let thy pow'r be known; That every sinner here, may feel The word is not his own. Amongst the foremost of the throng Who dare thee to thy face, He in rebellion stood too long, And fought against thy grace. But grace prevailed, he mercy found, And now by thee is sent, To tell his fellow-rebels round, And call them to repent. In Jesus, God is reconciled, The worst may be forgiv'n; Come, and he'll own you as a child,
John Newton—Olney Hymns

The Second State of Prayer. Its Supernatural Character.
1. Having spoken of the toilsome efforts and of the strength required for watering the garden when we have to draw the water out of the well, let us now speak of the second manner of drawing the water, which the Lord of the vineyard has ordained; of the machine of wheel and buckets whereby the gardener may draw more water with less labour, and be able to take some rest without being continually at work. This, then, is what I am now going to describe; and I apply it to the prayer called the prayer
Teresa of Avila—The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus

How did the Church Arrive at a Second Authoritative Canon in Addition to the Old Testament?
From the standpoint of the Apostolic Epoch it would be perfectly intelligible if the Church, in regard to written authorities, had decided to be satisfied with the possession of the Old Testament. I need not trouble to prove this. We should, however, have been to a certain extent prepared if, as time went on, the Church had added some other writings to this book to which it held fast. Indeed, in the first century, even among the Jews, the Old Testament was not yet quite rigidly closed, its third
Adolf Harnack—The Origin of the New Testament

the Nature of this Oversight
Having showed you, What it is to take heed to ourselves, I am to show you, next, What it is to take heed to all the flock. It was first necessary to take into consideration, what we must be, and what we must do for our own souls, before we come to that which must be done for others: He cannot succeed in healing the wounds of others who is himself unhealed by reason of neglecting himself. He neither benefits his neighbors nor himself. He does not raise up others, but himself falls.' Yea, lest all
Richard Baxter—The Reformed Pastor

The Passover: an Expiation and a Feast, a Memorial and a Prophecy
'And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2. This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 4. And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

On the Atonement.
"How that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures."-1 Cor. xv. 3. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."-2 Cor. v. 21. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."-Rom. v. 8. "The Lord is well pleased for his Righteousness' sake: he will magnify the law and make it honorable."-Isa. xlii. 21. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood,
Charles G. Finney—Sermons on Gospel Themes

That He who is About to Communicate with Christ Ought to Prepare Himself with Great Diligence
The Voice of the Beloved I am the Lover of purity, and Giver of sanctity. I seek a pure heart, and there is the place of My rest. Prepare for Me the larger upper room furnished, and I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples.(1) If thou wilt that I come unto thee and abide with thee, purge out the old leaven,(2) and cleanse the habitation of thy heart. Shut out the whole world, and all the throng of sins; sit as a sparrow alone upon the house-top,(3) and think upon thy transgressions
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

Sanctification
'For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.' I Thess 4:4. The word sanctification signifies to consecrate and set apart to a holy use: thus they are sanctified persons who are separated from the world, and set apart for God's service. Sanctification has a privative and a positive part. I. A privative part, which lies in the purging out of sin. Sin is compared to leaven, which sours; and to leprosy, which defiles. Sanctification purges out the old leaven.' I Cor 5:5. Though it takes not
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

He Division of the Land.
T The Jewish writers divide the whole world into "The land of Israel," and "Without the land": that is, the countries of the heathen. Both which phrases the book of the gospel owns: "The land of Israel," Matthew 2:20: and it calls the heathens, "those that are without," 1 Corinthians 5:13; 1 Timothy 3:7, &c. And sometimes the unbelieving Jews themselves, as Mark 4:11. They distinguish all the people of the world into "Israelites," and "the nations of the world." The book of the gospel owns that phrase
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Elucidations.
I. (Deadly Sins, cap. ix., p. 356.) To maintain a modern and wholly uncatholic system of Penitence, the schoolmen invented a technical scheme of sins mortal and sins venial, which must not be read into the Fathers, who had no such technicalities in mind. By "deadly sins" they meant all such as St. John recognizes (1 John v. 16-17) and none other; that is to say sins of surprise and infirmity, sins having in them no malice or wilful disobedience, such as an impatient word, or a momentary neglect of
Tertullian—The Five Books Against Marcion

How the Forward and the Faint-Hearted are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 9.) Differently to be admonished are the forward and the faint-hearted. For the former, presuming on themselves too much, disdain all others when reproved by them; but the latter, while too conscious of their own infirmity, for the most part fall into despondency. Those count all they do to be singularly eminent; these think what they do to be exceedingly despised, and so are broken down to despondency. Therefore the works of the forward are to be finely sifted by the reprover, that
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Sunday after Ascension Day
Text: First Peter 4, 7-11.[1] 7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer: 8 above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves: for love covereth a multitude of sins: 9 using hospitality one to another without murmuring: 10 according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; 11 if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; if any man ministereth, ministering
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

The Leaven.
"Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."--MATT. xiii. 33. In the mustard-seed we saw the kingdom growing great by its inherent vitality; in the leaven we see it growing great by a contagious influence. There, the increase was attained by development from within; here, by acquisitions from without. It is not that there are two distinct ways in which the Gospel may gain complete
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

Reprobation.
In discussing this subject I shall endeavor to show, I. What the true doctrine of reprobation is not. 1. It is not that the ultimate end of God in the creation of any was their damnation. Neither reason nor revelation confirms, but both contradict the assumption, that God has created or can create any being for the purpose of rendering him miserable as an ultimate end. God is love, or he is benevolent, and cannot therefore will the misery of any being as an ultimate end, or for its own sake. It is
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Justification.
Christ is represented in the gospel as sustaining to men three classes of relations. 1. Those which are purely governmental. 2. Those which are purely spiritual. 3. Those which unite both these. We shall at present consider him as Christ our justification. I shall show,-- I. What gospel justification is not. There is scarcely any question in theology that has been encumbered with more injurious and technical mysticism than that of justification. Justification is the pronouncing of one just. It may
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

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