The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians
1 Corinthians 5
Chapter V · Vol. IV, pp. 351–352
1 The incestuous person 6 is cause rather of shame unto them, than of rejoicing. 7 The old leaven is to be purged out. 10 Heinous offenders are to be shunned and avoided.
1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and asuch fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.Cited in WLC 108, 139, 151, 173 · WCF 20.4, 24.4, 30.3
2 Andb ye are puffed up,1 and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
b ch.4.8,18. Le.20.11. 2 Co.7.7,10; 12.21. Ga.5.10,12.
1 Ye are puffed up by a proud estimate of your gifts, privileges, and powers, ch. 3. 18; 'and have not mourned' over a fallen brother, nor been ashamed of your own neglect.—C.
3 Forc I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged2 already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,Cited in HC 85
4 Ind the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,3Cited in WLC 45 · WCF 30.4 · HC 85
d Mat.16.19; 18.18; 28.18. Jn.20.23. 2 Co.2.9,10.
3 The latter part of this verse is to be understood as a parenthesis:—'In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (when ye and my spirit are gathered together with the power of our Lord Jesus), to deliver,' &c. The apostle speaks as their spiritual father and guide, as if he were really present in their assembly, endowed with the power of Christ—the power of the keys—to give a true sentence in this case.—P.
5 Toe deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.Cited in WLC 45 · WCF 20.4, 30.4 · HC 85
6 Yourg glorying is not good. Know ye not that ha little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?Cited in WCF 25.4, 29.8
7 Purgei out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.4 Forj even Christ our passover is sacrificed5 for us:Cited in WLC 34, 171 · WCF 7.5, 19.3, 25.4, 29.8 · HC 37, 88
i ver.5,13. Ep.4.22. Col.3.5,9,10. Ex.12.15; 13.6,7.
4 As ye are (yet) unleavened—the leaven of sinful indulgence being as yet only beside you, not commingled with you in principle or practice.—C.
j Ex.12.5,6. De.16.2. Is.53.7,10. Jn.1.29,36. Ac.8.32,35. ch.15.3,4. 1 Pe.1.19,20. Re.5.6,9,12.
5 Or, is slain.
8 Therefore let us keep the feast,6 notk with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.Cited in WLC 171
9 I wrote unto you in an epistle lnot to company with fornicators:Cited in HC 110
l Ro.16.17. Ep.5.7,11. 2 Th.3.6,14. 2 Co.6.14. ver.2,7,13. Ps.1.1.
10 Yetn not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.Cited in HC 110
11 But now I have written unto you onot to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.7Cited in WCF 20.4 · HC 85
o Ps.101.5. Mat.18.17. Ro.16.17. 2 Th.3.6,14. 2 Jn.10.
7 Neither to visit and 'eat' with him at his own table, nor invite him to yours, nor, out of choice, to consort with him in any public feast; much less to join in communion with him at the table of the Lord.—C.
12 For what have I to do to judge pthem also that are without? do not ye judge qthem that are within?8Cited in HC 85
A.M. cir. 4063. A.D. cir. 59.
p Mar.4.11. 1 Th.4.12. 1 Ti.3.7. Col.4.5.
q ch.6.2-4. He.3.1.
8 From which it is evident that the power of discipline—either in admission, continuance, or exclusion of members—is native, inherent, and essential in the apostolic church; and absolutely inalienable, because, as a derivative and limited commission, it is placed on the same basis with the original authority of God himself. See ver. 13.—C.
Notes
Ver. 1, 2. I must now mention some particular offences among you; and first, it is publicly reported, to the great scandal of your holy religion, that one of your members lives in the most shocking incest with his own stepmother—a form of whoredom detested by, and scarcely known among, civilized heathens; and, nevertheless, many of you, puffed up with a conceit of your gifts and attainments, have overlooked, if not boasted of him, instead of being deeply concerned for the dishonour hereby done to Christ, the disgrace brought upon his church, and the hurt done to the soul of the offender and of others, and of being careful to have such an infamous sinner removed from your holy communion. 3. Therefore, though I am not personally present to direct or influence your procedure, yet being earnestly desirous of your true honour and welfare, under the special direction of the Holy Ghost, I have considered and determined how this base scandal ought to be censured. 4, 5. That ye whom Jesus Christ hath made spiritual rulers in his church, should, as a court constituted in his name, and after solemn prayer for his direction and assistance, with my hearty approbation, in his name and authority, as the great institutor and ratifier of the sentence, fully excommunicate this notorious offender from all fellowship with the visible church, and deliver him back into the visible kingdom of the devil, as one who has no manifest claim to the promises of the new covenant—in order that, by the blessing of God on this awful sentence, his prevailing corruptions may be mortified and subdued, and he, through fear, grief, and shame, brought to such repentance and reformation as may issue in his solemn acquittal and salvation in the last judgment. 6. Your glorying in such a person, be his gifts and attainments what they will, or in your own spiritual gifts, or the prosperity of your church, is extremely sinful and dangerous. Know ye not that a single instance of scandal or manifest error connived at tends to corrupt the minds and practices of others, and to infect and defile the whole church? 7. In imitation of the Jews, who purge their houses from leaven at their passover, labour not only to purge out corrupt affections from your own hearts, but to cleanse the church from scandalous persons and sins, in honour of Jesus Christ, who offered himself as an atoning sacrifice to God, in order that his people might be cleansed from all iniquity, and rendered zealous of good works. 8. Let us therefore lead our whole life on earth, and particularly celebrate the New Testament festival of his supper, without sinful fellowship with notorious offenders, or indulgence of corrupt affections, envy, malice, or the like; but with integrity and godly simplicity, and a real love to the brethren, according to the truth of the gospel. 9. Being absent, I have in this epistolary manner warned you to abstain from all familiar intercourse with persons addicted to whoredom, as thereby ye would harden them in their sins, and they would tempt you to follow their detestable example. 10. Yet I mean not that you should have no dealings with heathens who live in whoredom, manifest covetousness, extortion, or idolatry; for then it would be necessary for you to leave this world, which is everywhere filled with such. 11. But I insist that if any of your professed Christian brethren be chargeable with uncleanness, or be inordinate lovers of money, or join in idolatrous worship, or be given to wrathful, abusive, and opprobrious language, or be lovers of much drinking, or intoxicated with liquor, or given to take advantage of others by excessive rents or prices, ye carefully avoid all voluntary familiarity with them at common meals, and especially partaking with them at the Lord's table. 12. For I, as a minister of Christ, have no power to prohibit such converse as the civil offices, secular affairs, and relations of life call you to; nor have ye power to judge and censure any offenders but such as are of your own spiritual society. 13. Those flagitious sinners who are not in church-fellowship with us must be left to the righteous judgment and wrath of God; but be ye careful to exclude this incestuous member from your church-fellowship, and from all familiar and chosen conversation.
Ver. 5. Satan being 'the god of this world,' 2 Co. 4. 4, to deliver any one to Satan is simply to eject him from the church, and send him out to the world from whence he came.—For the destruction of the flesh. Not for the infliction of disease, but for the destruction of the fleshly appetites, that the 'outcast' may be made sensible of his sin, grieve for the loss of his old friends in the church, become ashamed of his new associates in the world, and so, through godly sorrow, be led to repentance and salvation. C.
**Reflections.—**It is very shameful to hear of such scandalous enormities among Christians as even heathens would be ashamed of. And highly unbecoming when professors, for the sake of party attachments or great gifts, are puffed up rather than humbled and mourning under such awful events. Flagrant and obstinate sinners must be solemnly cast out from the Christian church, that their souls may be recovered, and the honour of Christ and the purity of his church preserved. For how inconsistent is it for those who were saved by and live upon a crucified Saviour to indulge themselves in unholiness of heart and life! And extremely infectious are scandals if they be not seasonably censured and restrained. Very awful is an excommunication from the church, inflicted in the name of and ratified by Jesus Christ the supreme Judge. And happy or terrible are its effects as men are duly affected with it. Heinous and highly aggravated are the iniquities of professed Christians; they render them more detestable and infectious than the very heathens. With conscientious care should all Christians forbear familiar converse with such scandalous professors, in order to render them sensible of their sins. And church-officers ought to proceed with the greatest prudence in their censures with respect to their subjects, manner, and end. But thrice happy will it be when we shall be no more plagued with wicked persons, lusts, or practices.