The Rebuke for Indifference to the Sin of Incest (1 Corinthians 5:1–8)

A) Rebuke of the Corinthians for indifference toward the fornicator and judgment upon him (1 Cor. 5:1–8), with the addition of b) instruction about cleansing Christian society from all manifest sinners (1 Cor. 5:9–13)

f) Rebuke of the Corinthians and judgment upon the fornicator (1 Cor. 5:1–8)

In rebuking them for the fornicator, St. Paul aa) first demonstrates the greatness of the sin and condemns the indifference of the Corinthian Christians toward it (1 Cor. 5:1–2); bb) then pronounces the judgment of excommunication upon the fornicator (1Cor 5:3–5), and cc) finally sets forth the reasons why he should be treated thus, and how one should act concerning every sinner and sin (1 Cor. 5:6–8).

1 Cor. 5:1. It is widely reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans; for a man is living with his father’s wife.

“It is widely reported”—ολως—altogether, or the certainty and undoubted nature of the report, or its prevalence, or both: the report is widely and certainly heard. Photius in Oecumenius says that “‘it is widely reported’ is the voice of one struck by this report and abhorring it and grieving over it, as if to say: alas! what an outrage!” Theodoret understood this expression likewise, for on the words “it is widely reported that there is sexual immorality among you,” he writes: “The Apostle sufficiently showed the extremity of the impropriety; for, he says, this ought not even be heard.”

“Among you.” “The Apostle directs the force of reproach against all as much as possible. He does not say: why does such-and-such a person commit fornication? but: ‘it is widely reported that there is sexual immorality among you,’ so that they, considering themselves entirely free from accusation, would not remain inattentive but would see that their entire community is subject to rebuke and that the whole of their Church is not free from accusation, and for this reason would be zealous in piety. Such is the nature of this matter: it is not said that a certain person commits fornication, but that in the Corinthian Church such a crime is committed, ‘of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans.’ The Apostle frequently rebukes believers by the example of pagans, so that ‘they would not walk as the other nations walk’ (Eph. 4:17). But here the reproach is the strongest. If it is unforgivable to sin equally with pagans, then tell me, exceeding the pagans in this regard—what a great sin! Among them, he says, not only is nothing of the kind committed, but it is not ‘even named.’ Do you see how important he considers this crime? If they tolerate a kind of immorality such as not only pagans do not commit but do not even know of, then inexpressible is the greatness of their sin” (St. Chrysostom). “They have dared to do what even those taught by demonic doctrines do not dare” (Theodoret).

“With this thought, the expression “among you” takes on an extremely reproachful sense. “Among you, believers who have been deemed worthy of such mysteries, who have received unspeakable goods, who have been called to heaven.” Do you see what indignation and anger his words are full of? If he had not felt strong anger he would not have addressed his words to all but would have said: I have heard that such-and-such a person commits fornication—punish him. But now not so; he directs his address against all. Perhaps he would have expressed himself more leniently if they had written to him about it; but since they did not write and by that showed that they were perhaps covering up the sin, it was necessary to use a more striking form of speech” (St. Chrysostom).

“For a man is living with his father’s wife.” After his father’s death he took his stepmother as wife. It is noted that in pagan laws other kinds of incest are mentioned, but this one is not. So contrary to nature is it! “But why did he not say: someone is committing adultery with a woman? He did not wish to express too low a sin, therefore he spoke of it with a certain modesty and not directly, but at the same time expressed the importance of the crime in the same way, showing that something such happens among you that Paul does not permit himself to name directly. Therefore he uses the same manner of speech later: ‘the one who did this deed’; again he is ashamed and does not permit himself to speak directly, just as we are accustomed to do concerning very low deeds. He does not say: stepmother, but: ‘his father’s wife,’ so as to move them more strongly. When the names themselves are sufficient for rebukes, then he uses them without adding anything else” (St. Chrysostom). “And in this the apostolic wisdom is to be admired. He did not say: stepmother, because this name expresses a kind of aversion, but ‘his father’s wife,’ that is, she who took the place of a mother, she who united with the father after his own mother, becoming for the parent that which she who bore him had been” (Theodoret).

1 Cor. 5:2. And you are arrogant! Should you not rather have mourned, so that he who has done this deed would have been removed from among you?

“And you are arrogant.” Over what?—Certainly not over the sin or the sinner, insofar as he is a sinner (St. Chrysostom and others); but rather, you think highly of yourselves generally, you are puffed up. The vice of the fornicator is so great that it overshadows all your good qualities; you have nothing to boast about. You should have long ago humbled yourselves and wept. “Do not argue that only one commits fornication; no, this is a sin common to all of you” (St. Chrysostom). Or: you are arrogant over some brilliant, worldly aspects of this criminal, for example, wealth or learning. You have fixed your eyes on these phantom merits and are arrogant that you have such a person among you, but have not noticed that he is so worthless that he shames you all and should be driven out. Theodoret supposes that he was one of the teachers and perhaps the leader of a certain faction; therefore he writes: “they thought highly of themselves as having a very learned teacher.” St. Chrysostom also thinks that they gloried in the learning of the sinner: “‘And you are arrogant.’ The Apostle did not say: over such a sin—for that would be senseless—but over the teaching of the sinner. However, he did not express this clearly but omitted the intermediate thought so as to move them more strongly. And see the good judgment of Paul. He first demolished external wisdom and showed that it is futile in itself, even if not joined with sin, and only then spoke of the sin. If he had proven the greatness of spiritual gifts in comparison with the incestuous person, who perhaps was distinguished by external wisdom, he would have accomplished nothing important; but, having demolished external wisdom without relation to sin and shown that it is futile in itself, he proved its utter unworthiness. Therefore he first pronounced such a judgment upon it, and only then began to speak of sin. However, he does not deign his discourse with the fornicator himself, thereby expressing the extreme disgrace of his deed, but speaks to others, that they should weep, wail, and be ashamed; but you, he says, act otherwise, therefore he adds: ‘you are arrogant rather than having mourned.’ Why should we mourn?—Because reproach has been brought upon the entire community of the Church. And why should we mourn?—‘So that he who has done this deed would have been removed from among you.’ And here again he does not call him by name, or rather never does—just as we are accustomed to do concerning matters too shameful. As when there is a contagious disease it is necessary both to weep and to pray earnestly, so you should have acted; but you did not weep, so that he might be removed; it is necessary to pray and use every measure so that he might be cut off from you, and you yourselves should have done this without me because of the importance of the crime” (St. Chrysostom).

Bb) The judgment of excommunication upon the fornicator (1 Cor. 5:3–5)

1 Cor. 5:3–5. For though I am absent in body, I am present in spirit and have already pronounced judgment on the one who has done this, as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

An extraordinary session of judgment! The Lord presides; the Apostle directs all things from Ephesus; and a decision is rendered, one part of which was to be immediately executed by an unseen power, and another to be completed on the day of the Lord! Only in the Church of God can such a judgment be carried out. Was it not following this example that some holy hierarchs later acted in ordination matters? Thus the holy Gregory the Wonderworker was ordained bishop while hidden in the desert; thus Daniel the Stylite was ordained priest while remaining locked on his pillar, and others. The Church is one body under its head—the Lord. Whoever is a living member of the Church, his absence is unthinkable, wherever he may be. Division by place does not constitute any barrier to union in spirit. Theodoret writes: “An awesome court the Apostle has established. First he assembled all in the name of the Lord; then he introduced himself by the grace of the Spirit, and showed that the Master himself presides, pronounces judgment, delivers over to the executioner, and determines to punish the body only, because for the soul itself he prepares a healing remedy through the punishment.”

1 Cor. 5:3. You yourselves should have removed such a one from your midst. Since you have not done this, I do, and write my decision to you for execution. “I have already pronounced judgment.” “See his zeal: he does not allow himself to wait for his arrival and then punish the incestuous man only after receiving him, but, as if wishing to stop some contagion before it penetrates the whole body, he seeks to restrain him” (St. Chrysostom).

“Though I am absent in body, I am present in spirit.” — “Present” — παρων — present, being. The Slavonic translation gives the sense that this is not merely mental presence, but a living presence; “just as Elisha said that he was with Gehazi: ‘Did not my heart go with you?’ (2 Kings 5:26)? Behold such is the power of spiritual gifts! They make it possible to be together at one time with all, and grant the ability to know what is distant.” (St. Chrysostom). The ancient prophets were called seers because, through the Spirit dwelling in them, they saw what was distant as if present. Many of the saints acquired the gift of clairvoyance, as is recorded in their lives. Some, remaining in their own place, appeared tangibly in another place to offer some help and intercession. This is more than clairvoyance. One who was caught up to the third heaven essentially, and not in a dream, and heard there unspeakable words—such a one surely knew how it was possible to be in Corinth in spirit while remaining in body in Ephesus. Therefore, when he says “in spirit,” although he means his own spirit, it is not in the way that this is his natural power, but “through the Holy Spirit” (Theophylact). “He said this not only to urge them to carry out the judgment, but also to frighten them by showing that all that happens and is discussed there is known to him” (St. Chrysostom). The Apostle writes the decision; but it will have force when they too reach agreement and determination in the assembly.

“I have already pronounced judgment, as if I were present.” — The matter is decided. “He does not allow them even to consider any other decision of the matter; I have already determined, he says, as if being with you; do not present me with excuses and delays: nothing else should be considered” (St. Chrysostom). “The one who has done this.” What revulsion he expresses toward this vice when he does not even name the guilty one! — He neither names the guilty one nor the vice itself, but says only “the one who has done this.” He does not wish the name of the vice to reach Christian ears. By the word “thus” he expresses the deformity of the vice: he “who has insulted the name of Christ, who had been a believer and bore such a name, and yet dared to do such a deed—deliver such a one to Satan” (St. Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 5:4. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

—or to deliver to Satan, and in this case these words would mean: “looking to God, not relying on human judgment” (St. Chrysostom). Or—“you assembled in this name”—“that is, the name itself unites you; in it and gather yourselves” (St. Chrysostom). Then he makes them sharers in the judgment and, joining them to himself, separates them from the one who sinned, saying: “with you and my spirit.” “Again he presents himself to them so that they, carrying out judgment, would as it were in his presence condemn the incestuous one to excommunication, and so that no one would dare to think him worthy of forgiveness, imagining that Paul will learn what happened” (St. Chrysostom). — “With the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That is, when you gather and my spirit, this assembly, being in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, will also be with his power as the head of the Church; so that he himself together with you will pronounce judgment against the one who sinned and impart to it divine power. Or these words mean that “Christ is able to grant power to the judgment—to deliver such a one to the devil” (St. Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 5:5. To deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.

This does not merely mean excommunication from the Church, outside which is the realm of Satan (Acts 26:18), but that the evil spirit took hold of his body and wasted it. The fleshly sin is punished in the flesh. The wasted flesh will weaken the bonds of sin and give room for the spirit to repent. This is a remedy, not punishment. “Something similar occurred with the blessed Job, though not with the same force: there—for the most glorious crowns, and here—for the forgiveness of sins, so that Satan might punish him with grievous wounds or some other affliction. In another place he says: ‘We are judged and chastened by the Lord’ (1 Cor. 11:32); but here, wishing to strike the sinner more forcefully, he delivers him to Satan, although even this depends on God’s will, so that his flesh might be punished. Since lustful desires are born from gluttony and the flesh’s lack of self-control, he punishes it” (St. Chrysostom).

“So that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.” “That is, so that his soul might be saved—not in the sense that it alone is saved, but understanding the certain truth that when it is saved, then the body will inevitably share in salvation. The body became mortal through sin of the soul; therefore, if the soul becomes righteous, then the body again will be deemed worthy of great glory. Thus these words express more care and healing than mere wounding, or vain and fruitless punishment, for the benefit is greater than the punishment: this is temporal, that is eternal. And he did not simply say ‘his spirit may be saved,’ but ‘on that day.’ Wisely and opportunely he reminds them of that day, so that they too might approach more earnestly to healing, and he would more readily accept healing, seeing that these words proceed not from anger but from the care of a watchful father. For this reason he said ‘for the destruction of the flesh’; here he prescribes laws to the devil and does not allow him to go beyond the limits, just as concerning Job God said: ‘Only spare his life’ (Job 1:12, 2:6)” (St. Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 5:6. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens all the dough?

He returns to what was said before: and you boasted in this, rather than mourning. “Your boasting is not good”—or there is nothing to praise in you, because you permitted such sin in your society and have not yet cared to heal it; or—it is not well that you boasted in such a person: this only rooted him more firmly in sin and kept him in blindness and impenitence. With these words the Apostle “shows that they, boasting in him, were the cause of his impenitence up to this time. Next he explains that he does this (striking with such judgment) not for the benefit of the sinner alone, but for all of them: ‘Do you not know,’ he continues, ‘that a little leaven leavens all the dough?’—Although the sin, he says, belongs to him alone, yet if left unattended, it can infect the whole body of the Church, for if the first offender is not subjected to punishment, then soon others too will fall into the same sin. By these words the Apostle expresses that those to whom he speaks should care for the whole Church, not just one member, and therefore he uses the comparison of leaven. Just as leaven, he says, though small, transforms all the dough, so he, if he remains unconfessed and his sin unpunished, will infect others” (St. Chrysostom).

This principle applies fully also to each person who allows some sin in themselves. The sinner who sins openly, according to his influence on those around him, always spreads contagion, but not as noticeably and destructively as the satisfaction of some passion does in the soul of each person. Every such act darkens the mind, hardens the heart, and suppresses the energy for good. Therefore, if the matter is not corrected immediately, then sinfulness, receiving reinforcement in the wounding of spiritual powers by the corruption of one passion, will raise up other passions, one after another: for they are linked as a chain. Satisfying each gives it power over the soul: gratify all, even a little, and you become slave to all. Thus man appears again in the position of a fly ensnared by a spider. Therefore, while the leaven is small, we must cleanse the dough from which our nature is composed.

1 Cor. 5:7. Cleanse out the old leaven so that you may be a fresh batch, as you are already unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed for us.

“It seems the Apostle moves here into generality. For although the old leaven which he commands to cleanse out, by the course of the discourse, means the incestuous man; yet the expressions used are such that they give the idea of cleansing society from every sinner, and from this they transition to the thought of cleansing Christian souls from every sinful uncleanness. So St. Chrysostom. He says: ‘Cleanse out the old leaven,’ that is, this sinner; or rather, he speaks not only of him, but hints at others, for not only is fornication the old leaven, but every vice is.”

Yet the first thought is about the incestuous man. The Apostle requires that the community cast him out and not tolerate his presence any longer. Why “he did not say ‘cleanse,’ but ‘cleanse’—thoroughly cleanse, so that there remain neither traces nor shadow of him. By this comparison he very strikingly excludes the incestuous man from the Church. He is not only, he says, useless by his presence, but causes harm by infecting the whole body. For when decay is hidden inside and one cannot see where the stench comes from, then it is attributed to the whole body. Therefore the Apostle with special force urges them to cleanse out this leaven. And see his wisdom: in this first epistle he does not give the incestuous man hope of return, but commands him to spend all his life in repentance, so that promise of forgiveness would not make him more careless; he does not say: deliver him to Satan so that after repentance he again be accepted into the Church—but what?—That he ‘may be saved on the final day.’ He points to that time to make him diligent; but what he intended to give him after repentance, he does not reveal, imitating his Lord. Just as God said: ‘Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown’ (Jon. 3:4), and did not add: if you repent, you shall be saved; so he did not say: if he repents properly, we shall love him dearly, but leaves it to him to do the deed, so that then he receives grace. If he had said this at the very beginning, he would have driven away fear; therefore not only does he not say this, but by the comparison of leaven he even leaves him no hope of return, but excludes him until the future day. But when he had repented, he at once readily receives him again (into communion with the Church)” (St. Chrysostom).

“So that you may be a fresh batch.” Here the meaning shifts to the general purity of all, and such that there would not be a single sinner among them, and such that in no Christian soul would there be even one sin. “A fresh batch”—newly mixed dough for unleavened bread, where there is only pure water and unmixed flour. Such should be the whole Christian community and every Christian soul. A newly converted soul and a newly formed Church are always thus. Such too was the Corinthian Church: but then a sinner entered and it became old or was leavened. The Apostle says: cast out this old leaven, so that you may again become fresh—pure dough, as you were in the beginning.

The words: “as you are already unleavened”—since you are unleavened, do not express their actual blamelessness, for they had obviously become leavened, but express their obligation to be unleavened, that is, pure from every sin and passion. “St. Chrysostom says: the expression ‘as you are unleavened’ means not that they all are pure, but that they all should be such.” As the foundation for why they—and we in general—should be thus, the Apostle sets forth that “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed for us.” Just as before the Passover lamb in Israel’s houses nothing leavened remained, so before our Passover lamb, Christ the Lord, nothing sinful and passionate should exist. And this is continuous; so that sinlessness and passionlessness is our normal state. With Israel leaven was destroyed for only seven days. With us it is not so; but since our lamb is always present, slain, we should at all times be without the leaven of passions. If Israel’s lamb, let us suppose, always stood on the table, no one would dare to bring anything leavened into the house. In the Church—the house of God—the Lamb of God always lies slain before us—common to the whole Church and every believer; let no one dare bring into the house of his soul anything sinful, or, by manifesting it in deeds, into the house of God’s Church. — Such is the calling of Christians, such is their unavoidable obligation. This is what St. Paul expresses in the words: “as you are unleavened.” “Unleavenedness means that the believer must be free from every vice. As a Jew perishes if old leaven is found in him, so it will be with us if vice is found in us. For if those walking in the shadow of the Law are struck by such punishment, how much more must we be struck by greater punishment. If they so carefully cleanse their houses of leaven, even examining the mouse holes, then all the more should we examine our soul to cast out every unclean thought” (St. Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 5:8. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

With Israel the Passover lamb was joined a seven-day festival. With us the Passover lamb is always present: consequently, our celebration should be continuous. And just as throughout the festival the Israelites ate nothing leavened and spent the time brightly, clothing themselves in bright festive garments, so should we, avoiding all sin in words, deeds, and thoughts, and clothing ourselves in bright and pure virtues and gracious overshadowings and indwellings, spend all the time of life from the moment we became Christians, always keeping ourselves spiritually as the Israelites kept themselves in the flesh.

How exactly to keep oneself is explained by the following words: “not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Old leaven—our sinfulness: egoism, or selfhood, with the passions of soul and body. The same is meant by the leaven of malice and evil. On the contrary, sincerity and truth mean the rejection of all that is sinful and passionate, and progress in all that is opposed to it—in every virtue and all that pleases God. There is no need to define with precision what malice and evil are, and what sincerity and truth are. The Apostle wished to designate by the first all that is bad and opposed to God, and by the second—all that is holy and pleasing to God. — His thought is: the life of a Christian from beginning to end should be sinless, pure, and bright.

St. Chrysostom pauses on another attribute of the festival, joy, and says: “The Apostle said: ‘Let us keep the feast,’ not because it was then Passover or Pentecost, but to show that for Christians every time is a time of festival because of the overflowing of gifts granted to them. For what good is lacking to you? For you the Son of God became man, freed you from death, called you to his kingdom. Having received and receiving such goods, should you not celebrate all your life? Thus let no one grieve in poverty, in sickness, and in troubles; for us every time is a time of festival. Therefore Paul says: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice’ (Phil. 4:4). During festivals no one clothes himself in unclean garments; so let us do likewise, for a marriage is being accomplished, a spiritual marriage. ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding feast for his son’ (Matt. 22:2). But when a king accomplishes a marriage, and a marriage of his son, what could be a greater festival? Therefore let no one enter clothed in rags; we speak not of garments but of unclean deeds. One who appeared at the marriage in an unclean garment was cast out with shame: see then what care and purity is required of those entering this marriage.”