The Bible Says
1 Corinthians 5:3-5 Meaning

In 1 Corinthians 5:3-5, Paul steps in and does what the elders in Corinth should have done; he urges that the person in willful sin be removed from the assembly, for his benefit as well as the benefit of the church.

In the prior section, Paul addresses a sin in the Corinthian church which they have not dealt with—that a man has a sexual relationship with his father’s wife. Since the elders have not done their job to properly deal with the matter, Paul now intervenes. He begins: For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I was present (v. 3).

Paul’s apostolic authority allows him to pronounce judgment even though he is physically distant (absent in body). In the first century, it was not uncommon for church leaders, especially the founding apostles, to maintain oversight and discipline in their congregations through letters and trusted emissaries. Distance does not diminish his pastoral responsibility or the gravity of the situation.

It is apparent that Paul’s authority was frequently in dispute (1 Corinthians 4:3). Throughout the Corinthian letters Paul is continually defending his apostleship (1 Corinthians 9:3). One of the reasons it was so important for him to be recognized as an apostle was so that he could exercise authority in the manner he exhibits in this passage. We can imagine there were many who preferred another way and contested Paul’s authority. Paul calls some of his opponents “false apostles” in 2 Corinthians 11:13. Perhaps it was some of these false apostles leading the church to accommodate rather than deal with open sin.

His statement underscores that leadership within the Body of Christ must sometimes involve taking stands that are firm and decisive. While earthly courts pronounce judicial sentences, in the spiritual realm, leaders are called to discern serious sin and protect the integrity of Christ’s Church.

Paul’s commentary also highlights the unity of believers, where absent in body but present in spirit shows that distance cannot limit the spiritual bond between them (Colossians 2:5). The Greek word translated judged has the root “krino” which appears seventeen times in 1 Corinthians. Paul used the word in the previous chapter when he said, “do not go on passing judgment [“krino”] before the time” and encouraged them to defer judgment of one another until they stood before the judgment seat of Christ.

Why does Paul say to defer judgment then here in this later chapter insist they should judge? The difference is to what end we are judging. If we are sitting in condemnation of one another, then we are usurping Jesus’s authority; only He will judge us and reward our deeds (2 Corinthians 5:10). But if we are judging in order to properly follow out Christ’s commands and serve one another, then we are judging rightly.

In Chapter 4, Paul emphasized the centrality of Christ. Jesus will judge our deeds, therefore we should unify under Him. In 1 Corinthians 1-4, Paul addressed factionalism driven by judging which leaders/teachers are best to follow (1 Corinthians 1:11-12). That factionalism should be replaced with an ever-present sense that all we do will be judged by Jesus, and He will mete out rewards for deeds we have done (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Part of what Jesus will judge is our stewardship, as Paul emphasized in the previous chapter (1 Corinthians 4:12). The role of a shepherd is to protect the sheep. Paul is not here drawing people to himself. Rather, he is exercising spiritual authority to protect the church. He is doing this as a steward of the ministry of being an apostle, to which he was appointed by Christ (1 Corinthians 1:1).

The principle we can draw from this is that it is wholly appropriate to apply good judgment (“krino”) in order to exercise good stewardship but completely inappropriate to exercise judgments that properly belong to God. We can infer this same principle from Jesus’s statement in the Sermon on the Mount not to judge (“krino”) lest we be judged. He later goes on to say that we can help others in sin through correction, but only to the extent we first deal with sin ourselves. Again, the application is good stewardship as unto Christ, and leaving judgment to Him (see commentary on Matthew 7:1-5).

Furthermore, Paul’s immediate judgment indicates the severity of this particular sin. Instead of waiting or hesitating, he calls upon the believers in Corinth to respond swiftly and appropriately. Procrastinating in confronting sin allows it to fester and grow, causing greater harm to individuals and the community. Like leaven infects the entire loaf, so does sin (1 Corinthians 5:6).

Next, Paul instructs them, In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (vs. 4-5).

By invoking the name of the Lord Jesus, Paul emphasizes that church discipline is not a human dictate but a divine mandate. Paul asks the church to assemble in order to put this person out of the church. Although it is Paul who speaks in the name of our Lord Jesus as well as with the power of our Lord Jesus, we can infer that the assembled church will also enjoy the presence of Jesus. Jesus promised He would be present when His servants gathered in His name:

"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."
(Matthew 18:20)

The inferred picture painted is that when the Corinthian believers assemble to accomplish God’s will, Jesus will be with them as well. And, as Paul states, he will be with them in spirit, presumably because they are following his command as their spiritual father, thus placing themselves in full alignment (1 Corinthians 4:15).

This is Paul’s decision (I have decided to deliver). But Christ delegated to Paul the responsibility to steward the church. So this is his decision to make. Sometimes Paul gives advice, making it clear he is not giving a command (2 Corinthians 8:8). Here he speaks with authority. As we saw in 1 Corinthians 4:1, Paul is like an officer speaking on behalf of the senior command.

The authority to judge and discipline is rooted in Christ, who is the head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22-23). Thus, any disciplinary action must align with His character and will. The church should be constant in prayer as a church body and discerning of the Spirit of God among them as they undertake any kind of disciplinary action.

The phrase when you are assembled points to the collective responsibility of the church body. This solemn gathering underscores that discipline is not a private matter between just a few individuals, but a corporate concern meant to protect the unity and purity of the fellowship. The presence of believers in this assembly also fosters shared accountability. Unity and purity of church fellowship are vitally important in the life of the church and the fulfillment of Christ's mission in any age, including up to the present.

By stating I with you in spirit, Paul reinforces that the disciplinary process is subject to apostolic endorsement and guided by the Holy Spirit. While physical presence has its value, the spiritual unity that believers share in Christ transcends geographical barriers. This unifying power enables them to stand together in truth, justice, and redemption.

Paul gives his rationale for the discipline, including the benefit that will be offered to the one in sin: I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (v.5).

This statement reflects Paul’s earnest desire for the offender’s ultimate repentance. The phrase deliver such a one to Satan most likely indicates a removal of God’s protective covering through the fellowship of believers. This thrusts the sinner back into the world’s domain. We know that proximity to believers produces a spiritual protective covering. We will see this in Chapter 7 when Paul will say that a believing wife sanctifies an unbelieving husband simply through her proximity in marriage (1 Corinthians 7:13-14).

Without this protective covering, it is inferred that the adverse consequence of sin will accelerate. Sin has a consequence. That consequence is death (Romans 6:23). Death is separation, as we see in James 2:26 where physical death is described as the separation of the spirit from the body. Sin is living apart from God’s design, therefore brings death. This leads to the destruction of the flesh.

The Greek word “sarx” is translated as flesh. Paul often uses this word to refer to the sinful nature with which we are born. He teaches that a major part of gaining Christian maturity is learning to set aside the flesh and walk in the Spirit (Romans 7:18, 8:6, 8, Galatians 5:16). This cannot be what is meant here by flesh because our sinful nature only remains with our body until death. Here, Paul also uses “sarx” to refer to the physical body. Two examples where “sarx” is used similarly follow. First, Galatians 4:13-14, where “sarx” is translated “bodily.” We can also see in Galatians 4:23 that “sarx” refers to birth of a physical body.

Context confers meaning, and in this context a best fit is to take the destruction of his flesh to refer to the bodily harm that comes from sexual sin. Consistent with this interpretation, Paul will say in the next chapter that sexual sin is a sin against one’s own body (1 Corinthians 6:18). We can also see in Romans 1 a progression of destruction that comes from sin. This progression is described as God’s “wrath” (Romans 1:18). The bodily destruction that follows occurs because God removes protection and gives people over to the natural consequences of their actions (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). The end of the progression of decay is “a depraved mind.”

This is similar to what Paul states here. By removing the protection of the church, Paul gives the sinful man over to his own desires. Those desires will result in his destruction. That he is being delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh simply means he is being delivered over to the kingdom of men to do the things of men. Jesus explained this in Matthew 16, when He told the Apostle Peter to “Get behind Me, Satan!” Jesus explained that at that moment Peter was doing the bidding of Satan because he was “not setting [his] mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Matthew 16:23).

In a similar way, Paul here is putting this believer out of the church assembly, removing his spiritual covering, that he might be fully immersed in the ways of the world. This will lead to destruction. The implied hope is that this believer will experience the pain of loss, then like the prodigal son he will come to his senses, repent of his sin, and return. This is inferred in the statement so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

The day of the Lord Jesus refers to the day Jesus returns and judges the world. Paul spoke of this for believers in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

Here, Paul cannot be talking about being saved to heaven. Clearly people are not delivered from death to life and given new birth and an inheritance in heaven because their flesh is destroyed by Satan’s realm in the world. Rather, we know that the gift of eternal life is a gift, freely given, for all who believe (John 3:14-15, Romans 5:15, Revelation 21:6).

Paul already spoke of a great destruction for those who destroy their own body in Chapter 3. He first spoke of believers whose deeds are consumed in the fire of Jesus’s judgment:

“If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
(1 Corinthians 3:15)

The soul or spirit of the believer is not in jeopardy of being consumed by the lake of fire. Rather, they are “saved, yet so as through fire.” They are in Christ, so will never be rejected (2 Corinthians 5:17). For Jesus to reject someone who is in Him would be for Him to reject Himself, which He will never do (2 Timothy 2:13). What burns in the judgment fire is the believer’s deeds. Their deeds amount to nothing in God’s kingdom, which is tragic. Therefore, they receive no eternal rewards.

Paul goes on to speak of the accountability each believer has for how they steward their own body:

“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.”
(1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

Those who give themselves over to the world will gain destruction by the world, for which they will give account to God. Paul’s desire is to show people the severe adverse consequence of sin so they will avoid it. Or, if they are in sin, to repent and return. Jesus promises that anyone who repents and confesses their sin will be forgiven (1 John 1:9). Thus, in the day of the Lord Jesus they can be spared the judgment of watching their deeds be consumed in the fire of judgment if they have repented while on earth.

The root of the Greek word translated as may be saved is “sozo.” The Greek word “sozo” refers to something being delivered from something, with context showing what is being delivered from what. An example can be shown in Matthew 8:25. There the disciples cried to Jesus to save (“sozo”) them. Context shows they were asking Jesus to deliver them from dying in the storm. In Matthew 9:21, a woman reasoned that if she touched Jesus’s garment she would “get well.” In this verse “sozo” is translated “get well” because the woman is being delivered from her sickness through the power of Jesus.

We can infer that Paul’s hope is that by turning this sinner over to his own lust, he will suffer the natural consequences and return and repent, that he might be delivered (be saved) from loss in judgment fire at the judgment seat of Christ.

It is also likely that Paul has in mind that repentance delivers believers from suffering in this life. Paul states in Romans 8:10 that our human spirit is “alive because of righteousness” even though our “body is dead because of sin.” We can infer from this that when we give our spirit over to the desires of the flesh, it also experiences a death, in that it loses fellowship with the Spirit who dwells within us (Romans 8:11).

By application, a brother who repents and returns will gain an experience of life in this life as well as the next. Therefore, even though painful, this exile from the assembly is for the sinner’s best. Paul will next expand on the principle that this exile is also essential for the continuation of spiritual health in the church.