Sexual Immorality in 1 Corinthians 5

[Bootstrap]

This is a Bible study thread, open to people who believe in simple obedience to Scripture. I would like to request that people in this thread follow these rules:

1. We will focus on this passage. We will use other threads for other passages.
2. We will start by asking and answering simple answers about what the passage says - objective things that we expect we can probably agree on.
3. We will talk about the text, not about other people.
4. We will focus on how we apply the text ourselves, not on how other people should. But we will start by understanding what the text meant when Paul wrote it before we go on to application.

[Bootstrap]

Here's the passage: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13.

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

[nett]

I'm not actually sure if I can agree to #2, because I don't know if there is anything people agree on in this passage. Are you going to start with your answers to these questions, or are you wanting others to?

[Bootstrap]

Let's start with simple observations about what the text says, drawing out important things that are clearly there. For instance:

• Paul says that a man is sleeping with his father's wife. He says they are boasting, but they should be grieving instead.
• Paul says that this man should be removed from the church - but he says that the goal of this is the man's salvation: "you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord." People have interpreted this different ways, but whatever it means, the goal is clearly salvation, not condemnation.
• Paul is not saying we should not associate with sinners who are not in the Kingdom - "not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world" - this is not in conflict with the ministry of Jesus, who clearly reached out to them in compassion.
• Paul is clearly saying we should not associate with unrepentant sinners who claim to be brothers in our churches - ""I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
• The list in the last bullet point includes "reviler" and "greed", not just sexual immorality.

[Bootstrap]

I'm not actually sure if I can agree to #2, because I don't know if there is anything people agree on in this passage. Are you going to start with your answers to these questions, or are you wanting others to?

I made a list of bullet points that seem obvious to me. Did you disagree with any of them? If so, please provide your own understanding. Let's see where people's observations agree and differ.

Perhaps you could add a few or your own? Things taken directly from the text, not things you or I bring to the text.

[Bootstrap]

A few more:

• Paul says not to focus on judging people outside our church, that's not our calling: "For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside."
• Paul is concerned with the purity of his church - “Purge the evil person from among you.”

[silentreader]

Let's start with simple observations about what the text says, drawing out important things that are clearly there. For instance:

• Paul says that a man is sleeping with his father's wife. He says they are boasting, but they should be grieving instead.
• Paul says that this man should be removed from the church - but he says that the goal of this is the man's salvation: "you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord." People have interpreted this different ways, but whatever it means, the goal is clearly salvation, not condemnation.
• Paul is not saying we should not associate with sinners who are not in the Kingdom - "not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world" - this is not in conflict with the ministry of Jesus, who clearly reached out to them in compassion.
• Paul is clearly saying we should not associate with unrepentant sinners who claim to be brothers in our churches - ""I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
• The list in the last bullet point includes "reviler" and "greed", not just sexual immorality.

Seems to me he was at least as concerned about their "affirmation" of sin in the church as he was about the sinner. (Between the term "affirmation" and the term "acceptance", I chose "affirmation" because of his description of their perceived attitude).
This did not, however, diminish the seriousness of the sin, but rather warned them of the consequences of their response to it.

[MaxPC]

Translation?

Here is a comparative side by side of three translations. The parallel translation approach works well for me.
Biblegateway Parallels

[Bootstrap]

Translation?

Here is a comparative side by side of three translations. The parallel translation approach works well for me.
Biblegateway Parallels

I used the ESV. Which is in the middle column of the translations you list. The word "reviler" or "slanderer" is rendered differently in different translations, here's an overview of how it is translated in various translations, with a few comments from commentaries and lexicons.

a. λοίδορος (LN 33.395) (BAGD p. 479): ‘slanderer’ [He, LN; NIV, NJB, REB, TEV], ‘reviler’ [AB, BAGD, Lns; NASB, NRSV], ‘abusive person’ [BAGD, HNTC; TNT], ‘railer’ [KJV]. It is also translated as an adjective: ‘abusive’ [LB, TNT]. It is also translated as a verb: ‘to be given to abusive language’ [ICC]. This kind of person says evil things which are not true about others or falsely accuses others of sinning [TG]. He speaks in a highly insulting manner [LN].

Ronald Trail, An Exegetical Summary of 1 Corinthians 1–9 (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008), 216–217.

[silentreader]

Let's start with simple observations about what the text says, drawing out important things that are clearly there. For instance:

• Paul says that a man is sleeping with his father's wife. He says they are boasting, but they should be grieving instead.
• Paul says that this man should be removed from the church - but he says that the goal of this is the man's salvation: "you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord." People have interpreted this different ways, but whatever it means, the goal is clearly salvation, not condemnation.
• Paul is not saying we should not associate with sinners who are not in the Kingdom - "not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world" - this is not in conflict with the ministry of Jesus, who clearly reached out to them in compassion.
• Paul is clearly saying we should not associate with unrepentant sinners who claim to be brothers in our churches - ""I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
• The list in the last bullet point includes "reviler" and "greed", not just sexual immorality.

Seems to me he was at least as concerned about their "affirmation" of sin in the church as he was about the sinner. (Between the term "affirmation" and the term "acceptance", I chose "affirmation" because of his description of their perceived attitude).
This did not, however, diminish the seriousness of the sin, but rather warned them of the consequences of their response to it.

Another thing that is interesting to me, in the accepted modern conservative Mennonite terminology it is not something that "crept in from the world", (even the pagans do not affirm that kind of be behavior).