Chapter Five
Immorality in the Church
Chapter outline
Do not sue brethren
Judging others, the world ……………………….. 1-6
Individuals not worthy to judge ………………… 7-11
Glorify God in Body and Spirit
Lawful but not helpful ……………………………… 12
Bodies are for the Lord ……………………………. 13
The power of God over death …………………… 14
One with Christ ………………………………………. 15-17
Believers body a temple for the Spirit ……….. 18-20
Chapter Introduction
Chapter 5 is broken down into two sections. Section one, immorality defiles the church verses 1-8 and section two, Immorality must be judged verses 9-11. Paul warns the church of the danger of sexual immorality, and God’s judgement of immorality.
1 Corinthians 5:1-5 (Immoral Church Members)
Observations
(principles of literature)
- Repetition: sexual immorality, Lord Jesus, spirit, leaven, unleavened
- Comparison: Christian Vs Gentile morals, Leaven vs unleavened
- Contrasts: Body vs spirit
- Effect to Cause sexual morality Gentile vs Christian
Observations (Finding the details)
Who
Paul (implied), Gentiles, Jesus Lord, Corinth church (implied), Christ, Satan
Remember we are only looking at this section to identify words and phrases to be researched.
What?
Key ideas:
- Sexual immorality, sin tolerance, present in spirit, pronounced judgement, body perish spirit saved,
Key events:
- day of the Lord, sin as leaven, Christ sacrificed Lamb, search out leaven (implied)
Theological word or phrase:
- Satan, Christ, sin (leaven), evil
Important words or commands:
- Judgment, arrogant, sexual immorality, sincerity and truth,
- command to remove sin (leaven)
Where
- Presumptive church at Corinth
When:
- When you are assembled, day of the Lord, Passover feast
Interpretation (research, what does it mean?)
Who? (the characters)
- The writer:
- Paul (1Cor 1:1 CSB)
- The recipients:
- The Church in Corinth (1Cor 1:2 CSB)
- The characters involved in the action:
- Paul in spirit with the vested power of Jesus to judge (1Co 5:3b).
- Church Christians, who were arrogant in their tolerance of the moral sinner, and failed to take action.
- The sinner, judged by Paul in absentia through the power of the Lord Jesus.
What? (the key truths or events)
Key ideas
Theological terms
- Judged v3
- Translated in this context from the Greek word, krinō G2919
- Based on Vines definition krinō means to call into question, or determine,
- Present in spirit “as though I were there”.
- To test this definition use the definition in place of the word judged.
What?
- Does your definition make sense?
- Still not sure? Check a commentary
5:3 As an apostolic judge, Paul issued a "judicial opinion"—a banishment of the offender but with a view toward ultimate restoration. Taking up the language of a legal trial, he used at least 10 legal idioms in these verses. Beginning with the phrase I have already decided... as though I were present (lit "I have judged as one who is present"), Paul's terms echoed the language from secular courts." 1
Key events
- Forbidden sexual practices within the church
- Exhortation for the church to judge
- Important words (verb tense, commands)
- “In the name of our Lord v4”
- What (continued)
- Figures of speech
- “Puffed up V2” some version will have arrogant G5449 physioō
- To be prideful in self
- Further research has revealed this quote:
- “Corinth was a magnet for the socially ambitious . . . status-hungry people1”
Atmosphere
- Prideful of their wealth and position
- not recognizing these were gifts from God (1Cor 1:30-31)
- Churches apparent acceptance of sexual immorality.
- The lack of church judgment of sexual immorality, implies acceptance
Where? (the geography and location)
- No Location noted in this section of 1Cor 5
- However from the greeting found in 1Cor 1:1,2 we know this letter was written by the apostle Paul
Word study
spirit
We see the word Spirit the translators interpretation of the Holy Spirit of the God Head written with an upper case “S”.
We also see the word spirit written with a lower case “s” indicating an individual’s spirit.
What is the spirit of man and the Spirit of God?
Spirit was translated from the Greek word pneuma from which we get the word pneumatic or air.
We cannot see air.
However we can see its effects on our environment (“the wind blows where it wills” Jhn 3:5-8 CBS).
Likewise we cannot see either the Holy Spirit nor our individual spirit.
Notice in John 3:6 the author uses both upper and lower case spirit indicating the Holy Spirit and man’s spirit.
The sanctified know that both the Holy Spirit and man’s exist Because like the wind, we can feel and see their effects on our lives.
God’s word tells us that the Holy Spirit is eternal and was involved in creation (Gen 1:1-2 CSB).
God’s word tells us that in all his creation that He breathed only into man the breath of life (Gen 2:7 CSB)
To complete our word study we will go back to BLB and look at Bible Usages for the word (S)spirit. After which we will explore vines dictionary for the meaning of the neuter noun pneuma.
When? (the time factors)
- Although no mention of any time factor is found in the 1st 5 verses of Corinthians 5, further research reveals.
- Paul wrote this epistle sometime between 52 – 57 A.D.
- Felix was the appointed governor of Judea
Why? (the purpose of the passage or book)
- Readers needs
- The readers of this epistle was the church of Corinth needed corrective action
- Paul had learned of their apparent indifference towards sexual immorality within their church
- Writers message
- Action must be taken by the church to correct the sinful conduct of some of its members
Is our “why” interpretation on target?
It's time to compare our interpretation with another theologian.
- “Why? This question of purpose is two-sided. On the one hand, there is the need that caused the revelation to be given; on the other the author's message that addressed that need. First, what is the readers' need? What central concern do you find the writer addressing in the passage or book? Why was it necessary for the author to write? This need question could also be called the "problem" that the message was meant to "solve." Not all Scripture addresses problems (Ephesians, for example does not), but typically there was something happening in the lives of the readers that prompted the author to write. Suppose your son called to tell you about marriage problems he was having. You'd want to give him sound advice. Perhaps you would write your advice in a letter, so that he could reflect on your thoughts. The need is the marital problems; the message is your advice.” 2
Observations Verses 6-8
(Immorality Defiles the Church)
- Important words and or phrases identified by the author through literary structure:
- “Leaven” Is repeated
- Malice and wickedness in contrast to sincerity and truth
- Observing the answers to the questions who, what, when, and where?
Who?
- The church of Corinth in-flight V6
- Christ identified as the Passover lamb V7
What?
Key ideas:
- Even a little leaven corrupts the whole
- Important words:
- leaven
- Glorying
- Observing continued, the answers to the questions who, what, when, where and?
When?
- Not observed in this section
Where?
- Not observed in this section
You may not find all the answers to who, what, when, where directly answered in each section you study.
We have completed the observation step in inductive Bible study. Do not get bogged down with definitions of words and/or phrases identified in the observation phase of our study. Such words and phrases identified will be looked at deeper in the next phase of our study –interpretation. 2
Passage interpretation
- Looking back at our observations which identified those words and/or phrases, requiring more investigation
Who?
- The apostle Paul is writing this letter to the church in Corinth (1COR1: 1 – 2)
- Christ Jesus identified as the sacrificial Passover lamb
- Jesus the Christ was crucified just during Passover
- The sinless Jesus, whose blood was shed for the remission of sin, symbolically represents the spotless Passover lamb sacrifice
- Paul reminds the church that they observe Christ’s sacrifice as their Passover lamb.
What?
- leaven is used as a metaphor for sin
- As leaven (yeast, a living organism) grows and multiplies in its environment, it acts like sin
- Sin not confessed grows within the body corrupting the body, just like leaven permeates the lump of dough
“The last task in interpreting Scripture is to discover the purpose of the passage. Remember, the purpose question is two-sided: there is the need that caused the revelation to be given, and there is the author's message that addressed that need. Here you are drawing conclusions based on all you have studied”.2
Why?
Recipients need
The church was boastful
The church failed to admonish moral corruption.
Authors message
The church needed to purge itself of old leaven depicted as sin. Cast out or purge the old leaven, now a metaphor for malice and wickedness. Christ is the Passover lamb, who was without sin whose blood prevents eternal death.
1Cor 5:9-11 (Church Discipline)
Observations (Literary principles)
- How does the author draw your attention to key words or phrases?
Explanation V9
- covetous, extortionists, idolaters (re: V10)
- Repetition V10 in V11
- Explanation V9 vs V11
Observations Finding the details Vv 9-11 only
“During this final phase of observation, you will isolate those details that stand out in the passage—details that raise questions or need to be more fully explained”2.
Who?
What?
- No association with brothers who are:
- Sexual immorality V10
- Covetous V10
- or extortioners V10
- or idolaters V10
- Reviler V11
- Drunkard V11
- V9 “I wrote” (past tense)
- V11 “Now I have written” (presence tense)
When?
- Indication of an earlier epistle compare V9 – V11
Where?
- No geographical information given
"Careful observation, however, does not guarantee accurate interpretation. Sometimes people can make careful observations and completely misinterpret the facts".2
Interpretation
Step 2 of inductive Bible study; what additional research must be done to further clarify my observations?
Who?
What?
- Sexual immoral people
- Paul in an earlier epistle told the church not to keep company with immoral people V10.
- Paul, now clarifies what he meant in an earlier epistle.
- Paul explains that he was talking about immoral brothers in the church V11.
- Has the definition of what Paul describes as immoral changed?
- Covetous
- Extortioners
- Revilers
- Drunkards
When?
- Paul wrote an earlier epistle now lost1. 1st Corinthians
- is Paul’s first canonized epistle. 2
- Where?
- Paul was in Ephesus when he was told of the moral decline of the church in Corinth. 2
Why?
- 1Co 5:9 NKJV “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people”.
- Paul clarifies the reason stated in 1Cor 5:9 in verses 10-11.
- Chapter Interpretive Summary
- Remember in your summary
- Restate your original or question or statement exposed from your reading.
- Refer to your notes and consolidate the findings of your paragraph interpretations.
- Reduce this information into a concise paragraph which covers all the main points.
- The author revealed the main points utilizing the “principles of literary structure”.
- Did your findings substantiate or refute the original statement or question.
- This final step will come in handy when you have completed your study of 1st Corinthians.
Bibliography and Credits
1. Edwin A. Blum. Executive Editor. Holman Christian Standard Bible. Holman Bible Publishers. Database © 2010 WORDsearch Corp)
2. Hans Finzel (2015). (p. 58). Unlocking the Scriptures. David C Cook. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.lifeway.com
