1 Corinthians 5:9

I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: I WROTE UNTO YOU IN AN LETTER - Greek, 'in THE letter:' a former one not now extant. That Paul does not refer to the present letter is clear, as no direction 'not to company with fornicators' occurs in the previous part; also the words, 'in the letter,' could not have been added if he meant, 'I have just written' (). 'His letters' (plural) confirm this. uses the same phrase, in referring to our first letter, as here is used in referring to a former one. It probably was a brief reply to inquiries of the Corinthians: our first letter, as it enters more fully into the same subject, has superseded the former, which the Holy Spirit did not design for the Church in general. See my 'Introduction.'...

9._I wrote to you in an epistle. _The epistle of which he speaks is not at this day extant. Nor is there any doubt that many others are lost. It is enough, however, that those have been preserved to us which the Lord foresaw would suffice. But this passage, in consequence of its obscurity, has been twisted to a variety of interpretations, which I do not think it necessary for me to take up time in setting aside, but will simply bring forward what appears to me to be its true meaning. He reminds the Corinthians of what he had already enjoined upon them — that they should refrain from intercourse with the wicked. For the word rendered _to keep company with_, means to be on terms of familiarity with any one, and to be in habits of close intimacy with him. (294) Now, his reminding them of this tends to expose their remissness, inasmuch as they had been admonished, and yet had remained inacti...

9-13 Christians are to avoid familiar converse with all who disgrace the Christian name. Such are only fit companions for their brethren in sin, and to such company they should be left, whenever it is possible to do so. Alas, that there are many called Christians, whose conversation is more dangerous than that of heathens!...

Verse 1 Corinthians 5:9. _I WROTE UNTO YOU IN AN EPISTLE_] The wisest and best skilled in Biblical criticism agree that the apostle does not refer to any other epistle than _this_; and that he speaks here of some general directions which he had given in the foregoing part of it; but which he had now in some measure changed and greatly strengthened, as we see from 1 Corinthians 5:11. The words εγραψα εν τη επιστολη may be translated, I HAD _written to you in_ THIS EPISTLE; for there are many instances in the New Testament where the _aorist_, which is here used, and which is a sort of indefinite tense, is used for the _perfect_ and the _plusquam-perfect_. Dr. Whitby produces several proofs of this, and contends that the conclusion drawn by some, viz. that it...

I WROTE UNTO YOU - I have written ἔγραψα egrapsa. This word may either refer to this Epistle, or to some former epistle. It simply denotes that he had written to them, but whether in the former part of this, or in some former epistle which is now lost, cannot be determined by the use of this word. IN AN EPISTLE - ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ en tē epistolē. There has been considerable diversity of opinion in regard to this expression. A large number of commentators as Chrysostom, Theodoret, Oecumenius, most of the Latin commentators, and nearly all the Dutch commentators suppose that this refers to the same Epistle (our 1 Corinthians), and that the apostle means to say that in the former part of this Epistle 1

EXPOSITION 1 CORINTHIANS 5:1 _Excommunication of an incestuous offender._ 1 CORINTHIANS 5:1 IT IS REPORTED. The abruptness with which the subject is introduced shows THE intensity of St. Paul's feelings, and his indignation that he should have been left to hear of this crime by common report. The news had come to him "from those of Chloe's household." But St. Paul was not acting on mere "report." The Greek phrase _implies, _"It is notorious that there is uncleanness among you." St. Paul must have felt it to be a bad feature in the character of the Corinthian Church that they had not mentioned this gross scandal in their letter. COMMONLY; rather, actuall

I WROTE UNTO YOU IN AN EPISTLE,..... Not in this same epistle, and in 1 Corinthians 5:2 as some think; for what is here observed is not written in either of those verses, but in some other epistle he had sent them before, as is clear from 1 Corinthians 5:11 which either came not to hand, or else was neglected by them; and so what he here says may be considered as a reproof to them, for taking no notice of his advice; but continuing to show respect to the incestuous person, though he in a former epistle had advised them to the contrary: no doubt the apostle wrote other epistles to the Corinthians, besides those that are in being; see 2 Corinthians 10:10 nor does such a supposition at all det

3. CORINTHIAN FAILURES. CHAPTER S 5-6. CHAPTER 5 _ 1. The Tolerated Case of Gross Immorality. (1 Corinthians 5:1)._ 2. The Call to Separation. (1 Corinthians 5:6). The spiritual declension, the carnal spirit which prevailed among them, had brought forth fruit. One of their members had committed an act of the grossest immorality, which was an unspeakable outrage, such as was not even named in a licentious city like Corinth, where licentiousness of life was a broadly marked feature of society. It was a case of lawlessness and vileness, which was unknown among the heathen. And this case was tolerated in their midst. Instead of mourning over their sin they were puffed up and did not put away the evil doer from the assembly. If they lacked the personal instructio

SIN AND COMPLACENCY (1 Corinthians 5:1-8)...

AN. the, i.e. the present one. COMPANY. Literally mix together. Greek. _sunanamignumi._ Elsewhere, 1 Corinthians 5:11 and 2 Thessalonians 3:14....