✍ Bible Study
Chapter-by-Chapter Study Guides
Ch. 1
Ch. 2
Ch. 3
Ch. 4
Ch. 5
Ch. 6
Ch. 7
Ch. 8
Ch. 9
Ch. 10
Ch. 11
Ch. 12
Ch. 13
Ch. 14
Ch. 15
Ch. 16
Holiness in the House of God
1 Corinthians — Chapter 5 (BSB)
Chapter Overview
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul confronts a deeply troubling situation in the Corinthian church — a man is living in sexual immorality with his father's wife, and the congregation is not only tolerating it but apparently boasting about it (v. 1-2). Beginning in verse 3, Paul exercises his apostolic authority from a distance, urging the church to formally remove this man from their fellowship and hand him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved (v. 5). Paul then uses the image of leaven to make his point vivid — a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough, meaning unchecked sin spreads and corrupts the entire community (v. 6-7). He clarifies in verses 9-11 that his instruction is not about avoiding all sinful people in the world, but about not associating with those who claim the name of Christ yet persist unrepentantly in wickedness. The chapter closes with Paul reminding believers that God judges those outside the church, but Christians are responsible to judge those within — a call that speaks directly to every believer about the seriousness of living a holy life before God and one another (v. 12-13).
Key Verses
1 Corinthians 5:2 (BSB)
“And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this?”
Paul is stunned that the church has responded to flagrant sin with pride rather than grief. This verse challenges you to examine your own heart — do you take sin seriously, or have you grown comfortable and even dismissive of it? God calls His people to mourn over sin as the first step toward holiness.
1 Corinthians 5:5 (BSB)
“hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord.”
This startling instruction reveals that church discipline, though severe, is ultimately an act of redemptive love — its goal is the saving of the person's soul, not their destruction. God's discipline is never purely punitive; it is always aimed at restoration. This should comfort you that when God allows hardship into your life, He is often working to bring you back to Himself.
1 Corinthians 5:7 (BSB)
“Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”
Paul connects the Passover image directly to Jesus — just as Israel cleared out leaven before the feast, you are called to clear out sin because Christ has already paid the ultimate price. You are declared clean through His sacrifice, and now you are invited to live in a way that matches that reality. The gospel is not just a past event but a present call to walk in newness of life.
1 Corinthians 5:11 (BSB)
“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.”
Paul is not calling you to judge the world but to hold one another accountable within the family of God. This verse is a reminder that belonging to Christ carries a responsibility to live in a way that is consistent with that name. The standard is not perfection, but a willingness to repent and walk in the light.
1 Corinthians 5:13 (BSB)
“God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.””
This final verse draws a clear boundary — your role is not to police the world, but to care for the integrity of your own heart and the community you belong to. It is a freeing reminder that God alone is the judge of those outside the faith, releasing you from self-righteous condemnation of others. Your calling is to pursue holiness within, trusting God to handle what is beyond your reach.
Main Themes
- The call to personal and communal holiness
- Redemptive discipline rooted in love
- Christ as our Passover Lamb who cleanses sin
Discussion Questions
- Is there an area of your life where you have grown comfortable with something God is asking you to take more seriously?
- How does knowing that Christ has already made you clean change the way you approach the sin you are still struggling with?
Personal Application
Take a few quiet minutes this week to ask God to reveal any area of sin or compromise you may have stopped grieving over — and bring it honestly before Him in confession and repentance.
Meditate on verse 7 and let the truth that Christ, your Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for you become the motivation behind your pursuit of holiness this week — not guilt or fear, but gratitude.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for the truth of Your Word and for loving me enough to call me to holiness. Forgive me for the places where I have grown comfortable with sin and stopped mourning what grieves Your heart. Help me to live each day in the freedom and cleanliness that Christ's sacrifice has already purchased for me, walking in the light as You are in the light. In Jesus' name, Amen.