What does 1 Corinthians 5:13 mean?
Paul's final word on the issue of Christians judging unbelievers for their sin is simple: it is not our responsibility. He states unequivocally that God judges those outside of the community of Christ (Acts 17:30).On the other hand, Christians must accept our responsibility to judge each other when one who claims to be in Christ is participating in ongoing and unrepentant sin. The word "repentance" seems to be key to this conversation. In this specific example, the man who was having an affair with his father's wife was continuing in his sin (1 Corinthians 5:1–5). He had not confessed it as sin or turned from it. He was not even reported to have been struggling to give up sin he knew to be wrong. He continued in obvious and ongoing sin openly and willfully.
Paul applies a common phrase from the law of Moses in Deuteronomy: "Purge the evil person from among you." Christian churches must not allow such ongoing sin to remain unaddressed in the community. Doing so poisons the spiritual health of the congregation (Jude 1:12; 2 Peter 2:1) and invites slander from the unbelieving world (1 Peter 2:12; 2 Peter 2:2).
Paul put it this way in 2 Thessalonians 3:14–15: "If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother."
First Corinthians 5:9–13 introduces Christian teachings on church discipline, conflict resolution, and the power of God to cleanse us from sin. After demanding the church in Corinth excommunicate someone for flagrant sin, Paul reminds them that those who claim to be Christians are to be held to a higher standard. Specifically, the church must not accept the fellowship of those who persist in blatant, stubborn sin. Non-believers, in contrast, aren't subject to that judgment. Paul insists that Christians must not even share a meal with someone who identifies as Christian but refuses to stop participating in sin.
Paul confronts the church in Corinth for failing to respond to a self-identified believer having a sexual affair with his father's wife. He insists they must remove the man from their community—to refuse his participation in the church—referred to here as delivering him to Satan. As the Jewish people would do during Passover, they must remove the leaven of this man and his sin from among them, to prevent it from spreading to the entire church. Christian congregations should not associate with those who claim to be believers, yet flaunt their sin.
