Paul’s Paternal Care 1 Corinthians 5:10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. The apostle now goes on to explain that in warning them to have no company with sexually immoral people, he did not mean to imply that they should separate themselves from any contact at all with ungodly men. As long as we are in the world, it is necessary for us to do business with unsaved people and we have no way of knowing the depths of sin to which they have descended. In order to live a life of complete isolation from sinners, you would need to go out of the world. So Paul says that he did not at all mean complete separation from the sexually immoral people of this world, or the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters. Covetous people are those who are convicted of dishonesty in business or financial affairs. For instance, anyone who is found guilty of tax fraud is subject to excommunication for covetousness. Extortioners are those who enrich themselves by using violent means, such as threats of harm or death. Idolaters are those who are given over to the worship of anyone or anything other than the true God, and who practice the terrible sins of immorality that are almost always connected with idolatry. 1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. What Paul really wants to warn them against is having fellowship with a professing brother who engages in any of these terrible sins. We might paraphrase his words as follows: What I meant to say and what I now repeat is that you should not even eat a common meal with any professing Christian who is sexually immoral, or a covetous man, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. It is often necessary for us to have contact with the unsaved, and we can often use these contacts in order to witness to them. Such contact is not as dangerous to the believer as having fellowship with those who profess to be Christians and yet live in sin. We should never do anything that such a person might interpret as condoning his sin. To the list of sinners mentioned in verse 10, Paul adds revilers and drunkards in verse 11. A reviler is a man who uses strong, intemperate language against another. But we would add a word of caution here. Should a man be excommunicated from the church if on one occasion only he should lose his temper and use unguarded words? We would think not, but would suggest that this expression refers to habitual practice. In other words, a reviler would be one who is known as being characteristically abusive toward others. At any rate, this should be a warning to us to exercise control of our language. Theologian Ironside wrote, “Many people say that they are just careless with their tongue, but he points out that they might just as well say that they are careless with a machine gun.” But the general rule is that professing believers who are guilty of the sins listed should be subjected to social ostracism in order to impress on them the enormity of their transgression and to bring them to repentance. If it is objected that the Lord ate with publicans and sinners, we would point out that these men did not profess to be His followers, and in eating with them He did not recognize them as His disciples. What this passage teaches is that we should not fellowship with Christians who are living wicked lives. 1 Corinthians 5:12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? Paul’s two questions in verse 12 mean that Christians are not responsible for the judgment of the unsaved. Wicked men in the world about us will be brought into judgment by the Lord Himself in a coming day. But we do have a responsibility as far as judging those who are inside the confines of the church. It is the duty of the local church to exercise godly discipline. Again, if it is objected that the Lord taught, “Judge not that you be not judged,” we would reply that there He is speaking about motives. We are not to judge men’s motives because we are not competent for that type of judgment. But the word of God is equally clear that we are to judge known sin in the assembly of God so as to maintain its reputation for holiness and so as to restore the offending brother to fellowship with the Lord. 1 Corinthians 5:13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.” Paul explains that God will take care of the judgment of those who are outside, that is, of the unsaved. In the meantime, the Corinthians should exercise the judgment which God has committed to them by putting away the evil person from among themselves. This calls for a public announcement in the church that this brother is no longer in fellowship. The announcement should be made in genuine sorrow and humiliation and should be followed by continual prayer for the spiritual restoration of the wanderer. Lawsuits among Believers (6:1–11)-The first eleven verses of chapter 6 have to do with lawsuits among believers. Macdonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.