1 Corinthians 5:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For this reason they should become zealous in piety. No one will say, he means, that such a one has committed adultery, but that a crime has been committed in the Corinthian church.

He does not say, "They dare to commit adultery," but, "There is a reliable report, such as is not even heard of among the Gentiles." He often rebukes believers by the example of the Gentiles.

Thus, in the epistle to the Thessalonians he says: "That each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust, like the Gentiles" (1 Thess 4:4-5).

Likewise to the Colossians and Ephesians: "That you should no longer walk as the rest of the nations walk" (Eph 4:17). If it is inexcusable for them to sin like the Gentiles, then what shall we say of surpassing the Gentiles in this respect?

Among them, he says, not only is nothing like this done, it is not even named. Do you see how he weighs this crime? If they allow such a form of immorality, which unbelievers not only do not do but do not even know, then the greatness of their sin is inexpressible.

The phrase "among you" is used here with special force. That is, among you believers, who have been counted worthy of such mysteries, received ineffable blessings, and been called to heaven.

Do you see with what indignation and anger against all his words are filled? If he had not felt great anger, he would not have directed his speech to all. He would have said: I have heard that such a one commits adultery. Punish him.

But now he does not speak so, and instead directs his speech against all. If they had written to him about this beforehand, he would have expressed himself in that way.

But since they not only did not write, but even concealed the sin, he uses a stronger manner of speech. "That someone has his father's wife." Why did he not say, "someone commits adultery with a woman"?

He was exposing something excessively shameful. Therefore he spoke of it with a certain modesty, as we explained above. Yet through this very thing he again expressed the gravity of the crime.

He showed that among them something was being done which Paul does not even allow himself to name directly. Therefore further on he uses the same manner of speech: "the one who has done this deed," he says.

Again he is ashamed and does not allow himself to speak directly, just as we too are accustomed to do concerning especially base actions. He does not say "stepmother," but "father's wife," so as to touch them more deeply.

When the very names are sufficient for rebuke, he uses them without adding anything else.

Some interpreters see in the incestuous man a person whose talents the Corinthians took pride in. But the Apostle regards him as already separated from the Church by the very nature of his sin. Therefore he does not address him personally, but all the Corinthian Christians.

He rebukes their indifference and coldness toward such a sinner, who is intolerable in the Church. Since they themselves had done nothing to restrain his immoral conduct, he now urges them to excommunicate the incestuous man from the Church.

By this they would cast him into that realm where the primordial prince of this world rules, the ancient murderer of mankind. He torments his victims according to their surrender to him and according to the power of divine permission.

The incestuous man sinned chiefly in the body. Therefore he was also subject to bodily punishment, the wasting of the flesh, so that the evil spirit might take possession of his body and wear it down. Thus this is a remedy, not an execution.

According to St. John Chrysostom, “something similar happened with righteous Job, though not with the same force: there for more glorious crowns, here for release from sins, so that Satan might punish him with malignant sores or some other illness.”

The weakened flesh would loosen the bonds of sin and give the spirit room to repent. Thus, although the sinner is apparently punished, at the same time the possibility of salvation is opened to him. As is known, he made use of this, fully repenting of his great sin.

Rather, he says: ‘it is utterly heard that there is fornication among you.’ Thus they would not regard themselves as wholly free from blame and remain inattentive.

Instead, they would see that their whole community is subject to rebuke, and that their whole church is not free from accusation. Therefore they would be zealous in piety.

This deed is of such a kind that no one will say, he says, that such a man commits adultery. Rather, they will say that such a crime is being committed in the Corinthian church, ‘as is not even named among the Gentiles.’

The Apostle often reproaches believers by the example of the Gentiles, so that they should not walk ‘as the other Gentiles walk’ (Eph 4:17). But here the reproach is the strongest.

If it is inexcusable to sin in the same way as the Gentiles, then tell me what great sin it is to surpass the Gentiles in this respect? Among them, he says, not only is nothing of the sort done, but it is not even named.

Do you see how grave he considers this crime? If they admit such a kind of immorality as unbelievers not only do not practice, but do not even know, then the greatness of their sin is inexpressible” (Chrysostom).

“What even those trained in demonic teachings would not dare, this has been dared among you” (Theodoret). With this thought, the expression “among you” receives an exceedingly reproachful meaning.

“Among you, believers, who have been counted worthy of such mysteries, who have received ineffable blessings, who have been called to heaven. Do you see what indignation, what wrath his words are filled with?

If he had not felt intense anger, he would not have directed his discourse to all. He would have said: I have heard that such a one commits adultery; punish him.

But now he does not speak so, but directs his discourse against all. Perhaps he would have expressed himself more mildly if they had written to him about this.

But since they did not write, and thereby showed that they were as though covering the sin, it was necessary to use a more striking manner of speech” (Chrysostom).

“That one should have his father's wife.” After his father's death, he took his stepmother as wife. It is observed that in pagan laws other kinds of incest are marked out, but this one is not even marked out.

So unnatural is it. “But why did he not say: someone is committing adultery with a woman? He did not wish to express the exceedingly vile sin.

Therefore he spoke of it with a certain shamefastness, and not directly. Yet by this very thing he again expressed the gravity of the crime, showing that something was being committed among them which Paul did not allow himself even to name directly.

Therefore further on he uses the same manner of speech: ‘he who has done this deed.’ Again he is ashamed and does not allow himself to speak directly, as we also customarily do concerning excessively vile acts.

He does not say, ‘stepmother,’ but ‘his father's wife,’ in order to touch them more strongly. When the very names are sufficient for rebuke, he uses them without adding anything else” (Chrysostom).

“In this also one must marvel at apostolic wisdom. He did not say, ‘stepmother,’ because this name expresses a certain hostility, but ‘his father's wife.’

That means one standing in the place of his mother, joined to his father after his own mother, and becoming for his parent what the woman who bore him had been” (Theodoret).