1 Corinthians 5:10
in 1 Corinthians 5I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
not at all meaning with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous and extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world:
KJV
Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 5
Commentary
15 notes on this verseFor then must ye needs go out of the world - What an awful picture of the general corruption of manners does this exhibit! The Christians at Corinth could not transact the ordinary affairs of life with any others than with fornicators, covetous persons, extortioners, railers, drunkards, and idolaters, because there were none others in the place! How necessary was Christianity in that city!
This site's exposition
I wrote you in my letter
on 1 Corinthians 5:9-10
Paul refers to an earlier letter, not preserved, that the church read as a call to leave society. Verse 10 corrects the reading, since contact with the world's sin cannot be avoided, while tolerating it inside the church can.
This site's exposition
have to leave this world
Wesley sorts the list into sins against oneself, against one's neighbour and against God. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that in Corinth a full ban would have cut believers off from nearly everyone. Origen adds that outsiders cannot corrupt the church from within.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Paul means that it would be better to die than to mix with fellow believers who sin like the fornicator in question, because death would put an end to it sooner rather than later.
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON 1 CORINTHIANS 2.26.23-26 · Written before 253.
proposed
Immoral unbelievers cannot harm the church, but immoral believers corrupt it from within, which is why they must be avoided and expelled.
All waves thereof whatsoever suffocate; every eddy thereof sucks down unto Hades. Let no one say, "Who will so safely foreguard himself? We shall have to go out of the world!" As if it were not as well worth while to go out, as to stand in the world as an idolater! Nothing can be easier than caution against idolatry, if the fear of it be our leading fear; any "necessity" whatever is too trifling compared to such a peril.
Thus our "adversary" (therein mentioned ) is the heathen man, who is walking with us along the same road of life which is common to him and ourselves. Now "we must needs go out of the world," if it be not allowed us to have conversation with them.
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. […]
7 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
No doubt he used to please them by celebrating the Saturnalia and New-year's day! [Was it so] or was it by moderation and patience? by gravity, by kindness, by integrity? In like manner, when he is saying, "I have become all things to all, that I may gain all," does he mean "to idolaters an idolater? ""to heathens a heathen? ""to the worldly worldly?
The Medieval Church2 voices
He used the word "at all" to express the common knowledge of the matter. And the meaning is this: however, I do not forbid associating at all with the fornicators of the world, that is, with the pagans, otherwise you would have had to seek …
Then when he says, not at all meaning, he corrects the false interpretation of the above words: first, he states what he does mean; secondly, he draws a conclusion (v. 10b). In regard to the first it should be noted that the Corinthians had given …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But I did not mean that you should altogether refrain from conversing with heathens, though they are guilty in some of these respects. Covetous, rapacious, idolaters - Sinners against themselves, their neighbour, God.
Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
As in dissolute Corinth to "company with no fornicators," &c., would be almost to company with none in the (unbelieving) world; ye need not utterly ("altogether") forego intercourse with fornicators, &c., of the unbelieving world (compare 1Co 10:27; As "fornicators" sin against themselves, so "extortioners" against their neighbors, and "idolaters" against God.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Yet not altogether ... - In my direction not “to company” with them, I did not mean that you should refuse all kinds of contact with them; that you should not treat them with civility, or be engaged with them in any of the transactions of life, or in the ordinary contact of society between man and man, for this would be impossible - but that you should not so associate with them as to be esteemed to belong to them, or so as to be corrupted by their example. You are not to make them companions and friends. With the fornicators - Most pagans were of this description, and particularly at Corinth. See the introduction to this Epistle. Of this world - Of those who are out of the church; or who are not professed Christians. Or with the covetous - The avaricious; those greedy of gain. Probably his direction in the former epistle had been that they should avoid them. Or extortioners - Rapacious persons; greedy of gain, and oppressing the poor, the needy, and the fatherless, to obtain money. Or an idolater - All the Corinthians before the gospel was preached there worshipped idols. Then must ye needs ... - It would be necessary to leave the world. The world is full of such persons. You meet them everywhere. You cannot avoid them in the ordinary transactions of life, unless you either destroy yourselves, or withdraw wholly from society. This passage shows: (1) That that society was full of the licentious and the covetous, of idolaters and extortioners. (Compare the notes at Rom. 1.) (2) That it is not right either to take our own lives to avoid them, or to withdraw from society and become monks; and therefore, that the whole monastic system is contrary to Christianity; and, (3) That it is needful we should have some contact with the people of the world; and to have dealings with them as neighbors, and as members of the community. […]
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| πάντως | pantos | at all | G3843 → | 8 times |
| τοῖς | tois | with the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πόρνοις | pornois | sexually immoral | G4205 → | 10 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κόσμου | kosmou | world | G2889 → | 185 times |
| τούτου | toutou | of this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| τοῖς | tois | with the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πλεονέκταις | pleonektais | covetous | G4123 → | 4 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἅρπαξιν | harpaxin | with swindlers | G727 → | 5 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| εἰδωλολάτραις, | eidololatrais | with idolaters — | G1496 → | 7 times |
| ἐπεὶ | epei | since | G1893 → | 26 times |
| ὠφείλετε | opheilete | you have been obliged | G3784 → | 35 times |
| ἄρα | ara | then would | G686 → | 49 times |
| ἐκ | ek | from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κόσμου | kosmou | world | G2889 → | 185 times |
| ἐξελθεῖν. | exelthein | to depart. | G1831 → |
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
πάντωςat all
pantosG3843 →8 times
τοῖςwith the
toisG3588 →19766 times
πόρνοιςsexually immoral
pornoisG4205 →10 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
κόσμουworld
kosmouG2889 →185 times
τούτουof this
toutouG3778 →1381 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
τοῖςwith the
toisG3588 →19766 times
πλεονέκταιςcovetous
pleonektaisG4123 →4 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἅρπαξινwith swindlers
harpaxinG727 →5 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
εἰδωλολάτραις,with idolaters —
eidololatraisG1496 →7 times
ἐπεὶsince
epeiG1893 →26 times
ὠφείλετεyou have been obliged
opheileteG3784 →35 times
ἄραthen would
araG686 →49 times
ἐκfrom
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
κόσμουworld
kosmouG2889 →185 times
ἐξελθεῖν.to depart.
exeltheinG1831 →
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
Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
it leads to
- Luke 10:18
So He told them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
- John 12:31
Now judgment is upon this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out.
- Revelation 20:10
And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day…
- 1 John 5:19
We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.
- Luke 10:18
Through
John 15:19If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
it leads to
- 1 John 4:4–5
You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
- John 17:14–16
I have given them Your word and the world has hated them; for they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
- Ephesians 1:4–11
For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love
- 1 John 4:4–5
Through
1 Corinthians 1:20Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
it leads to
- Romans 1:22
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,
- Romans 1:22
Where this verse is studied
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Studies18
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About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 16; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON 1 CORINTHIANS 2.26.23-26; Tertullian, On Idolatry; Tertullian, A Treatise on the Soul; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.