1 Corinthians 5

Translator Notes

1. The Greek porneia ('sexual immorality') is the broad term for illicit sexual conduct. The phrase gynaixa tina tou patros echein ('to have a certain woman of the father') uses echein ('to have') as a euphemism for an ongoing sexual relationship. Leviticus 18:8 prohibits sexual relations with a father's wife, and Roman law also forbade such unions. Paul's point that even pagans consider this unacceptable heightens the scandal.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Leviticus 18:8. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. The verb pephysiōmenoi ('puffed up') recurs from 4:6, 18 — the Corinthians' arrogance now manifests as tolerance of flagrant sin, possibly justified by a misunderstanding of Christian freedom. The verb epenthēsate ('mourned, grieved') is striking — the appropriate response to sin in the community is grief, not indifference or celebration.

Translator Notes

1. Paul's language apōn tō sōmati parōn de tō pneumati ('absent in body, present in spirit') is not mystical out-of-body experience but an assertion of apostolic authority that operates regardless of physical location. The perfect tense kekrika ('I have already judged') indicates a settled verdict — Paul is not deliberating but announcing a decision.

Translator Notes

1. The syntax of verses 3-5 is notoriously tangled in Greek, with multiple phrases that can attach to different clauses. The assembly 'in the name of our Lord Jesus' carries judicial authority — they act not on their own behalf but under Christ's name. Paul's spirit (tou emou pneumatos) participates in the assembly despite his physical absence.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase paradounai ton toiouton tō satana ('to hand over such a one to Satan') likely means excommunication — removing the person from the protective sphere of the community into the domain Satan rules (the fallen world). The purpose eis olethron tēs sarkos ('for the destruction of the flesh') is debated: it may mean physical suffering, death, or the destruction of the sinful nature. The ultimate goal is redemptive: hina to pneuma sōthē ('so that the spirit may be saved'). Even this severe action aims at restoration.

Translator Notes

1. Paul transitions to Passover imagery. The proverb about leaven (zymē) was widely known — a small amount of yeast permeates an entire batch. In Jewish Passover practice, all leaven was removed from the house before the festival (Exodus 12:15). The Corinthians' tolerance of this sin is like leaving leaven in the dough — it will spread and corrupt the whole community.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Exodus 12:15. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The imperative ekkatharate ('clean out thoroughly') echoes the Passover preparation command. The logic is paradoxical: 'become what you already are' — they are unleavened (azymoi) in their identity in Christ, so they must live out that identity by removing the leaven of sin. The declaration to pascha hēmōn etythē Christos ('Christ our Passover [lamb] was sacrificed') is one of the earliest Passover-typological interpretations of Christ's death, connecting the cross to the Exodus 12 lamb.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Exodus 12. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. The verb heortazōmen ('let us celebrate the feast') suggests the entire Christian life is a perpetual Passover festival. The old leaven is identified as kakia ('malice, wickedness') and ponēria ('evil, depravity'), while the unleavened bread represents eilikrineia ('sincerity, purity' — literally, 'tested by sunlight') and alētheia ('truth'). Paul transforms a Jewish ritual calendar into a metaphor for ongoing Christian existence.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase en tē epistolē ('in the letter') refers to a previous letter, now lost, that predates our 1 Corinthians. This means our '1 Corinthians' is actually at least the second letter Paul wrote to this church. The Corinthians apparently misunderstood his instruction, applying it to outsiders rather than insiders.

Translator Notes

1. Paul corrects their misunderstanding with practical logic: complete separation from sinners outside the church would require leaving the world entirely, which is impossible. The four categories — pornoi ('sexually immoral'), pleonektai ('greedy'), harpaxin ('swindlers, predators'), eidōlolatrai ('idolaters') — represent common vices in Corinthian society.

Translator Notes

1. The key qualifier is adelphos onomazomenos ('one called/named a brother') — the issue is not outsiders but insiders who claim Christian identity while living in flagrant contradiction. The six vices expand the earlier list to include loidoros ('reviler, verbally abusive person') and methysos ('drunkard'). The prohibition mēde synesthiein ('not even to eat with') would include exclusion from the Lord's Supper and from fellowship meals, effectively cutting off social bonds.

Translator Notes

1. Paul establishes a clear jurisdictional boundary: the church judges its own members (tous esō, 'those inside') but has no authority over outsiders (tous exō, 'those outside'). This distinction was foundational for later Christian thinking about church discipline and the relationship between church and society.

Translator Notes

1. The command exarate ton ponēron ex hymōn autōn ('remove the evil one from among you') quotes the Deuteronomic formula that appears repeatedly in Deuteronomy (17:7, 19:19, 22:21, 22:24, 24:7) as the conclusion to laws requiring capital punishment. Paul applies the formula to excommunication rather than execution, but the gravity of the language is unmistakable — this is a community-survival matter.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Deuteronomy 17:7 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.