1 Corinthians 5 WBT
Summary: Paul addresses a shocking case of sexual immorality in the church — a man living with his father's wife — of a kind not even tolerated among pagans, rebuking the Corinthians for being arrogant about it instead of mourning and removing the man from their fellowship. He instructs them to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved. Using the image of Passover leaven, Paul urges them to "cleanse out the old leaven" since a little leaven leavens the whole lump, and clarifies that his earlier instruction not to associate with sexually immoral people applied to professed believers persisting in sin, not to outsiders, closing with the charge to "purge the evil person from among you" (v. 13).
1It is reported commonly [that there is] lewdness among you, and such lewdness as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
2And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already as though I were present, [concerning] him that hath so done this deed,
4In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are assembled, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5To deliver such one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
6Your boasting [is] not good. Know ye not, that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
7Cleanse out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
8Therefore 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.
9I have written to you in this epistle, not to associate with persons guilty of lewdness:
10Yet not altogether with lewd persons of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters: for then ye must needs go out of the world.
11But now I have written to you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother is a lewd person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner: with such person no not to eat.
12For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do ye not judge them that are within?
13But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
Also read this chapter in: KJV, WEB, ASV, WYC, GNV, DBY, YLT