1 Corinthians 5
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife.”
1 Corinthians 5:1
Summary
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul addresses a serious issue of immorality within the Corinthian church. He is astonished and appalled at the tolerance of a man living with his father's wife, an act not even accepted among Gentiles. He instructs the church to mourn over this sin and urges them to remove the man from their community. Paul emphasizes the importance of church discipline, drawing an analogy to the Passover, where leaven must be cleaned out to maintain purity. This chapter highlights the necessity of holiness within the church and maintaining witness to the wider community. Paul closes by instructing believers to judge those within the church, while God will judge those outside.