1 Corinthians 5:11-13

Christians Must Judge Those Within the Church

It was specifically those Christians in sin that Paul warned the brethren not to keep company with. McGarvey says, "Have no interchange of hospitality which would imply brotherly recognition, lest the church should thereby not only be disgraced, but corrupted1 Corinthians 15:33." In fact, they were not even to eat, or "take food together" as Thayer says, with brethren living in sin. Christians involved in such sins as those Paul has already listed should have been well aware that those participating in them would not gain entrance into heaven (Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:5).

Paul went on to say that he could only deal with those in the church. Discipline for those outside the church is in God's hands alone. His immediate concern was with any Christian living in sin and the way tolerating their sin would impact the effectiveness of the church. Of course, he knew those in the world would be judged one day (John 5:28-29; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Paul completed his discussion by commanding the Corinthian brethren to disfellowship the sinful brother (1 Corinthians 5:11-13). Peter practiced withdrawal of fellowship for the wrong reason and had to be withstood to the face by Paul. He refused to eat, or take food together with, the Gentiles when some came from James in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:12). Interestingly, it was Peter who had first defended the Christian's right to eat with Gentiles because the gospel is for all (Acts 11:1-18).

One might ask why or how Jesus could receive sinners and eat with them as the Pharisees and scribes said in Luke 15:2. The answer appears in the series of parables he told. The sinners he ate with needed and were willing to hear the gospel. In contrast, when he sent the twelve out under a limited commission in Matthew 10:5-15, he told them to shake the dust off their feet when they departed from a house or city which would not receive them. The reason for the contrast seems to come from an opportunity to teach the lost in the one case and the appearance of giving tacit approval to the sinful actions of others unwilling to change in the other case.