1 Corinthians 5:1-2
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The shocking part here isn't just the immorality, but that Paul says it's worse than what "pagans" – people without God's law – would even allow. This reveals the startling standard the early church was meant to uphold: not just avoiding sin, but being distinctly different, a light that exposes the darkness by its very presence and purity.
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing a deeply troubling situation in the Corinthian church where members are tolerating, and even boasting about, a scandalous relationship involving a man living with his stepmother. This letter is his urgent response, aiming to correct their distorted understanding of Christian freedom and holiness, and to call them back to righteous living before they face God's judgment. The verses following this one lay out Paul's strong condemnation of this sin and his instructions for dealing with it within the community.
Paul doesn't mince words here. He's addressing a situation so shocking, it's even worse than what the non-believers around them were doing. What does that tell us about the standard God expects from His people?
Paul calls out a specific, deeply disturbing sexual sin happening within the Corinthian church: a man living with his father's wife.
This wasn't just a minor misunderstanding; it was a profound ethical and spiritual failure.
The Shocking Standard: Paul highlights that this level of sexual immorality was not even tolerated by the surrounding pagan cultures. This implies that the church was falling below the basic moral standards of the society they were trying to influence. Believers are called to a higher standard of holiness, reflecting Christ, not conforming to the world.
A Call to Action: This isn't just an observation; it's a wake-up call. Such behavior grieves the Holy Spirit and damages the testimony of the entire community. It demands immediate and decisive action.
Paul is about to command the church to expel a member, a severe action. Why would he take such a strong stance on one person's sexual behavior?
The apostle Paul views sexual sin with extreme seriousness, especially within the community of faith.
Impact on the Body: This sin doesn't just affect the individual; it impacts the entire church. It's like a sickness that can spread if not dealt with, polluting the community and damaging its witness to the outside world.
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Spiritual Warfare: Paul later describes this sin as affecting the individual's soul and potentially their physical body, which is meant to be a temple of the Holy Spirit. He speaks of delivering the offender to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved. This highlights that sexual sin has spiritual dimensions and consequences that go beyond mere social impropriety.
Restoring the Offender: While the immediate command is exclusion, the ultimate goal, as seen later in the chapter, is restoration. However, this restoration can only happen after genuine repentance and a clear recognition of the sin's severity.
Understand the original words
porneia · Greek Noun
A general term covering a wide range of illicit sexual behaviors, including adultery, incest, and prostitution, violating the biblical standard for purity. It is considered a sin against one's own body and a disruption of the community's holiness.
physioō · Greek Adjective/Participle
Having an inflated sense of self-importance or pride; in a biblical context, it refers to a lack of spiritual humility and a failure to recognize one's need for God's grace and discipline.
penthēō · Greek Verb
To express deep sorrow, grief, or repentance, often in response to sin. In this context, it signifies a healthy godly sorrow that recognizes the gravity of sin within the church community.
The Corinthians were a church founded in a vibrant, cosmopolitan, and often morally lax Roman port city. This context makes Paul's sharp rebuke of their deep-seated sexual immorality and his call for holiness all the more urgent and necessary.
c. AD 50-52
Paul's Ministry in Corinth
The Apostle Paul spent about eighteen months in Corinth, establishing the church and teaching the foundational principles of the Christian faith.
c. AD 53-55— this verse
Paul Writes First Letter to Corinth
Paul, likely from Ephesus, writes his first letter to the Corinthian church, addressing various issues that had arisen within the community.
c. AD 56
Titus Delivers Paul's Letter
The messenger Titus carries Paul's letter to Corinth, delivering its challenging messages and assessing the congregation's response.
c. AD 56-57
Paul Writes Second Letter to Corinth
Following Titus's report, Paul writes a more intense letter (possibly 2 Corinthians), expressing relief and reaffirming his apostolic authority.
This passage explicitly forbids taking a father's wife, establishing the ancient Mosaic Law against such a union and highlighting the severity of the offense.
Matthew 1:18-19These verses describe Joseph's reaction to Mary's pregnancy, showing his desire to divorce her quietly rather than expose her to public disgrace, which underscores the social stigma and perceived immorality of actions even less severe than the one in 1 Corinthians.
Ephesians 5:3-5Paul here directly warns against sexual immorality and impurity, even among believers, stating that no immoral person has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. This reinforces the idea that such behavior is incompatible with Christian life.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20This passage further elaborates on sexual immorality, calling believers to flee from it because their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, bought at a price. It emphasizes that sexual sin is a sin against one's own body and against God.
The shocking part here isn't just the immorality, but that Paul says it's worse than what "pagans" – people without God's law – would even allow. This reveals the startling standard the early church was meant to uphold: not just avoiding sin, but being distinctly different, a light that exposes the darkness by its very presence and purity.
Paul is addressing a deeply troubling situation in the Corinthian church where members are tolerating, and even boasting about, a scandalous relationship involving a man living with his stepmother. This letter is his urgent response, aiming to correct their distorted understanding of Christian freedom and holiness, and to call them back to righteous living before they face God's judgment. The verses following this one lay out Paul's strong condemnation of this sin and his instructions for dealing with it within the community.
Paul is addressing a deeply troubling situation in the Corinthian church where members are tolerating, and even boasting about, a scandalous relationship involving a man living with his stepmother. This letter is his urgent response, aiming to correct their distorted understanding of Christian freedom and holiness, and to call them back to righteous living before they face God's judgment. The verses following this one lay out Paul's strong condemnation of this sin and his instructions for dealing with it within the community.
"It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be re…" — The shocking part here isn't just the immorality, but that Paul says it's worse than what "pagans" – people without God's law – would even allow. This reveals the startling standard the early church…
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Last reviewed October 2026
