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1 Corinthians 5

1 Corinthians 5

The big picture

1 Corinthians 5 opens in verse 1 with “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 7 with “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For…”, and closes in verse 13 with “But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that…” Repeated or prominent terms include leaven, Christ, Jesus, Lord, spirit. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

1 Corinthians · King James Version · 13

1 Corinthians 5:1-7

1–7: It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such…

1 Corinthians 5:1–7 opens with “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so…” and reaches “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Corinthians 5 develops its own movement around leaven, Christ, Jesus, Lord, spirit, with particular weight carried by Christ, Jesus, Lord.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not…” By verse 4, the text has turned to “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the…” It lands on “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 question, 1 stated contrast, 1 verse naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Connecting words, claims, reasons, contrasts, and commands hold the argument together. Each instruction draws its force from the truth that supports it. Words such as Christ, Jesus, Lord, spirit, deed, fornication tie the complete block together. The central idea, “1 Corinthians 5 develops its own movement around leaven, Christ, Jesus, Lord, spirit,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Christ, Jesus, Lord, Gentiles, Know, Purge. Its number language includes one. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 6: “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: Christ, Jesus, Lord, spirit, deed, fornication

Verse-by-verse path

  1. 1 Corinthians 5:1

    “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

  2. 1 Corinthians 5:2

    “And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among…” The line’s distinctive content terms include deed, mourned, puffed. Its relationship to verses 1 and 3 shows what work it does in this passage.

  3. 1 Corinthians 5:3

    “For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

  4. 1 Corinthians 5:4

    “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus…” Naming Christ and Jesus keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  5. 1 Corinthians 5:5

    “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

  6. 1 Corinthians 5:6

    “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

  7. 1 Corinthians 5:7

    “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is…” Naming Christ and Purge keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

1 Corinthians 5:1-7

King James Version

1It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.

2And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

3For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

4In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

5To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

6Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

1 Corinthians 5:8-13

8–13: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the…

1 Corinthians 5:8–13 opens with “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and…” and reaches “But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Corinthians 5 develops its own movement around leaven, Christ, Jesus, Lord, spirit, with particular weight carried by company, covetous, fornicators.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and…” By verse 10, the text has turned to “Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or…” It lands on “But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 verse with a speech marker, 1 question, 4 stated contrasts, 1 verse naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Connecting words, claims, reasons, contrasts, and commands hold the argument together. Each instruction draws its force from the truth that supports it. Words such as company, covetous, fornicators, judge, keep, leaven tie the complete block together. The central idea, “1 Corinthians 5 develops its own movement around leaven, Christ, Jesus, Lord, spirit,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include God, Yet. Its number language includes one. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 11: “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an…” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: company, covetous, fornicators, judge, keep, leaven

Verse-by-verse path

  1. 1 Corinthians 5:8

    “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

  2. 1 Corinthians 5:9

    “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:” The line’s distinctive content terms include company, epistle, fornicators. Its relationship to verses 8 and 10 shows what work it does in this passage.

  3. 1 Corinthians 5:10

    “Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  4. 1 Corinthians 5:11

    “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

  5. 1 Corinthians 5:12

    “For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

  6. 1 Corinthians 5:13

    “But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

1 Corinthians 5:8-13

King James Version

8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:

10Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

11But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

12For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

13But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

Questions to keep in mind while reading

  1. Identify the audience, problem, argument, command, and pastoral purpose.
  2. Follow connecting words so that one sentence remains inside the author’s reasoning.
  3. Distinguish a universal theological claim from an instruction shaped by a particular situation.

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.

Questions beneath the surface

  1. What account of God, human freedom, responsibility, and the good life emerges from 1 Corinthians 5?
  2. Which tension does the chapter refuse to resolve quickly?
  3. What changes when the chapter is read as part of the whole canon rather than as an isolated moral story?
  4. Where might a sincere reader confuse a familiar tradition with something the text states directly?

Questions for serious personal contemplation

These open-ended questions make room for tension, honest response, prayer, and conclusions that remain accountable to the chapter.

Observe without rushing

  1. What part of 1 Corinthians 5 makes you stop, feel unsettled, or feel surprised, and why?

  2. Which detail in the passage would be easiest to overlook? How does that detail change your understanding?

  3. Where do you see tension between what happens and this focus: 1 Corinthians 5 develops its own movement around leaven, Christ, Jesus, Lord, spirit?

  4. What important question does the passage leave open instead of resolving quickly?

Examine your inner life honestly

  1. Which person, response, fear, or desire in the passage feels most like your own life right now?

  2. What assumption about God, other people, or yourself does this text challenge?

  3. Which part would you rather soften, avoid, or explain away too quickly? What might that reaction reveal?

  4. If this Scripture could ask you one direct question, what do you think it would ask?

Respond with wisdom and courage

  1. What do you need to remember, confess, grieve, thank God for, or trust after reading this passage?

  2. How might another faithful person read this situation differently without ignoring the text?

  3. What obedient response would be costly, uncomfortable, or slow, yet still faithful to Scripture?

  4. What question will you carry into prayer this week, and which verses will you keep in front of you?