5:1 sexual immorality The Greek word used here, porneia, can refer to a number of illicit sexual behaviors. Here it refers to a specific instance of sexual immorality that jeopardized the health of the Corinthian church.

the wife of his father This phrase likely refers to a stepmother, not a biological mother.

5:2 you are inflated with pride Some Corinthian believers misused their freedom in Christ to excuse sexual sin (v. 1). Members of Graeco-Roman and Jewish society considered this an abhorrent act, yet some within the church community mistakenly tolerated it because of a distorted understanding of grace (compare Rom 6:1, 15).

5:3 present in spirit Paul either means that he is present with the Corinthians through the presence of the Holy Spirit or his own spirit (compare 1 Cor 5:4).

5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Expresses the authoritative nature of Paul’s instruction to expel the man practicing sexual immorality (v. 1). Paul describes himself as the Lord’s representative on this issue.

5:5 hand over such a person Refers to expulsion from the church community—probably including their worship gatherings, their meals, and the Lord’s Supper (compare 1 Tim 1:20).

to Satan Paul is likely suggesting that those outside the community of believers belong to the realm of Satan (see 2 Cor 4:4 and note; Eph 2:2). In that scenario, Paul would be suggesting that the sinner be handed over to the realm of sin ruled by the evil one (Satan). Alternatively, he could be referring to Satan’s role as accuser; if this is the case, then Paul is using the term in the same way as the book of Job (e.g., Job 2:6). It’s also possible that both ideas are at work.

for the destruction of the flesh Paul is not referring to physical death for this person since the goal is repentance and eventual restoration. Immediate physical death accompanied divine judgment for sin (Acts 5:1–11; 1 Cor 11:30–32), but this is probably not the case here. Also, Paul instructs the believers not to eat with this person, which further implies that “destruction of the flesh” does not mean immediate death (see v. 11). The purpose of this discipline is to break the pattern of sin (compare Gal 5:24).

day of the Lord See note on 1 Cor 1:8.

5:6 a little leaven In this context, the leaven (yeast) represents the man’s sexual immorality (v. 1) as well as the community’s prideful tolerance of his sin.

5:7 Clean out the old leaven Paul urges believers to stop tolerating immoral behavior.

just as you are unleavened See note on v. 6.

Christ our Passover Refers to Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. Just as lambs were slaughtered during the Passover feast to atone for sin (see Exod 12), Christ died for the same purpose; His was the final payment for sin.

5:8 let us celebrate the feast Periods of time dedicated to God. Paul encourages the Corinthians to live a life dedicated to God in celebration of His grace and forgiveness.

5:9 in the letter Probably refers to a previous letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthians. Alternatively, this could refer to such passages as 1 Cor 10:1–22, depending on the compositional history of the book.

not to associate with sexually immoral people As he explains in vv. 10–11, 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. See the background for this exhortation in Deut 13:5; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21–24.

5:10 the sexually immoral In Paul’s time, Jews regarded Gentiles as sexually immoral (1 Thess 4:5; Eph 4:17–19).

5:11 not even to eat Paul may be referring either to meals in the church community or to all meals in general, even those between individuals.

5:13 Remove the evil person Paul intends for the immoral believer to be expelled so that he may repent and then be restored back to the community (see 1 Cor 5:5 and note). He uses ot language to make this point (see note on v. 9; compare Deut 13:5; 19:19; 21:21).