The Bible Says
1 Corinthians 5:1-2 Meaning

In 1 Corinthians 5:1-2, Paul introduces a manifestation of the arrogance he has denounced in prior chapters, calling out his children in the faith for brazen immorality. He begins Chapter 5 by declaring, It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife (v.1).

This statement reveals the gravity of the sin taking place within the Corinthian church. Corinth was an influential and wealthy city in ancient Greece, especially significant as a major center of trade during the first century AD. Given that it had two seaports, one on each shore of the isthmus, it is not surprising that within the Greek culture, a culture that was widely accommodating of sexual immorality, Corinth was considered extreme in its degree of debauchery.

And this immorality, that someone has his father’s wife, is even extreme for Corinth! The phrase even among the Gentiles is a reference to the Greek culture of the day. It was common for Greek nobles to have consorts; the wives stayed home and the consorts were taken to events. It was also common, and accepted, for Greek nobles to sexually abuse boys. Corinth was considered extreme because it was unique among Greek cities in having temple prostitutes. But Paul asserts that not even in vile Corinth would they abide a son taking his father’s wife.

Despite the believers’ faith, Paul notes that they have allowed this shocking sin of incest to openly exist among them. This grievous wrongdoing went beyond the moral boundaries common even to those outside the church.

The apostle aims to emphasize the danger of such blatant immorality by comparing it with the standards of the Gentile world. Even pagan societies of that time shunned such behavior. The man in question has his father’s wife, presumably his stepmother, committing a great dishonor to legitimate marital relations.

As Paul asserted in 1 Corinthians 2:5, his goal is to mature these believers through the power of God. Spiritual maturity in the power of God requires following the word of God. And sexual immorality within families is not consistent with God’s design (Leviticus 18:6-8). Paul advocates for believers to live as followers of Christ (1 Peter 1:15-16) and to not tolerate gross sin within their fellowship that tarnishes their testimony.

The moral failure highlights the need for accountability within the body of Christ. Throughout Scripture, believers are called to be holy, set apart to God (Romans 12:1-2). Paul will assert in Chapter 6 that sexual immorality results in self-destruction (1 Corinthians 6:18). But in this chapter, Paul argues that immorality is like leaven (1 Corinthians 5:6). A small amount affects the whole. Therefore, it is the leadership’s responsibility to deal with it.

But the flaunted sin is not being dealt with. Because of their non-action, Paul asserts, You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst (v.2).

The call to mourn indicates that believers should feel genuine sorrow when one among them commits a sin that affects the whole. In many instances throughout scripture, repentance is preceded by a deep sense of grief over sin (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). This mourning is not a passive sentiment but a heartfelt recognition that sin shatters fellowship between the individual and God, and between the offender and the church.

The Apostle John wrote his first epistle to “proclaim” the words of life he heard so “you too might have fellowship with us” (1 John 1:3). Fellowship is harmony that comes from aligned purpose, and it ultimately comes from aligning with God. Sin is acting apart from God’s design, and breaks fellowship.

Jesus speaks of this in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus explains why forgiveness is the central part of the chiasm that is the Lord’s Prayer: breaking fellowship with one another breaks fellowship with God. Sin that is going unaddressed is evidence that the Corinthians have become arrogant. The fact that they have not mourned the sin is a sign they have become arrogant.

The Greek word translated arrogant is rendered as “inflated” in Colossians 2:18, which speaks of someone having an inflated view of their own opinion of how to follow laws and rules to become righteous and elevating their own opinion over the true substance of the Law, which “belongs to Christ” (Colossians 2:17). The Corinthians are aware of the sin that someone in their congregation has a sexual relationship with his father’s wife. Then, rather than submit to the scripture’s teaching and deal with it, they have elevated their own judgment that, “This is ok.”

Paul urges action. He asks the church to remove the offender. This person who is poisoning the assembly with the leaven of sin should be removed from your midst. To fellowship with someone in open defiance against God is to break fellowship with God, and therefore pollutes the entire assembly.

It is human nature to avoid conflict. We can imagine that many Corinthian believers were annoyed by this open sin of familial incest but were unwilling to take action. But it is the duty of those who shepherd the church to protect it. This is why when Paul gave instruction to Titus how to select church elders in Crete, he said they needed to be people who are “able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict” sound teaching (Titus 1:9).

This is a strong call and responsibility of the church, and many churches (including Corinth and many present-day churches) are reluctant to take such a stand. Disciplinary action is not to be a harsh act of revenge but a necessary step for repentance and restoration. Jesus Himself taught that when a brother sins and refuses correction, there is a process involving confrontation and discipline within the church for the sake of the sinner’s soul (Matthew 18:15-17).

Paul hopes that by removing this man from the fellowship, it will stir him to repentance and ultimately safeguard the spiritual health of the congregation. But whether or not that transpires, it is essential to remove this sinful conduct, which introduces the leaven of sin, which will destroy (1 Corinthians 2:6).