1 Corinthians 5:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?

NIV: What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?

NASB: For what business of mine is it to judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?

CSB: For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside?

NLT: It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.

KJV: For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

NKJV: For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?

Paul has been clear: Christian churches must remove from their community those known to be participating in obvious sin. They should not associate with such people if those people claim to be Christians. The purpose of this is to encourage repentance in the sinner (1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Thessalonians 3:14–15), protect the spiritual health of the congregation (Jude 1:12; Galatians 2:4; 2 Peter 2:1–2), and avoid giving the world excuses to slander Christ (1 Peter 2:12).

He has also been clear that this teaching does not apply to unbelievers. Now Paul asks rhetorically what he has to do with judging those who are outsiders, meaning non-Christians. Even Paul has not been given the responsibility of judging those who have not trusted in Jesus for salvation. He will write in the following verse that God judges unbelievers.

Perhaps this is why Paul never instructs the Corinthians regarding the woman involved in the affair with her husband's son. Based on these verses, she apparently was not a self-identified Christian and wasn't involved in the church at Corinth. If so, they would have no responsibility to hold her accountable for her actions. That doesn't mean they'd have no right to call out sinful behavior (Matthew 28:19–20; Acts 3:11–26), simply that it was not their job to discipline a non-believer.

With another rhetorical question, Paul insists that Christians do have the responsibility to judge those inside the church. In other words, Christians are called by God to hold each other accountable for ongoing participation in obviously sinful actions.

We should note that this practice, called "church discipline," is not often carried out in Christian churches despite this clear teaching. The result is an epidemic of poisonous spiritual influences (Jude 1:12; 2 Peter 2:1; Galatians 2:4) and much criticism from the non-believing world (1 Peter 2:12; 2 Peter 2:2). On the other hand, some of what is called "church discipline" today has been carried out in a manner which is unloving, inconsistent, an unhelpful to the reputation of Christ (Galatians 6:1; Matthew 18:15–20).

Obviously, churches must be prayerful and wise about when and how to apply Paul's instructions in 1 Corinthians 5. The goal is not self-righteousness or vindictive revenge. Rather, it should be protection of truth and the repentance of the sinner.

First Corinthians 5:9–13 introduces Christian teachings on church discipline, conflict resolution, and the power of God to cleanse us from sin. After demanding the church in Corinth excommunicate someone for flagrant sin, Paul reminds them that those who claim to be Christians are to be held to a higher standard. Specifically, the church must not accept the fellowship of those who persist in blatant, stubborn sin. Non-believers, in contrast, aren't subject to that judgment. Paul insists that Christians must not even share a meal with someone who identifies as Christian but refuses to stop participating in sin.

Paul confronts the church in Corinth for failing to respond to a self-identified believer having a sexual affair with his father's wife. He insists they must remove the man from their community—to refuse his participation in the church—referred to here as delivering him to Satan. As the Jewish people would do during Passover, they must remove the leaven of this man and his sin from among them, to prevent it from spreading to the entire church. Christian congregations should not associate with those who claim to be believers, yet flaunt their sin.

First Corinthians 5 continues Paul's confrontational tone from the previous chapter. There, he warned the arrogant that he might return to them with a rod of correction. Now he points to a specific result of their pride: They have failed to respond to one among them who is openly committing incest. Paul commands them to remove the man from their community by turning him over to Satan for destruction of his flesh, in hopes that his spirit would be saved. They must not even share a meal with a Christian continuing in unrepentant sin. Paul will distinguish between the judgment of believers with that of non-believers. In the next chapter, this will include more details on how to handle conflict, as well as the ability of God to forgive any and all sin.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.