After the exposure of disunity, quarrelling and jealousy in the church in Corinth, it may not surprise us that the next problem which Paul writes about refers not only to a shocking situation involving a church member, but to the silence and complacency of the church as a whole towards what was going on. Although they had referred to sexual problems in the letter which the Corinthians had written to Paul, they omitted to mention the most serious problem, about which they must have known. If Chloe's people knew about it, others must have known. One of the church members was committing incest, something repugnant to almost every society, and forbidden by both Jewish and Roman Law. Even in the pagan society of Corinth, people who thought nothing of looking for sexual pleasure when they wanted it would not have done what this man was doing. Twice Paul challenges the Corinthians about how they can be so arrogant in their quarrels with one another and yet ignore such evil in their midst. With apostolic authority, he pronounces judgment on the man, in the name of Jesus Christ. The community must expel him, excommunicate him, because of the shame he is bringing to the name of Christ and because of the damage that such behaviour can do in the community. He must be sent back to the paganism of Corinth, where Satan had control. In the account of the Temptation of Jesus in the gospels of Luke and Matthew, we find Satan offering Jesus power over the world.

Paul's judgment on the man was remedial, not vindictive. The shock of expulsion from the community, the humiliation of being rejected by them as a body, was intended to bring the man to repentance before the return of Jesus Christ so that he should not be lost in the final Judgment. It was also necessary for the good of the community that this evil should be removed. 5:6-7a refer to the custom at the Jewish Passover when every scrap of leavened bread, made with yeast, was removed from the house in preparation for the eating of the new unleavened bread of the Passover meal. Paul is using Leaven or yeast as a metaphor for sin or evil, as Jesus did in Luke 12: 1. If the sinful church member was allowed to stay in the church, his influence could permeate relationships in the community as yeast permeates dough. While Paul's thoughts are running on the Passover, he refers to the reason why sinful acts must be rejected in the Christian community. Christ died to destroy the power of sin and to free mankind from its power. Christ's own life was offered as a sacrifice to enable the Corinthians to live pure lives which proclaimed union with Christ.

5:9 refers to a previous letter which Paul had written, in which he told the Corinthians not to associate with immoral people. He clarifies exactly what he meant by this. He knows that it is impossible never to meet people who are immoral in various ways; to avoid meeting anyone like that in Corinth, the church members would have to give up living in the world. What Paul is concerned about is the church me who profess to be a brother in Christ but who continue to get drunk, show greed, steal, slander others, and behave in other immoral ways. Such a person, like the man committing incest, poisons the community must be removed. The church community must take firm stand situations like this and must share responsibility for disciplining such a person.