In the previous blog posts, we saw that Paul does not call for the man to be expelled from the ecclesia, but rather points the Corinthians toward their own attitude and the purging of the leaven of false teaching. In the final verses of the chapter, he clarifies his argument further.
1 Corinthians 5 ISA
9 I write to you in the letter not to mix with sexually immoral men.
not mix
Some translations state that we should not associate with sexually immoral men, or fornicators. However, the word used here places a different emphasis. When we mix with them, distinctions disappear, and it appears as though we belong together.
Paul is not speaking here of believers struggling with their weaknesses. Earlier in the letter, he describes the Corinthians as “carnal” due to their jealousy and strife (1 Cor. 3:3). Here, the issue concerns people who openly persist in wicked and criminal practices such as sexual immorality, idolatry, swindling, and robbery. Such practices are incompatible with the gospel. A believer ought, in fact, to “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things” (Titus 2:10).
10 Not altogether with the sexually immoral men of this world, or with the greedy and the predatory or idolaters, for then you would be obliged to go out of the world.
not the world
Paul immediately forestalls a potential misunderstanding. He is not calling for the avoidance of all contact with sinners; were that the case, believers would have to leave the world. It is precisely for this world that we have a gospel. Paul’s call, therefore, does not concern unbelievers, but something else entirely. He makes this clear in the following verse.
11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother but is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler—with such a person you should not even eat.
After making it clear that he is not speaking about the world, Paul now explains what he does mean. It concerns someone who is called a brother yet openly persists in wicked practices. It is not about someone who stumbles out of weakness, but about someone who continues to live in such practices.
not even eat together
Paul does not say that such a person must be expelled from the ecclesia. He does, however, call for no fellowship with him. That is why he adds: “with such a person you should not even eat.”
In Scripture, eating together is an expression of fellowship. As long as someone clings to a way of life that runs counter to the gospel, that fellowship is broken in practice. In doing so, he places himself outside that fellowship.
not an enemy
However, that does not mean he has become an enemy. Elsewhere, Paul actually writes: “Do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thess. 3:15). Here, too, the goal remains not his ruin, but his restoration.
12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are inside?
13 God judges outsiders. Remove the wicked person from among you.
inside and outside
Paul concludes his argument with an important distinction. He leaves outsiders to God’s judgment. It is not the role of the ecclesia to judge the world right now; that awaits the future (1 Cor. 6:1–2).
The situation is different within the ecclesia. There, a distinction must be made regarding what does and does not belong in its midst. That is why Paul says: “Remove the wicked person from among you.”
the ecclesia
However, this call must be read in the light of the entire chapter. From the outset, Paul directs his rebuke not at the man, but at the ecclesia. As long as they remained arrogant and had let go of the truth, the evil in their midst could persist. Where the ecclesia allows itself to be cleansed by the truth, the evil in its midst disappears as well.
final conclusion
When we place all the Scripture passages from this series side by side, something stands out. Paul’s words sometimes sound harsh. He speaks of shunning, withdrawing, rejecting, and even handing someone over to satan. Yet, his goal is never the ruin of a person.
Time and again, it becomes clear that Paul wants to preserve the truth, keep the ecclesia healthy, and ultimately win back the one who has gone astray. Even in 1 Corinthians 5, his judgment does not end with condemnation, but with the words: “so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
For Paul, therefore, distancing oneself is never an end in itself. It always serves a higher purpose: preserving the truth, protecting the unity of the *cclesia, and ultimately the restoration of people. It is precisely in this that we see the mind of Christ reflected.