Brit Chadasha Foundations-Concepts in First Corinthians-Chapter 5

1 Cor 5.1-13 tells us after dealing with schisms and divisions Paul deals with the sin of an unnamed believer and the reaction of the Corinthian kahal; Paul’s solution; how a little leaven can corrupt the whole loaf so sin must be purged out; hoe believers should avoid immoral people without going out of the world.

v 1…It is actually reported that there is immorality (“porneia”) among you, and immorality of such a kind as does exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife (Lev 18.2-probably his stepmother).

v 2…And you have become arrogant (puffed up), and have not mourned (and prayed over this) instead in order that the one who has done this deed might be removed from your midst (by the hand of God; some visible action).

v 3…For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit (in his concern) have already judged him who has committed this, as though I were present.

v 4…In the name of our Lord Yeshua when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit (attitude) with the power of our Lord Yeshua (the power of God will be visibly exercised on this person as if Paul was present),

v 5…to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh (chastened, disciplined, humbled, brought under control; a corrective action, not a punishment as we shall see), that his spirit may be saved (liberated, delivered) in the day of the Lord Yeshua (this is called “karet” or a cutting off; in the wilderness, to be put out of the camp into the wilderness meant they were in the domain of Satan, meaning let him suffer for his own devices-Num 12.1-15; Matt 16.23; 2 Sam 24.8; 1 Kings 5.4; 1 Tim 1.20; Rom 1.26).

v 6…Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

v 7…Clean out the old leaven (like a ceremony called Bedikat Chametz at Passover where the house is searched for leaven, and if found, it was gotten rid of outside the house; leaven is a type for bad habits, false doctrine and sin in certain contexts) that you may be a new lump, just as you are unleavened (cleansed, for Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed for us (meaning it is improper to continue with known sin in the kahal, the lump).

v 8…Let us therefore celebrate the feast (you could still keep Passover in the Temple in Jerusalem at this time; he is alluding to a spiritual concept associated with Passover and Unleavened Bread; it is believed that this book may have been written around the festivals of Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits, so he is using spiritual concepts associated with these festivals that they would have been familiar with because he taught them), not with the old leaven (of conduct) nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (in doctrine).

v 9…I wrote you in my letter (a previous letter) not to associate with immoral people (meaning to be intimate with, keep company with them);

v 10…I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world.

v 11…But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-not even to eat with such a one (this prohibition is seen as applying to such persons who were “brothers” and looked upon as such; eating together gives the impression that you accept or condone their behavior).

v 12…For what have I to do with judging outsiders (he can’t change the world, but he can have an influence on his “children” in the faith). Do you not judge those who are within?

v 13…But those who are outside God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves (Deut 17.7; Num 12.1-15 with Miriam; 2 Cor 2.1-8 seems to indicate that this action worked on this offender).

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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