Comments on 1 Corinthians
Chapter 5
By Jonathan Mitchell
1. It is actually (or: generally; everywhere) being repeatedly heard [that there is] prostitution among you folks - and such a sort of prostitution which is not even being mentioned (or: named) among the ethnic multitudes (nations; non-Jewish groups): so as someone continues to hold (or: a certain person is repeatedly having) [his] father's woman (or: wife; or, thus: [his] stepmother)! [cf Lev. 18:8ff]
Paul now moves to specifics of misconducts, and addresses them as a father would to his son. The present tense of the infinitive, "to hold; to have," informs us that this was an ongoing or repetitive situation. From Paul's description of the social aspects, this was apparently considered to be an outrageous affair, even among other cultures in that day. The issue has often been considered to be incest (and thus Nyland renders the term), but "prostitution" is the basic meaning of the word, as seen in the LXX usage, and elsewhere. We address this in greater detail under vs. 9, below. In beginning our investigation of this chapter, we should keep Israel's history in mind, for as we will see, in vss. 6-8, below, Paul references the Jewish practice of cleansing their houses in preparation for Passover, then returns to the topic of prostitution and a catalogue of vices, in vs. 9. Prostitution (especially spiritual: being unfaithful to Yahweh) was a recurring issue with Israel. Cf Isa. 1:21 and the book of Hosea. But considering the individual matter at hand, cf 7:2, below, and Jn. 4:18. Also, cf Gen. 35:22.
We suggest that this entire chapter be read as speaking to the situation given here, in vss. 1-2. It should be noted here that the complaint that Paul lodges is directed to the entire community. As we will see, below, the main concern was that God's Temple (the Corinthian community of believers) should be clean. It was a corporate matter.
2. And now you folks, yourselves, have been puffed up and remain inflated with pride! And still you do not rather mourn and grieve (or: lament and express sorrow), so that the man performing this act would (or: that the man practicing this deed should) at once be caused to depart (or: be picked up, removed or taken away) from out of your midst.
Notice that Paul is seeming to say that if they had "mourned and grieved (etc.)" that "the man performing this act would (or: that the man practicing this deed should) at once be caused to depart (or: be picked up, removed or taken away) from out of your midst." Does this mean that God would have intervened - is this the "divine passive" potentially at work in Paul's words? But why would Paul think that he should depart from being a part of the community? Let us recall Peter's words to Simon, in Acts 8:
"There is neither a part nor a lot for you within this Word (or: this Logos; this Idea and Reason; this expressed verbal communication; or: this message; or: this matter). You see, your heart is not straight and level with a position answering to God (or: in front of God, in His presence). So change your mind and your way of thinking - away from this worthlessness (or: ugliness; baseness; badness of quality; malice) of yours - and then at once urgently ask of the Lord [= Christ or Yahweh] if consequently (or: since in that case) the thought and purpose of your heart will be caused to flow away (or: will be divorced from [you]; will be forgiven and sent away)" (vss. 21-22).
The main concern for both Peter and Paul was the witness of Christ (the Word of the cross) to the world that environed the called-out groups. Both Peter (in this Acts situation) and Paul (there in Corinth) held out a good end for these individuals.
The misconducts involved at least two individuals (only one seems to be the focus of this instance - the man, who seems to be seen as the one responsible for the issue; it is possible that the woman was not a member of the covenant community, and thus her part was not being considered). But Paul's thrust is to the lack of response by the called-out folks, together with the fact that amidst this situation the community remains "inflated with pride." He expects an opposite reaction to this situation than what has been reported to him, and says with apparent amazement:
"And still you do not rather mourn and grieve (or: lament and express sorrow)."
Instead, they have been, and continue "puffed up." The situation was apparently not something that concerned them. Paul was expecting immediate action by the group, and note how he put it: "that the man performing this act would at once be caused to depart (or: be picked up, removed or taken away) from out of your midst." Conzelmann rightly observes (ibid p 94) that this verse can also be rendered as a question - thus, more emphatically expressing his amazement about the situation.
For some folks, today, this suggestion and what Paul instructed them to do, in vs. 5 below, may sound harsh and exclusionary. In our current pluralistic society of acceptance of different lifestyles, Paul would be considered as being "politically incorrect." But even today, many people of the Christian religion apply Paul's words, here, in a literal manner for their particular group. Yet others look at these verses as examples of cultural norms of Paul's time and place, and decide that they no longer of necessity apply to our day and changing world.
This latter view is a classic example of what might be called "liberal interpretation" versus "conservative interpretation." Behind this lies our view of "the authority of Scripture" from one time and culture upon the lives of later times and cultures. Groups are divided about whether or not the behavior codes from Moses apply to the followers of Christ. We certainly do not follow Moses' instructions in Lev. 20:9, "anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death." Also, in many cases an issue involves variant views about "the authority of the church/denomination." Today, more and more laws, and then potential lawsuits, must be considered before making decisions about other peoples' lives. Furthermore, many people, though still being followers of Christ, have left the formal, corporate life of institutional "churches."
Before we judge Paul on this matter, let us consider the culture of his day, his relationship to this specific group of people, and how his theology classified them in relation to Jesus Christ. This entire chapter is devoted to this same general subject, and he ends it (vs. 13, below) by quoting from Deut. 13 as being the guide for their corporate action concerning this individual.
Paul portrays himself as their father, and thus as having a right to discipline their group conduct. His main concern is the called-out community. The issue that he is addressing was considered wrong in his own culture, and apparently (from vs. 1, above) was considered wrong by society at large (the "ethnic multitudes; nations; non-Jews") - at least in the Roman Empire. Next, considering that the called-out, covenant communities were to be "the Light of the world" - "a city set on a hill" (Mat. 5:14), these folks had been called to live a pure life (by the standards given to them by Paul when they first converted). They were a people that had been "set-apart" to be different from their surrounding societies. They were to represent, and to be, Christ in their world. Call to mind what Paul said in Rom. 14:1-16, about eating meat that had been slaughtered at a pagan temple. He ended that section by admonishing the group in Rome,
15. For instance, if because of solid food (or: the effect of something eaten) your brother is continually made sad (made sorry, distressed or grieved), you are no longer continuing to walk about (= living your life) in accord with (or: down from and on the level of) Love (or: you are not yet habitually walking [your path] in participation with transcendent unity of unambiguous, uniting acceptance toward others). Do not, by your food (or: for your solid food), progressively destroy away (lose by ruining; bring to loss) that person over whom Christ died.
16. Do not cause your good thing (or: the excellence and virtue which pertain to you) to be slandered (defamed; insulted; blasphemed; vilified; have its light hindered).
From those early days of Jesus and Paul, things have changed - over the centuries. The Light has not gone out, but many perceptions of what it means to be a follower of Jesus have changed. And these differences of perceptions/interpretations have resulted in Christ's body becoming completely fragmented.
3. For I myself, indeed, continuing being absent - in the body - yet continuously being present alongside - in (or: by; with) the spirit (or: Breath-effect; or: attitude) - have, as being present, already sifted, evaluated and decided about the man thus working down to this effect:
Notice Paul's actual union with the community in Corinth. It was a spiritual union, and the physical distance between them had no effect on his "continuously being present alongside" with them. In his spirit, he has discerned the situation, and by the Spirit had "sifted, evaluated and decided." Verse three gives us another example of "the judgment seat of Christ." Paul obviously made this evaluation of the situation through the grace-effect of spiritually discerning (12:8-10, below), from what had been reported to him (vs. 1, above).
4. [Upon] your being gathered together within (or: centered in) the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, then together with my spirit (or: attitude) - in, by and with the power and ability of our Lord Jesus -
5. [you are] to commit (surrender; hand-over) such a man, with the adversarial [spirit] (or: in the adversary; by the opponent; or: to satan), into a loss of the flesh (or: an undoing and destruction of this [distorted human nature]; a loss of [his "dominated existence" - Walter Wink]) - to the end that the spirit may be saved (rescued; delivered; restored to health, wholeness): within the midst of and in union with the Day of (or: in this day from, or, which is) the Lord [= Christ or Yahweh; other MSS add: Jesus; others read: our Lord, Jesus Christ]. [cf 3:15, above; 1 Tim. 1:20; Job 2:6]
Now he directs them - as a group - to
"gather together within (or: centered in) the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and together with [his] spirit."
Notice Paul's spiritual solidarity with them. He wanted them to have the same "attitude" toward this brother as he had: the man's ultimate restoration.
But there is more: they were to do this "in, by and with the power and ability of our Lord Jesus." This is an astounding statement. Many today, and in the past (as reported to us), have claimed to have "the power and ability of Jesus Christ," but seemingly more often than not, the results proved that they did not embody this power - they only claimed it by organizational positions that they held. Usually it was not the authority of a cruciform life, but the brute power of the domination system (beast) upon which they had been stationed by man, not God. But Paul sets two criteria: they must existentially be "together within (or: centered in) the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ," and also, "together with my spirit (or: attitude)." They could not follow his instructions if they were not in union with the Lord, and if they did not have the same spirit and attitude that Paul embodied: ultimate restoration of the offending party - a spirit of grace and mercy.
Nonetheless, he instructs them to convene a "judgment seat" in Christ. Now the common rendering of the first clause of vs. 5 instructs the Corinthian assembly to "hand this man over to satan." The term satan is merely a transliteration of the Greek word, which is the LXX rendering of the Hebrew word that means "adversary; opponent." So the Greek term also means "adversary; opponent."
But here, the term is in the dative case, without an expressed preposition. My first offering is reading the dative function as "with," interpreting the phrase as meaning "the man WITH the adversarial [spirit]." This phrase is immediately followed by a second prepositional phrase, "into a loss of the flesh," which tells us the preliminary purpose of "the handing-over, or, the committing." The word "loss" can be rendered as "an undoing" (the core meaning of the term), and thus, "a destruction." Observe the parenthetical expansion of the significance of the word "flesh." In Paul this does not refer to the physical body, but to "the distorted human nature" or, as Walter Wink defines it, his "dominated existence." Cf Wink's trilogy, Naming the Powers; Unmasking the Powers; Engaging the Powers.
The ultimate purpose for this "committing; surrendering; handing-over" is expressed in the subordinate clause: "to the end that the spirit may be saved (rescued; delivered; restored to health, wholeness)." This is the purpose of all "judgment."
Also on offer is the rendering,
"surrender such a man, in the adversary, into a loss..."
This interpretation of the dative case says that this man was "in the adversary," rather than abiding in the Vine. He was not producing the fruit of the Vine, so this would be like "casting him into the Fire" (Jn. 15:6b; Heb. 6:7, 8). It is an example of 3:13, 15, above. Next is the option, "hand [him] over by the opponent." This calls to mind "the Sabeans; lightning (Fire of God); the Chaldeans; the storm wind; bodily sores" in Job 1 and 2. All of those things were to loose Job from aspects of his disconnected flesh nature with which he wrestled until God showed up in ch. 38:1. There Yahweh answered Job from out of the very "storm wind" that had been Job's "adversary" in Job. 1:19.
The final rendering on offer in our present verse is the traditional rendering of the dative, "to," with the common transliteration of the Greek term satan. This would also be an allusion to God doing the same act, in Job 1 and 2. However, although all these functions fit the context, reading the first clause as "the man with the adversarial [spirit; attitude; behavior]" seems best to us. The loss of his flesh will be the work of God, and will work toward his deliverance, so reading that phrase as "describing" the man makes the most sense to us.
The final, modifying phrases,
"within the midst of and in union with the Day of (or: in this day from, or, which is) the Lord"
refers to the Day (Christ) in which they were presently living. Paul's desire was for this man to immediately be made whole - right there as he lived the rest of his life. He had simply failed, morally, as we all have in one way or another. He was a lost sheep, and needed a time of "lost-ness," as did the prodigal son. A similar situation is presented in 1 Tim. 1:20. The adversary (satan) is always used to enhance the condition of the person to whom it is directed against.
Paul, in the Spirit, is coming to them with the first option of 4:21, above: with a rod of correction. Conzelmann informs us: "According to Jewish law, the man who lies with his father's wife is to be stoned" (ibid p 96 n 28). Paul's spirit and action are grace! Dan Kaplan reminded us of the beautiful passage in 1 Pet. 4:8. Before all people (or: = More than anything), continue being folks constantly holding the outstretching and extending Love (unambiguous, uniting acceptance) unto yourselves (i.e., into each other) - "because Love (the urge toward union; self-giving) is constantly covering* (habitually throwing a veil over; progressively concealing) a multitude of failures (mistakes; errors; misses of the target; sins)." [Prov. 10:12]
9. [Continue being] those [who are] stranger-loving unto one another (= friendly, kind and hospitable to strangers, foreigners and aliens [inviting them] into the midst of each other's [homes and/or societies]), without expressing dissatisfaction (complaining; grumbling; murmuring),
10. each one, according as he receives an effect of grace (or: received a result of favor), continuously giving supporting service and dispensing it unto yourselves (i.e., into each other), as beautiful (fine; ideal) house managers (administrators) of God's varied grace (or: of [the] diverse favor which is God; [as] of a many-colored [tapestry] of grace whose source and character are from God).
This attitude and this thinking echo what we have seen in the heart of Paul, and of course is the heart of Christ.
6. The effect of your boast is not beautiful, fine, ideal or good form. Have you not seen so as to know that a little leaven (or: yeast) progressively leavens (permeates) [the] whole lump of dough (the result of that which has been uniformly mixed and kneaded together)?
7. At once completely clean out the old leaven, so that you folks would progressively be a fresh, new lump of dough with uniform mix-effect, just as you are free from ferment (or: in that you have continued being an aggregation which has been freshly mixed and kneaded together - correspondingly as you are continuing being unleavened ones). For also Christ, our Passover [= Passover lamb], was slaughtered (or: sacrificed; slain for food).
8. Consequently, we can (or: should) be continuously keeping and celebrating the Feast (7 day Festival of Unleavened Bread) - not in union with old leaven (or: yeast in old dough, from the previous batch), neither in union with or in the midst of a leaven of bad quality (worthlessness; ugliness; what ought not to be; malice) and painful misery (hard labor; evil disposition; mischief; wickedness) - but in contrast, in union with and in the midst of unleavened cakes (matzah) of genuineness (or: which are integrity and sincerity; from that which has been tested by sunlight and found to be pure and unadulterated) as well as truth and unhidden reality. [cf Deut. 16:3; Lu. 12:1; Rev. 5]
The "boast" to which he refers, in vs. 6, is their "remaining inflated with pride," in vs. 2 above, as well as to his statements in 4:6, 7 and 18. The effect of this was "not beautiful, fine, ideal or good form." Now he did not say here that the failure of the man, above, was bad form (although it obviously was), but he is now addressing the second misconduct: that of the community in boasting in something other than Christ. It was their pride, and their boast, that was "progressively leavening the whole lump" - i.e., the whole community. The "effect of their boast" was permeating the whole group (the lump of dough - recall that they are "one loaf of bread" - 10:17, below). So Paul was instructing them to "clean out the old leaven" of boasting in things that are not "beautiful, fine or ideal" - i.e., that are not Christ. In Mat. 16:6, Jesus used the figure of leaven in instructing His disciples:
"be constantly seeing, and be then attentive in holding [yourselves] away from the leaven (yeast) which comes from, characterizes, [and puffs up or permeates] the Pharisees and Sadducees."
In vs. 12 Matthew explains the He was referring to
"the teaching which belongs to, comes from and characterizes the Pharisees and Sadducees."
As Paul reminds the Corinthians, even
"a little leaven progressively leavens (permeates) [the] whole lump of dough."
So even though the issue that he is addressing in this chapter might seem like something of no great consequence (a "little" leaven), its effects would spread throughout the entire community. So when he says, "At once completely clean out the old leaven," he is speaking of the man's behavior and the community's inflation with pride that are both examples of the old Adamic life that would end up "fermenting them." They needed to be refreshed so that they would be a new lump (a body of believers that were free from that which would inflate their egos).
Next he reminds them that "Christ, our Passover [= Passover lamb], was slaughtered." This was a past event, and so now,
"the blood of, from, and which is Jesus, His Son, keeps continually and repeatedly cleansing us (or: is progressively rendering us pure) from every sin (or: from all error, failure, deviation, mistake, and from every shot that is off target [when it occurs])" (1 Jn. 1:7b).
Both Paul and John are keeping the Christ Event of the cross, and of Jesus' death, centered in Israel's story. The Passover reference speaks of the deliverance of Israel from their slavery in Egypt. Paul's use of the term "slaughtered" alluded to the evening meal that they were to eat (thus Jesus' reference to eating His flesh, in Jn. 6:53, and in Mat. 26:26, et al) in order to have strength for the next day's journey (Ex. 12:9-11, 29-41). But in that event, the blood was an identification marker for the Israelites; there was no mention of sin. Yet Christ served as the fulfillment of another Feast, the Day of Atonement, to which John's letter, above, would be referring. Christ's blood served multiple functions. Jesus also spoke of our need for LIFE:
"unless you folks should at some point eat the flesh of the Son of the Human (the Son of man; = the eschatological messianic figure), and then would drink His blood (or: since you would not eat the flesh which is the Human Being, and further, drink His blood), you are continuing not holding (or: habitually having or presently possessing) LIFE within yourselves" (Jn. 6:53).
This is the only place that Paul brings up Christ as being "our Passover." The only other NT letter that uses this term is Heb. 11:28, a reference to Moses. That Paul almost casually mentions the phrase tells us that they had been instructed about it. But we should observe that it is not stated here that he was using it in reference to the deliverance or salvation of the Corinthians. The point of the allusion is given in vs. 7, "At once completely clean out the old leaven," where in vs. 13, below, he explains this by saying, "Carry forth (Expel; Remove) the degenerate person!" He was using the historical, Jewish preparation for the Passover Feast as a foundation for his argument that they needed to "clean up their act," to use a modern phrase. Also, as Heb. 9:23-26 instruct us, even the Day of Atonement had been fulfilled in the work of Christ, and thus Heb. 9:28 informs us of the ongoing situation for His followers:
"so also, the Christ - being once borne (or: carried) close into the many (or: being offered once unto and for the many) to carry failures (errors; sins; mistakes; deviations; misses of the target) back up again - will continue being made visible (or: will be progressively seen) forth from out of the midst of the second [place (cf 9:3, 7 & 10:9; {comment: = the holy of holies})] - apart from failure (apart from sin; apart from a sin offering; apart from error in attempting to hit the target) - in those (or: by those; to those; for those) habitually receiving (or: progressively taking) from out of the midst of Him, [progressing] into a deliverance (or: [leading] into a rescue; with a view to health and wholeness; into the midst of salvation)."
The works of both deliverance (Passover) and cleansing (Atonement) had been completed in the Christ, as a combined historical Event. And thus,
"Consequently, we can (or: should) be continuously keeping and celebrating the Feast... in union with and in the midst of unleavened cakes of genuineness."
Note: he did not say "once a year keep the Feast." He was using this part of Israel's history to make his point. They were the "heavenly temple" into which Jesus had entered, with His blood (Life) and the new mercy seat (in their hearts) had been "sprinkled" (Heb. 10:19-22), within the spiritual "holy of holies," which they now were (6:19, below). The old covenant was a thing of the past for the Corinthian community (2 Cor. 5:17). Although the Jews were still celebrating the Feasts of the old covenant (in those pre-AD 70 days), those outward rituals no longer applied to the Body of Christ. They were no longer slaves in the domination System (or either Egypt, in Israel's past, or Rome, in Israel's present) but had entered into "the promised Land" of the Spirit, the kingdom of the Atmospheres (heavens). In Gal. 5:1 Paul affirmed that the called-out had been brought into freedom. They could be "habitually receiving (or: progressively taking) from out of the midst of Him" (Heb. 9:28), the Christ that was continuously dwelling both within and among them.
So it is in the context of the Day of Preparation, and then the seven days of unleavened bread that followed the Feast of Passover, to which he is alluding. And the context is about cleansing their community (vs. 7a) so that they would not have the "old leaven" (vs. 8) in their midst. They were to get rid of
"leaven of bad quality (worthlessness; ugliness; what ought not to be; malice) and painful misery (hard labor; evil disposition; mischief; wickedness)" (vs. 8).
Everything that he had just brought up, as a critique of them, was something that had bad quality, was worthless, was ugly, and it was that which ought not to be in a new covenant community. And somehow their situation had puffed them up. Their eyes must have become blind, as did the eyes of the Pharisees (Mat. 23:26), and the community in Laodicea (Rev. 3:18b).
Paul instructed them that they could metaphorically "be continuously keeping and celebrating the Feast," not with "old leaven" that inflated them with pride (or, for the Jews of the community, not with the old covenant ceremonies or ritual cultus), but rather - and IN CONTRAST - "in union with and in the midst of unleavened cakes (matzah) of genuineness (or: which are integrity and sincerity; from that which has been tested by sunlight and found to be pure and unadulterated)." So he is figuratively talking about living genuine lives which are comprised of integrity and sincerity. Lives that have been tested by Sunlight, and found to be pure and unadulterated with pride or the wisdom of the domination System.
Added to the genuineness is "truth and unhidden reality." All of this is about the life that they were living as a called-out community of Christ. I conflated the meaning of one Greek word that equally means "truth, reality and that which is open to view - i.e., unhidden." The Secret (Christ) has been unveiled and is no longer hidden in a sacrificial system or a physical temple.
Paul now presents a catalogue of vices that are examples of "leaven of bad quality"... and thus continues his topic concerning the need for the community to be pure - free from adulterations which do not reflect the image of God. Jesus listed some of these in Mk. 7:21-23,
"for you see, from inside of the person - from out of the midst of the heart - the worthless reasonings (base conversations; dialogues of poor quality; evil thoughts and schemes; bad ideas and designs) constantly issue forth: [for example], prostitutions; thefts; murders; adulteries; situations of wanting more than one's share (thoughts of greed; feelings of coveting), bad conditions which bring pain, gushes of misery, anguish or hard labor (or: acts of wickedness; malicious deeds; evil doings); bait to catch someone with deceit, treachery, guile or fraud; loose conduct (indecency); an evil eye (= a focus toward malice or mischief); villainous and light-hindering slander, harmful and abusive speech, or blasphemy (a hindering of light); pride, arrogance and haughtiness; acting without thinking (or: imprudence; unreasonableness; inconsiderateness; lack of purpose; folly). All these bad situations and misery-causing things are habitually issuing forth from within, and repeatedly contaminate the person (continuously make the human common, polluted and ritually unclean)." Cf Mt. 15:29; Rom. 1:29-31; 13:13; 2 Cor. 12:20f; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-5; et al
9. I wrote to you folks, in the letter: not to keep on mixing yourselves together again with men who make a practice of whoring, or who are male prostitutes (or: not to be repeatedly intermingled again with male paramours or boys who sell themselves) -
10. and [I am] not wholly or altogether [referring] to this world's (or: secular society's) prostitutes (or: the male prostitutes of this cultural, religious and political system [note: the concept of sexual misconduct also has a figurative aspect in Scripture, denoting unfaithfulness to God]); or to those who are greedy and want to have more than, and to take advantage of, others and/or [are] folks who snatch things away, as extortionists; or [who are] idolaters (or: hirelings of the idols). Otherwise, in that case, you folks continue under obligation to consequently exit the System (go forth from out of the midst of the world of religion, culture and society) -
In vss. 9 and 10, on offer are a number of renderings from the lexicons for the word pornos: whoring, male prostitute; fornicator or male paramour; along with the parenthetical expansions. There are differing opinions among scholars as to the meaning of this term (here in the plural). Because of this, the common, modern translations have opted for rendering it "immoral" or "sexually immoral." The problem that I see with these modern choices is that they are too general, and today's readers will interpret these general terms in a variety of ways. What constitutes immoral (NASB rendering) for one person may well be different for another. The more specific, "sexual immorality," can also have different interpretations, depending on our cultural conditioning. Nyland, The Source NT, does not translate the word, but rather brings it transliterated into her text, stating that there is no equivalent English term. Her research directs us to acts condemned in the Law of Moses. Paul instructions may be an allusion to Deut. 23:17,
"There will not continue being a prostitute from among the daughters of Israel; there will not continue being one that is habitually practicing prostitution from among the sons of Israel" (LXX, JM).
He has moved to general situations regarding the group's ongoing way of life, but it flows from his metaphor of "leaven of bad quality," in vs. 8, and is really a continuation of the topic begun in vs. 1. He cites immoral behavior in vss. 9-10a, then gives other examples of "bad form": those who are greedy and want to have more than, and to take advantage of, others; and/or, folks who snatch things away, as extortionists, or, idolaters (or: hirelings of the idols). These were all examples of typical vices, as a teaching device - he was not insinuating that the community in Corinth had these conditions.
In 10a he gives a qualifier: [I am] not wholly or altogether [referring] to this world's (or: secular society's) fornicators. Then the last statement explains what he means by this: "Otherwise, in that case, you folks continue under obligation to consequently exit the System (go forth from out of the midst of the world of religion, culture and society)." And he is not suggesting that they should do such a thing. After all, they are to be the Light in Corinth. His statement in Rom. 7:6 sheds further light on what he means, here:
"But now (at the present time), we [= Israel] are (or: were instantly) rendered inactive (brought down to living without labor, released from employment, made unproductive; discharged) away from the Law (= the Torah; [some MSS add: of Death]), dying within that in which we were constantly being held down (held in possession and detained), so that it is [for] us to be habitually performing as slaves within newness of spirit (a newness pertaining to spirit and has its source in the Breath-effect; freshness and new quality of attitude) and not in oldness (obsoleteness; outdatedness) of Letter (or: not in outwornness of written Scripture)."
11. yet at this time (or: so now) I write for you folks not to continue mixing yourselves back together with anyone being regularly recognized as (usually designated; habitually named or called) a "brother," if he should continue being a prostitute, or a covetous and greedy person, or an idolater, or a verbally abusive one, or a drunkard, or a snatching one (or: an extortioner) - to not even be habitually eating with such a person.
Notice the continuous or habitual action that Paul is speaking about, since he chose the present tense for the words "continue mixing," and "continue being," and "habitually eating." If the community regularly did these things they would not present themselves to Corinth as being different from the norm (or: set-apart). The image that they would bear would be the same as the image of their surrounding society. But Paul is not telling them to be as the Pharisees or even the Jews (who were not to have intimate dealings with non-Jews; cf Peter's concern about this in Acts 10).
Now is this different from the pattern that Jesus demonstrated by eating with the outcasts of the Jewish society (sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, etc.)? It would appear to be. Is Paul stressing purity laws for those at Corinth? To the first question, we would say, "Yes." To the second question, we would say, "No." We suspect that the reason is that Paul is writing to those who are immature in Christ, and thus, could be led astray, or would be too weak to maintain the kind of witness of the Truth, the Way and the Life that Jesus was able to maintain. Recall "the weak" in Rom. 14, cited above. Furthermore, Roman society already considered the Christians as atheists (they denied the pagan gods). Secondly, history records that Christians were accused of immorality, and other false charges, by their Roman opponents. Walking circumspectly would be the wisdom of God for these situations.
"every prostitute (or: male prostitute; paramour), or unclean (impure [in character]; morally indecent) person, or greedy one (person who is covetous: insatiably desiring advantage or more than one's due), [i.e.,] the person who exists as (or: that is) an idolater, is not now holding enjoyment of an inheritance (does not currently continue having use of an allotment) within the Christ's and God's reign or sphere of sovereign activity" (Eph. 5:5). Cf 6:9, below; Gal. 5:20 Then Paul puts it this way in Col. 3:5-6,
"Make dead, therefore, these members (body parts; = aspects of your life) upon the earth: prostitution, uncleanness, [unbridled] passion, worthless over-desire (rushing upon bad things; obsessive, evil cravings), and the desire to have more and gain advantage over another (or: selfish, greedy, grasping thoughts and behavior) - which is idolatry (the worship of forms, shapes, images or figures; or: service to pagan concepts) - because of which things God's inherent fervor (natural impulse and propensity; internal swelling and teeming passion of desire; or: anger; wrath) is repeatedly (or: continuously; progressively) coming."
12. For what [right is it] for me to be making decisions about or judging those [who are] "outside"? Are you yourselves not repeatedly sifting and critiquing (or: separating and judging) those "inside"? Now those "outside" God habitually sifts and makes decisions about (is constantly judging).
13."Lift up out and carry forth (Expel; Remove) the degenerate person (the misery-gushed, worthless, base or evil one who brings pain) out of the midst of yourselves." [Deut. 13:5; 17:7; etc.]
Verse 12a is missing a finite verb, so the text is ambiguous. The Concordant Literal NT reads, "For what [is it] to me to be judging..." Since the last clause of this verse says that it is God who is judging those "outside" the community, in the first clause I have added the word [right] with the ellipsis [is it]. He is saying that it is NOT right for him to be judging all the folks he has just, above, told the community not to continuously hang around. That is God's business. He "habitually sifts and makes decisions about (is constantly judging) those 'outside'" the community. This calls to mind Jn. 3:36b,
"the person now continuing being unpersuaded by the Son (or: presently being constantly incompliant, disobedient or disbelieving to the Son; being repeatedly stubborn toward the Son) will not be catching sight of (seeing; observing; perceiving) [this] life. To the contrary (or: Yet, nevertheless), God's personal emotion and inherent fervor (or: the teeming passion and swelling desire, which is God; the mental bent, natural impulse, propensity and disposition from God; or: the ire, anger, wrath or indignation having the quality and character of God) presently continues remaining (keeps on resting, dwelling and abiding) upon him."
But then he challenges them: are they not repeatedly evaluating and making decisions concerning those in their own covenant community? This rhetorical question would expect a "Yes," from his listeners.
We want to point out the present tense (continuous or habitual action) that Paul uses of God's judging. Yes, God is CONTINUOUSLY judging those outside the called-out communities. He is NOT waiting for some imaginary "end of time" to do this. God is constantly involved in world affairs and among the peoples of the world. But He has not informed us, so as to answer our little questions, such as: "Why don't You do this? Why do You allow that? Etc." We are called to live a life of trust in God, and put our faith in His good Character. God never gave Job an answer to Job's "Why?"
For the practical situation with which this chapter has been dealing, Paul quotes the Torah. You see, His grace is sufficient to deal with this person who would now become one that was "outside." Jesus spoke of doing this to the Jewish leadership, who would within His generation be fired from their jobs of representing God's reign, and would be cast into outer darkness - outside the ongoing sovereign activities of Christ's movement of bringing Light into the world. This community in Corinth represented God's kingdom, His sovereign activities and influences in the world. So just as the Jewish leadership of the first century had the kingdom taken from them for not properly representing God to the world, this individual was to lose his place within the called-out of Corinth: he was "old leaven" to them. But like the unbelieving Jews, he too could later be "grafted back in again" (Rom. 11:23).
By quoting Deut. 13, Paul is understanding that the man referenced in vs. 1, above, is a "degenerate person." As the parenthetical expansion offers, the semantic range of the word could indicate that this situation was bringing someone pain, and thus the entire community was being affected (cf 12:26, below). The next chapter opens in dealing with another situation, but Paul is still addressing the community's need to take action concerning disruptive things that arise. In 6:12a, he states that,
"To me, all things are presently out-of-Being (Everything continues from existence for me; or: All is authorized, allowed, permitted by and in me). But yet not everything proceeds to bear together for advantage, profit or help."
The "advantage, profit and help" is the same as "building the house" in 3:10, above. The ongoing behavior of the man in vs. 1, above, was adding wood, hay and stubble to the Corinthian temple of God. Paul's assessment, and the directives given in vs. 5, above, and here in vs. 13, was "fire issuing (or: proceeding) out of [his] mouth" (Rev. 11:5) to burn up this worthless behavior. His words are the "rod" of which he spoke, in 4:21, above.
If we consider the "garden" descriptions of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 22:1-5) and perceive that this is an allusion to the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:8-16) we may be able to see the correlation between the New Jerusalem (the City was now God's temple/dwelling place) and the community in Corinth, which Paul describes as "the temple of God." This being the case, and bringing in the concept of God's reign and "kingdom" (cf 6:9-10, below), just as Adam and Eve were ejected from the original Garden, we can better understand why Paul followed suit in his instructions about the man who partook of the "tree" of intimate knowledge of "evil" in this chapter.
Jonathan
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