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1 Corinthians 5:11

in 1 Corinthians 5

But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

but as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat.

KJV

But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

This verse in 1 Corinthians 5

Commentary

18 notes on this verse

A commentator

Irenaeus

Against Heresies Book 4 · Written before 202.

And we have the precept: "If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an one no not to eat." And again does the apostle say, "Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of mistrust. Be not ye therefore partakers with them."

This site's exposition

But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone

Paul narrows the command to anyone who claims to be a brother living in open sin. With such a man do not even eat probably reaches past the Lord's Table to ordinary meals, the plainest sign of fellowship in that culture.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers5 voices

A commentator

Clement of Alexandria

The Instructor Book 2 · Written before 215.

proposed

Thus the apostle, in his solicitude for us, discriminates in the case of entertainments, saying, that "if any one called a brother be found a fornicator, or an adulterer, or an idolater, with such an one not to eat;" neither in discourse or food are we to join, looking with suspicion on the pollution thence proceeding, as on the tables of the demons.

A commentator

Ambrosiaster

COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES · Written before 384.

proposed

Note that none of this applies to relations with unbelievers.

A commentator

Irenaeus

Against Heresies Book 4 · Written before 202.

proposed

As then the unrighteous, the idolaters, and fornicators perished, so also is it now: for both the Lord declares, that such persons are sent into eternal fire; and the apostle says, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, not effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."

A commentator

Tertullian

Against Marcion Book IV · Written before 220.

proposed

Since, however, he quotes with especial care, as a proof in his domain, a certain companion in misery (suntalai/pwron), and associate in hatred (summisou/menon), with himself, for the cure of leprosy, I shall not be sorry to meet him, and before anything else to point out to him the force of the law figuratively interpreted, which, in this example of a leper (who was not to be touched, but was rather to be removed from all intercourse with others), prohibited any communication with a person who was defiled with sins, with whom the apostle also forbids us even to eat food, forasmuch as the taint of sins would be communicated as if contagious: wherever a man should mix himself with the sinner.

A commentator

Tertullian

To His Wife Book II · Written before 220.

proposed

If these things are so, it is certain that believers contracting marriages with Gentiles are guilty of fornication, and are to be excluded from all communication with the brotherhood, in accordance with the letter of the apostle, who says that "with persons of that kind there is to be no taking of food even." Or shall we "in that day" produce (our) marriage certificates before the Lord's tribunal, and allege that a marriage such as He Himself has forbidden has been duly contracted? What is prohibited (in the passage just referred to) is not "adultery; "It is not "fornication.
11 more voices on this verse

The Church Fathers4 voices

A commentator

Fabian of Rome

Commentary (church-history corpus) · Written before 250.

proposed

In like manner keep yourselves separate from all those of whom the apostle makes mention when he says, "with such persons, no, not to eat; ". Those also are to be dealt with in like manner of whom he says, "With such persons, no, not …

A commentator

Theodoret of Cyrus

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 194 · Written before 458.

proposed

Obviously if we are not to eat ordinary food with such people, we are not to admit them to the Lord's table either.

A commentator

Ignatius of Antioch

Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians · Written before 108.

proposed

Brethren, be not deceived. If any man follows him that separates from the truth, he shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and if any man does not stand aloof from the preacher of falsehood, he shall be condemned to hell. For it is obligatory neither to separate from the godly, nor to associate with the ungodly. If any one walks according to a strange opinion, he is not of Christ, nor a partaker of His passion; but is a fox, a destroyer of the vineyard of Christ. Have no fellowship with such a man, lest ye perish along with him, even should he be thy father, thy son, thy brother, or a member of thy family. For says [the Scripture], "Thine eye shall not spare him." You ought therefore to "hate those that hate God, and to waste away [with grief] on account of His enemies." I do not mean that you should beat them or persecute them, as do the Gentiles "that know not the Lord and God;" but that you should regard them as your enemies, and separate yourselves from them, while yet you admonish them, and exhort them to repentance, if it may be they will hear, if it may be they will submit themselves. For our God is a lover of mankind, and "will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on 1 Corinthians 16 · Written before 407.

proposed

For since he had said, "Ye have not rather mourned, that such an one should be taken away;" and, "Purge out the old leaven;" and it was likely that they would surmise it to be their duty to avoid all fornicators: for if he that has sinned imparts some of his own mischief to those who have not sinned, much more is it meet to keep one's self away from those without: (for if one ought not to spare a friend on account of such mischief arising from him, much less any others;) and under this impression, it was probable that they would separate themselves from the fornicators among the Greeks also, and the matter thus turning out impossible, they would have taken it more to heart: he used this mode of correction, saying, "I wrote unto you to have no company with fornicators, yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world:" using the word "altogether," as if it were an acknowledged thing. For that they might not think that he charged not this upon them as being rather imperfect, and should attempt to do it under the erroneous impression that they were perfect, he shews that this were even impossible to be done, though they wished it ever so much. For it would be necessary to seek another world. Wherefore he added, "For ye must needs then go out of the world." Seest thou that he is no hard master, and that in his legislation he constantly regards not only what may be done, but also what may be easily done. For how is it possible, says he, for a man having care of a house and children, and engaged in the affairs of the city, or who is an artisan or a soldier, (the greater part of mankind being Greeks,) to avoid the unclean who are to be found every where? For by "the fornicators of the world," he means those who are among the Greeks. […]

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on 1 Corinthians · Written before 1107.

proposed

You see, it was not only one fornicator, but others as well, and not just one vice, but various ones. But in what way can a brother also be an idolater? Just as the Samaritans were once only half-pious, so it happened with the Corinthians …

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on 1 Corinthians · Written before 1274.

proposed

Then when he says, But rather, he presents the true interpretation. First, he states his intention; secondly, he assigns a reason (v. 12); thirdly, he draws the intended conclusion (v. 13b). First, therefore, he says: But rather I shall explain what I have written to …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Who is named a brother - That is, a Christian; especially if a member of the same congregation. Rapacious - Guilty of oppression, extortion, or any open injustice. No, not to eat with him - Which is the lowest degree of familiarity.
But now have I written unto you,....

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

“But now.” In this Epistle. This shows that he had written a former letter. I have written to you. - Above. I have designed to give this injunction that you are to be entirely separated from one who is a professor of religion and who is guilty of these things. Not to keep company - To be wholly separated and withdrawn from such a person. Not to associate with him in any manner.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

There is less danger in associating with open worldlings than with carnal professors. Here, as in Eph 5:3, 5, "covetousness" is joined with "fornication": the common fount of both being "the fierce and ever fiercer longing of the creature, which has turned from God, to fill itself with the inferior objects of sense" [TRENCH, Greek Synonyms of the New Testament].

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

But now I have written - I not only write this, but I add more: if any one who is called a brother, i.e. professes the Christian religion, be a fornicator, covetous, idolater, railer, drunkard, or extortioner, not even to eat with such - have no communion with such a one, in things either sacred or civil. You may transact your worldly concerns with a person that knows not God, and makes no profession of Christianity, whatever his moral character may be; but ye must not even thus far acknowledge a man professing Christianity, who is scandalous in his conduct. Let him have this extra mark of your abhorrence of all sin; and let the world see that the Church of God does not tolerate iniquity.

The words behind it

26 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Romans 16:17

    Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.

    it leads to

    • 2 Thessalonians 3:6

      Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received…

      Reached by 3 separate paths from here.

    • Jude 1:19

      These are the ones who cause divisions, who are worldly and devoid of the Spirit.

    • 1 Timothy 6:3–5

      If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching,

    • 2 Timothy 3:5

      having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!

    • Colossians 2:8

      See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.

  • Through

    2 Thessalonians 3:6

    Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received…

    it leads to

    • 2 Thessalonians 3:10–11

      For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.”

    • 2 Thessalonians 3:7

      For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not undisciplined among you,

  • Through

    1 Corinthians 5:13

    God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 17:7

      The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.

Where this verse is studied

About 1 Corinthians

The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci, 1495 to 1498. Public domain.
The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci, 1495 to 1498. Public domain.
This page draws on 17 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor Book 2; Fabian of Rome, Commentary (church-history corpus); Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians; Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book 4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 16; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book IV; Tertullian, To His Wife Book II; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 194; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.