1 Corinthians 5:9-11

Something to keep in our spirit  during this time in history.

On those hard days, we can trust God's faithfulness to us and pray boldly, knowing our God is able to do far more than we could ever hope or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). First5 

“God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them.” That’s a promise of Scripture (Luke 18:7 NCV) and what a promise to cherish.  Max Lucado

Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.

1 Corinthians 5:9-11

9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. 

12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.” The New King James Version

Paul is not referring to the sexually immoral people of the world (his mission field), but to those who call themselves Christians and participate in sexual immorality. He views such people as dangerous to the overall health of the congregation since they may entice others to follow them in sin. 

In Paul’s time, sharing a meal communicated that the participants shared values. Paul does not want shared meals to implicitly express approval for the man’s immorality. 

Paul intends for the immoral believer to be expelled so that he may repent and then be restored back to the community. Faithlife Study Bible

My epistle refers to an earlier letter from Paul to the Corinthians that no longer survives. 

Christians are called to influence the world, not run away from it. They are agents of God to carry the light of Jesus Christ into a dark world.

Eating together is a key part of fellowship and closeness with others. The Corinthians were not to have fellowship with those who claimed to be Christians but whose lives were dominated by sin. The church’s responsibility is to discipline its members while trusting the Lord to judge the world. The NKJV Study Bible

Christians are to avoid familiar converse with all who disgrace the Christian name. Such are only fit companions for their brethren in sin, and to such company they should be left, whenever it is possible to do so. Alas, that there are many called Christians, whose conversation is more dangerous than that of heathens! Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

1 Corinthians 6:10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Thessalonians 3:6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.