1 Corinthians 5:6b-8
Chapter 5
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This is not the time to boast. Don’t you know that a bit of yeast causes the whole batch of dough to rise?
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Then, discard the old yeast and become new dough. If Christ is our Passover, you should be unleavened bread.
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Let us therefore celebrate the Passover, not with old yeast, which is sin and evil, but with unleavened bread, symbolizing purity and sincerity.
Commentaries
The Incestuous Man.
The Apostle calls the community together in the name of the Lord Jesus to decide what to do about the case of the incestuous man. Although he is not physically present, the Apostle already states his decision: that “this man be handed over to Satan” (5). This phrase might seem too harsh to us, but it likely refers to excommunication. In any case, the punishment aims to be medicinal and compassionate, so that “he may be saved on the day of the Lord Jesus” (5). The Apostle uses this situation to remind them of what he previously wrote in a letter that is no longer available, in which he outlined the rules for how to treat Gentiles. Paul’s goal is to protect and strengthen the Christian community’s identity, safeguarding its members and equipping them to witness effectively to outsiders.