1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.
2And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this?
3Although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.
4When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of the Lord Jesus,
5hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord.
6Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough?
7Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.
9I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.
10I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
11But 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.
12What business of mine is it to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
13God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
1 Corinthians 5 Section and Chapter Commentary
1 Cor 5:1-13
Addressing Immorality and Legal Disputes in Corinth
Paul confronts various scandals in the Corinthian church, including a case of sexual immorality "not even found among pagans" and believers taking each other to civil court. He urges the community to address these issues internally, emphasizing the importance of church discipline and avoiding public scandal before non-believers.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 19: Paul’s Churches | Inventing Christian Communities · watch the clip
Paul's use of scripture to address ethical problems
Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, cites an Old Testament passage to support his instruction that the church should expel a man for sleeping with his stepmother. This demonstrates an early Christian practice of using scripture to address ethical issues within the community.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How to Weaponize the Bible · watch the clip
1 Cor 5:1-5
Paul's rebuke of Corinthian problems
In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses numerous severe issues within the Corinthian church, including divisions, lawsuits among believers, sexual immorality (such as a man living with his stepmother), and disorderly conduct during the Lord's Supper. He confronts these problems, emphasizing unity and proper Christian conduct.
Summarized by AI · Did Peter Hate Paul? Apostolic Conflict in the Early Church · Lecture 1: Two Apostles Head-to-Head (And Toe-to-Toe?) · watch the clip
Corinthian Immorality and Paul's Condemnation
Paul shames the Corinthians for engaging in sexual immorality, specifically mentioning a man living with his stepmother, a practice he claims is not even found among Gentiles. He views this behavior as so egregious that the individual should be ostracized from the community, handed over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.
Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 3: Better to Marry Than to Burn | The Crises of Corinth · watch the clip
Ethical behavior and Christian identity
Ethical behavior has always been a significant factor in defining Christian identity. Paul's letters, particularly 1 Corinthians, address inappropriate conduct among converts, emphasizing the importance of actions. The Book of James further stresses that faith without works is dead, highlighting the necessity of good deeds for genuine Christian living.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · When Is a Christian Not A Christian? · watch the clip
Divine Punishment in Acts and 1 Corinthians
While not as extreme as Revelation, other New Testament books do contain instances of divine punishment. In Acts, Ananias and Sapphira die after lying about their property sale, implying God's judgment. In 1 Corinthians, Paul suggests handing over a man engaged in incest to Satan for the 'destruction of his flesh,' which scholars interpret as a death curse. However, these instances differ from Revelation's portrayal of widespread, prolonged torture and destruction directly from God.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Is the God of Revelation the Same as the God of Jesus? · watch the clip
1 Cor 5:9-13
Avoiding Association with Immoral Believers
Paul instructs the Corinthians not to associate with sexually immoral people within their community, advocating for their removal. While acknowledging that complete separation from immoral individuals in the broader world is impossible, he insists that those claiming to be part of the Jesus movement must be held to a higher standard and excluded if they persist in such behavior.
Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 3: Better to Marry Than to Burn | The Crises of Corinth · watch the clip
Paul's Instruction on Shunning in 1 Corinthians 5
In 1 Corinthians 5:9-13, Paul instructs the Corinthian church to 'shun' a man engaged in incest, equating him to an infection that must be removed from the body. While this passage is sometimes cited to justify shunning those who leave a faith, Paul's specific context was severe moral transgression within the community, not merely a change in belief.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Was Jesus a CopyCat? The Role of John the Baptist in the Ministry of Jesus. · watch the clip
1 Corinthians 5 Verse Notes
1 Cor 5:1
Absence of Formal Leadership in Pauline Churches
Paul's First Corinthians letter reveals that the Corinthian church, despite significant problems like disorganization, immorality, and chaotic worship, lacked formal leaders such as pastors, bishops, or elders. The community was intended to be led by the Holy Spirit through individual spiritual gifts, which proved problematic in practice.
Summarized by AI · Earliest Christian Heresies · Lecture 8: The Victory of Orthodoxy · watch the clip
Incestuous relationships among believers
Paul objects to a man in the Corinthian community living with his stepmother, an act he considers so immoral that it is not even found among pagans. He implies that those who share in Christ's spirit should inherently understand proper ethical behavior, making such actions unacceptable.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Were Some Early Christians Against Paul? · watch the clip
Misinterpretation of spiritual freedom
Paul addresses the Corinthian belief that sharing in Christ's spirit and the promise of pneumatic bodies in the afterlife exempts them from earthly judgment, leading to immoral behavior. He clarifies that spiritual freedom does not permit unrestrained conduct, but rather requires adherence to ethical standards.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Were Some Early Christians Against Paul? · watch the clip
Meaning of 'Porneia' in the First Century
The Greek word 'porneia,' often translated as 'sexual immorality' or 'fornication,' had a broader meaning in the first century than commonly understood today. It encompassed various sexual irregularities, including certain heterosexual acts like oral or anal sex, not just sexual activity outside of heterosexual marriage or homosexual acts.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Was Peter a Rock or Shifting Sand? Jesus' Closest Disciple in History and Legend. · watch the clip
1 Cor 5:6-8
Unleavened Bread and Leaven Removal
The Pentateuch instructs Israelites to remove all leaven from their homes and eat unleavened bread throughout the seven-day Festival of Unleavened Bread. Paul references this practice in 1 Corinthians 5, using it allegorically to encourage his readers to cleanse themselves of malice and evil, demonstrating that this observance was well-known to his audience.
Summarized by AI · Judaism in the Time of Jesus: Torah Law and Everyday Life in First-Century Judea · Lecture 4: Daily Life II: Sabbath and Festivals · watch the clip
1 Cor 5:7
Jesus' Death Around Passover
Jesus' death around the time of Passover is a historically confident detail, multiply attested in all gospels. Paul's metaphorical description of Jesus as a Passover lamb in 1 Corinthians 5:7 further supports this. It is also contextually credible that Jesus, attending the Passover feast in Jerusalem and preaching his message, would attract Roman attention and face crucifixion during this significant Jewish festival.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 16: The Historical Jesus | An Apocalyptic Prophet · watch the clip
Jesus was killed at Passover
Historians are confident that Jesus was killed at Passover. This is multiply attested across all the Gospels and by Paul, who metaphorically refers to Jesus as the 'Paschal lamb.' This timing is also contextually credible, as Passover was a tense period in Jerusalem where Roman authorities were vigilant against threats to their power and likely to use crucifixion against perceived agitators.
Summarized by AI · Who Do You Say I Am? Historical Sources for Jesus · Lecture 2: Recovering History · watch the clip
The timing of Jesus' crucifixion at Passover
The timing of Jesus' crucifixion during Passover is likely historical, not a later theological invention. This is supported by multiple independent New Testament sources, including Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul. Furthermore, the symbolism of Jesus as the Passover Lamb creates theological problems, as Passover lambs were not atoning sacrifices, suggesting the timing was not chosen for symbolic convenience.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Was Jesus Really Born in Bethlehem? · watch the clip
1 Cor 5:9
Paul's Earlier Letter to Corinth
In 1 Corinthians 5:9, Paul references a previous letter he wrote to the Corinthians, instructing them not to associate with sexually immoral people. This earlier letter is not included in the New Testament, indicating that not all of Paul's correspondence has been preserved.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 20: Collecting Paul’s Letters · watch the clip
Paul's Earlier Letter to Corinth
Paul refers to a previous letter he sent to the Corinthians, which is now lost. This indicates that 1 Corinthians was not his first communication with the church, highlighting a longer, more complex relationship.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Secrets of the Third Heaven: Exploring Paul��s Vision · watch the clip
Paul's Reference to a Previous Letter to the Corinthians
In 1 Corinthians, Paul explicitly mentions an earlier letter he wrote to the Corinthians, which is not included in the New Testament canon. This indicates that not all of Paul's correspondence has been preserved, and the canonical letters are only a portion of his total writings.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Paul Actually Write the Pauline Epistles? · watch the clip
