1 Corinthians 5:2
in 1 Corinthians 5And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And ye are puffed up, and did not rather mourn, that he that had done this deed might be taken away from among you.
KJV
And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 5
Commentary
14 notes on this verseYe are puffed up - Ye are full of strife and contention relative to your parties and favourite teachers, and neglect the discipline of the Church. Had you considered the greatness of this crime, ye would have rather mourned, and have put away this flagrant transgressor from among you. Taken away from among you - Ἱνα εξαρθη εκ μεσου υμων. This is supposed by some to refer to the punishment of death, by others to excommunication. The Christian Church was at this time too young to have those forms of excommunication which were practised in succeeding centuries.
This site's exposition
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you
on 1 Corinthians 5:1-2
The case is a man who has his father’s wife, most likely a stepmother, a union forbidden in Leviticus 18:8. The church has boasted instead of grieving, and the Greek physioo, proud, is the word chapter 4 used.
This site's exposition
stricken with grief
The church stayed proud in spite of the sin, as Barnes reads it, pleased with its own wisdom and purity. Theophylact says they ought to have wept, for the shame touched every member.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Paul humbles their pride, but in such a way that instead of making them angry he makes them willing to cooperate with him.
And "tell me not," saith he, "that the fornicator is but one: the charge hath become common to all." Wherefore at once he added, "and ye are puffed up:" he said not, "with the sin;" for this would imply want of all reason: but with the doctrine you have heard from that person. This however he set not down himself, but left it undetermined, that he might inflict a heavier blow. And mark the good sense of Paul. Having first overthrown the wisdom from without, and signified that it is nothing by itself although no sin were associated with it; then and not till then he discourses about the sin also. For if by way of comparison with the fornicator who perhaps was some wise one, he had maintained the greatness of his own spiritual gift; he had done no great thing: but even when unattended with sin to take down the heathen wisdom and demonstrate it to be nothing, this was indicating its extreme worthlessness indeed. Wherefore first, as I said, having made the comparison, he afterwards mentions the man's sin also. And with him indeed he condescends not to debate, and thereby signifies the exceeding greatness of his dishonor. But to the others he saith, "You ought to weep and wail, and cover your faces, but now ye do the contrary." And this is the force of the next clause, "And ye are puffed up, and did not rather mourn." "And why are we to weep?" some might say. Because the reproach hath made its way even unto the whole body of your Church. […]
Accordingly, he could have said that to a fornicator, too, "affection" only was conceded, not "communion "as well; to an incestuous man, however, not even "affection; "whom he would, to be sure, have bidden to be banished from their midst -much more, of course, from their mind.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Be proud of the teaching of that fornicator, for he was wise. Note the wisdom of the apostle: he nowhere addresses his word to the fornicator, as a man dishonorable and unworthy of being brought into the open, but speaks with others, as about a …
It would have been fitting, he says, to weep, because the reproach spread to the entire Church; it would have been fitting to pray with tears, as over a disease and contagion, "that he might be taken away from among you," that is, that he …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then when he says, you are arrogant, he mentions the guilt of those who condoned this sin: first, he condemns them for condoning it; secondly, he supplies what they failed to supply (v. 3). In regard to the first he detects three vices: first, pride, …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Note, It is a very wicked thing to glory over the miscarriages and sins of others. We should lay them to heart, and mourn for them, not be puffed up with them. Probably this was one effect of the divisions among them.
Should ye not rather have mourned - Have solemnly humbled yourselves, and at that time of solemn mourning have expelled that notorious sinner from your communion?
And ye are puffed up,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Excommunication in the Christian Church corresponded to that in the Jewish synagogue, in there being a lighter and heavier form: the latter an utter separation from church fellowship and the Lord's house, the former exclusion from the Lord's Supper only but not from the Church.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And ye are puffed up - See the note at 1Co 4:18. You are filled with pride, and with a vain conceit of your own wisdom and purity, notwithstanding the existence of this enormous wickedness in your church. This does not mean that they were puffed up, or proud on account of the existence of this wickedness, but they were filled with pride notwithstanding, or in spite of it. They ought to have been a humbled people. They should have mourned; and should have given their first attention to the removal of the evil. But instead of this, they had given indulgence to proud feeling, and had become elated with a vain confidence in their spiritual purity. People are always elated and proud when they have the least occasion for it. And have not rather mourned ... - Have not rather been so afflicted and troubled as to take the proper means for removing the offence. The word “mourn” here is taken in that large sense. Ye have not been “so much” afflicted - so troubled with the existence of this wickedness, as to take the proper measures to remove the offender - Acts of discipline in the church should always commence with mourning that there is occasion for it. It should not be anger, or pride, or revenge, or party feeling, which prompt to it. It should be deep grief that there is occasion for it; and tender compassion for the offender. Might be taken away - By excommunication. He should not, while he continues in this state, be allowed to remain in your communion.
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὑμεῖς | humeis | you yourselves | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| πεφυσιωμένοι | pephusiomenoi | puffed up | G5448 → | 7 times |
| ἐστὲ | este | are | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐχὶ | ouchi | not | G3780 → | 54 times |
| μᾶλλον | mallon | rather | G3123 → | 81 times |
| ἐπενθήσατε | epenthesate | mourned | G3996 → | |
| ἵνα | ina | so that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| ἀρθῇ | arthea | may be taken | G142 → | |
| ἐκ | ek | out of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| μέσου | mesou | midst | G3319 → | |
| ὑμῶν | humon | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὁ | ho | the [one] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔργον | ergon | deed | G2041 → | 168 times |
| τοῦτο | touto | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| πράξας; | praxas | having performed? | G4238 → |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὑμεῖςyou yourselves
humeisG4771 →2973 times
πεφυσιωμένοιpuffed up
pephusiomenoiG5448 →7 times
ἐστὲare
esteG1510 →2333 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐχὶnot
ouchiG3780 →54 times
μᾶλλονrather
mallonG3123 →81 times
ἐπενθήσατεmourned
epenthesateG3996 →
ἵναso that
inaG2443 →668 times
ἀρθῇmay be taken
artheaG142 →
ἐκout of
ekG1537 →911 times
μέσουmidst
mesouG3319 →
ὑμῶνof you
humonG4771 →2973 times
ὁthe [one]
hoG3588 →19766 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ἔργονdeed
ergonG2041 →168 times
τοῦτοthis
toutoG3778 →1381 times
πράξας;having performed?
praxasG4238 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
1 Corinthians 5:13God 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.
- Deuteronomy 13:5
Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the…
- Deuteronomy 21:21
Then all the men of his city will stone him to death. So you must purge the evil from among you, and all Israel will hear and be afraid.
- Matthew 18:17
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
- Deuteronomy 17:7
Through
Psalms 119:136My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 9:1
Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night over the slain daughter of my people.
- Ezekiel 9:4
“Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.”
- 1 Samuel 15:11
“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all…
- Jeremiah 9:18
Let them come quickly and take up a lament over us, that our eyes may overflow with tears, and our eyelids may gush with water.
- Jeremiah 9:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies18
On this verse
On this chapter
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 12 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; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 15; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, On Modesty; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.