1 Corinthians 5 – A Call for Church Discipline
“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (1 Corinthians 5:6, NKJV)
“Therefore purge out the old leaven… For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (v. 7)
“Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh…” (v. 5)
🔍 CAPTURE THE SCENE (What do I see?)
- A scandalous sin was being tolerated in the Corinthian church: a man having sexual relations with his stepmother
- Instead of grieving, the church was boasting in their tolerance
- Paul gives firm instructions for church discipline
- He uses the image of leaven (yeast) to show how sin spreads and corrupts
- Believers are called to live pure lives, separate from unrepentant sin
- Paul distinguishes between judging those inside the church vs. those outside
📖 ANALYZE THE MESSAGE (What does it mean?)
1. Sin in the Church, and No One Grieved (vv. 1–2)
“It is actually reported…”
The sin was not just shocking — even pagans would consider it immoral
“And you are puffed up…”
The church was proud instead of broken over sin
“Shouldn’t you rather mourn… and remove the one who did this?”
Sin must not be ignored — it must be confronted in love
2. Discipline for Restoration (vv. 3–5)
“I have already judged… him who has done this deed.”
Paul uses apostolic authority to address what the church wouldn’t
“Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh…”
Church discipline may remove protection to allow consequences — for the sake of repentance and salvation
3. Purge the Leaven (vv. 6–8)
“A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”
Unchecked sin spreads — it affects the whole body
“Purge out the old leaven… you are unleavened.”
Christ’s sacrifice calls us to live set apart lives
“Let us keep the feast… with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
Paul ties in Passover symbolism: Christ is our Passover Lamb — sin has no place in our celebration
4. Judgment and Accountability (vv. 9–13)
“I wrote to you not to keep company with sexually immoral people…”
This does not refer to unbelievers, but to those who claim Christ yet live in open rebellion
“Do you not judge those who are inside?”
We are called to judge within the church, not condemn the world
“Put away from yourselves the evil person.”
Tough love means removing the unrepentant for the good of the church and their soul
🔁 COMPARE THIS CHAPTER WITH THE REST OF SCRIPTURE
- Church Discipline & Restoration:
- Matthew 18:15–17 – Confront a brother in sin privately, then publicly if needed
- Galatians 6:1 – Restore gently those who are caught in sin
- Purity & Leaven Imagery:
- Exodus 12:15 – Remove all leaven during Passover
- Luke 12:1 – Beware the leaven of hypocrisy
- Spiritual Accountability:
- James 5:19–20 – Turning a sinner from their ways saves a soul
- Hebrews 12:11 – Discipline yields peaceful fruit of righteousness
🙌 EXECUTE (So what? How does this affect my life?)
Principle: Love does not tolerate unrepentant sin in the church. Holiness matters because Christ paid the price to set us apart.
- Don’t Celebrate Tolerance Over Truth
Being gracious doesn’t mean being silent about sin - Love Enough to Confront
Discipline is not rejection — it’s rescue with purpose - Guard the Church from Corruption
One unaddressed sin can influence and harden many - Live Unleavened
Be honest, pure, and serious about sin — Christ gave His life to cleanse us
🗣️ GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Why do you think the Corinthian church tolerated such open sin?
- How can church discipline be both loving and necessary?
- What does Paul mean by “deliver to Satan for the destruction of the flesh”?
- Why is it important to judge inside the church but not outside it?
- How can we help someone caught in sin move toward restoration?