In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul mentions very serious sins committed by some of its members. At the same time, the apostle considers it necessary to "deliver the one who has done such a thing to Satan." Such a proposal can sound strange, but only at first glance...
In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul mentions very serious sins committed by some of its members. At the same time, the apostle considers it necessary to "deliver the one who has done such a thing to Satan." Such a proposal can sound strange, but only at first glance. If one sees the Church as Paul sees it, everything falls into place. For the apostle, the Church is not an organization and not even a religious community, but the body of Christ.
It is above all a spiritual reality, the manifestation of the Kingdom on earth, in our world, which is being transformed but has not yet been transformed to the end. And if a person is deprived of fellowship with the Church, if he is separated from the Kingdom, the consequences for him can be most serious: he has already shared in the life of the Kingdom, and rejecting it means spiritual death for him. Of course, one could say that many people know nothing at all about the Kingdom and live the life of this world without experiencing, as it appears, any special inconvenience. But these people have never known anything except that imitation of life in this world which they mistakenly consider real life.
Their souls and bodies have adapted to such a half-alive existence and function somehow in the corresponding mode, not allowing their owners to die completely. But if someone manages to live differently, then he is still living not only by the life of this world, but also in part by the life of the Kingdom, catching its breath. Now that it has drawn near, according to the Savior's word, it has become much easier to feel and catch this breath than it was before, before Christ's coming.
But for a person who has already tasted the full life of the Kingdom as part of the body of Christ, falling back means an almost inevitable spiritual, and even not only spiritual, catastrophe. Yet in the case of deliberate sin it is impossible to act otherwise. One thing is sin over which the sinner grieves and of which he repents, understanding that he has done something incompatible with his Christian life: here forgiveness and a return to the former state are possible. In the end, God wants the sinner's salvation, not his destruction.
But to save means first of all to deliver a person from everything that prevents him from living the life of the Kingdom, and therefore first of all from sin. If a person does not want to be delivered from anything, considering his sin the norm, then the Kingdom is closed to him. Not because God does not love him, but because he himself loves his sin more than himself, at least more than his true self, created in the image and likeness of God. And here nothing more can be done: a person is free and chooses for himself what is dearer to him. And he bears all the consequences of his choice.
5
5:1 Fornication - The original word implies criminal conversation of any kind whatever. His father's wife - While his father was alive.
5:2 Are ye puffed up? Should ye not rather have mourned - Have solemnly humbled yourselves, and at that time of solemnmourning have expelled that notorious sinner from your communion?
5:3 I verily, as present in spirit - Having a full (it seems, a miraculous) view of the whole fact. Have already, as if I were actually present, judged him who hath so scandalously done this.
5:4 And my spirit - Present with you. With the power of the Lord Jesus Christ - To confirm my sentence.
5:5 To deliver such an one - This was the highest degree of punishment in the Christian church; and we may observe, the passing this sentence was the act of the apostle, not of the Corinthians. To Satan - Who was usually permitted, in such cases, to inflict pain or sickness on the offender. For the destruction - Though slowly and gradually. Of the flesh - Unless prevented by speedy repentance.
5:6 Your glorying - Either in your gifts or prosperity, at such a time as this, is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven - One sin, or one sinner. Leaveneth the whole lump - Diffuses guilt and infection through the whole congregation.
5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven - Both of sinners and of sin. That ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened - That is, that being unleavened ye may be a new lump, holyunto the Lord. For our passover is slain for us - The Jewish passover, about the time of which this epistle was wrote, Co1 5:11, was only a type of this. What exquisite skillboth here and everywhere conducts the zeal of the inspired writer! How surprising a transition is here, and yet how perfectly natural! The apostle, speaking of the incestuous criminal, slides into his darling topic, - crucified Saviour.Who would have expected it on such an occasion. Yet, when it is thus brought in, who does not see and admire both the propriety of the subject, and the delicacy of its introduction?
5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast - Let us feed on him by faith. Here is a plain allusion to the Lord's supper, which was instituted in the room of the passover. Not with the old leaven - Of heathenism or Judaism. Malignity is stubbornness in evil. Sincerity and truth seem to be put here for the whole of true, inward religion.
5:9 I wrote to you in a former epistle - And, doubtless, both St. Paul and the other apostles wrote many things which are not extant now. Not to converse - Familiarly; not to contract any intimacy or acquaintance with them, more than is absolutely necessary.
5:10 But I did not mean that you should altogether refrain from conversing with heathens, though they are guilty in some of these respects. Covetous, rapacious, idolaters - Sinners against themselves, their neighbour, God. For thenye must go out of the world - Then all civil commerce must cease.So that going out of the world, which some account a perfection, St. Paul accounts an utter absurdity.
5:11 Who is named a brother - That is, a Christian; especially if a member of the same congregation. Rapacious - Guilty of oppression, extortion, or any open injustice. No,not to eat with him - Which is the lowest degree of familiarity.
5:12 I speak of Christians only. For what have I to do to judge heathens? But ye, as well as I, judge those of your own community.
5:13 Them that are without God will judge - The passing sentence on these he hath reserved to himself. And ye will take away that wicked person - This properly belongs to you.