1 Corinthians 5:1-3
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What's so striking here isn't just the act itself, but that Paul calls it something pagans—non-believers—wouldn't even put up with. This highlights the radical difference God's people were meant to embody; their ethical standards should be higher than the world's, not lower. It's a powerful reminder that our behavior is meant to be a stark contrast, pointing to something different.
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. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing a serious moral crisis in the Corinthian church, where members are tolerating blatant sin within their community. This particular offense involves a man openly living with his stepmother, a situation so scandalous it was condemned even by non-believers. The verses that follow detail Paul's sharp rebuke and his instructions for dealing with this unrepentant member, emphasizing the need for the church to maintain its purity and witness.
Paul doesn't hold back when addressing the Corinthian church. The sin he confronts is so egregious it shocked even non-believers. Let's explore why.
A Scandalous Sin
Paul opens this letter with a tone of disbelief and deep concern. He's heard reports of a specific type of sexual immorality within the church – a man living with his father's wife. This wasn't just any slip-up; it was a public, ongoing relationship that deeply grieved the Holy Spirit and brought shame upon the name of Christ.
Why the shock? This kind of union was explicitly forbidden even by Roman and Jewish law. It blurred family lines and created immense social and moral confusion. For the Corinthian Christians to tolerate it, let alone engage in it, showed a profound spiritual immaturity and a dangerous disregard for God's standards.
The Corinthian church was living in a pagan society. Paul wasn't saying they should be isolated, but he was saying they should be distinct. What does that mean for us?
Living Distinctly in a Mixed World
Paul's rebuke highlights a crucial tension for believers: we are called to be in the world, but not of the world. The Corinthian believers were failing to live up to their new identity in Christ. Tolerating such a flagrant sin meant they were adopting the moral blindness of their pagan neighbors instead of reflecting God's holiness.
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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.
krinō · Greek Noun
An official decision or authoritative assessment made regarding conduct or character. In the church, it refers to the exercise of discernment and discipline under the authority of Christ.
The specific, shocking immorality addressed in 1 Corinthians 5 occurred within a church still very young, established in a notoriously decadent city. This context highlights the immense pressure the Corinthian believers faced to either conform to their pagan surroundings or uphold radical Christian ethics.
c. AD 40-50
Paul's Ministry in Corinth
The Apostle Paul establishes the church in Corinth during his second missionary journey, facing significant challenges due to the city's reputation for immorality and diverse philosophical schools.
c. AD 50-52
Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (hypothesized)
Some scholars believe Paul may have written an earlier, lost letter to address issues arising in the Corinthian church, possibly including the very immorality mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5.
c. AD 53-55— this verse
Paul Writes 1 Corinthians
While in Ephesus, Paul receives troubling reports about the Corinthian church, leading him to write 1 Corinthians to correct doctrinal errors and address deep-seated behavioral problems.
c. AD 55
Paul's Third Visit to Corinth
Paul makes a painful third visit to Corinth, which he refers to in 2 Corinthians as a 'visit of pain'. This visit likely reinforces the need for the stern rebuke found in 1 Corinthians.
This passage directly prohibits sexual relations with a father's wife, highlighting the severity of the sin Paul addresses in Corinth as a violation of ancient Israelite law.
Deuteronomy 27:20This verse pronounces a curse on anyone who lies with his father's wife, reinforcing the deep offense this act represented in the Old Testament context.
1 Corinthians 6:1-8Paul contrasts the Corinthians' tendency to litigate against each other with their failure to address severe sin within the community, showing a broader pattern of flawed judgment.
Matthew 18:15-17This passage outlines Jesus' teaching on church discipline for dealing with sin within the community, providing a framework for how the Corinthians *should* have approached the situation.
What's so striking here isn't just the act itself, but that Paul calls it something pagans—non-believers—wouldn't even put up with. This highlights the radical difference God's people were meant to embody; their ethical standards should be higher than the world's, not lower. It's a powerful reminder that our behavior is meant to be a stark contrast, pointing to something different.
Paul is addressing a serious moral crisis in the Corinthian church, where members are tolerating blatant sin within their community. This particular offense involves a man openly living with his stepmother, a situation so scandalous it was condemned even by non-believers. The verses that follow detail Paul's sharp rebuke and his instructions for dealing with this unrepentant member, emphasizing the need for the church to maintain its purity and witness.
Paul is addressing a serious moral crisis in the Corinthian church, where members are tolerating blatant sin within their community. This particular offense involves a man openly living with his stepmother, a situation so scandalous it was condemned even by non-believers. The verses that follow detail Paul's sharp rebuke and his instructions for dealing with this unrepentant member, emphasizing the need for the church to maintain its purity and witness.
"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…" — What's so striking here isn't just the act itself, but that Paul calls it something pagans—non-believers—wouldn't even put up with. This highlights the radical difference God's people were meant to…
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Last reviewed October 2026
