Company not with Fornicators, Covetous, Extortioners or Idolaters 1 Corinthians 5:11

Paul the apostle told the church in Corinth not to “company with fornicators”, yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must” they need to “go out of the world”. In chapter five and verse eleven of First Corinthians, Paul reemphasizes with the church members not to “company with”, “fornicators, covetous, extortioners, idolaters, railers or drunkards” where we read:

But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

The verse begins, “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, ...” Paul began with the word, “But” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated “now I have written” or “at this very moment Paul had expressed and recorded in written characters” “unto you” which refers to “the church members in Corinth” “not to keep company” which means “not to mix up together or be intimate with one”, “if any man” or “in case a certain one” “that is called” which means “bears the name of” “a brother” or “a fellow believer who is united to another by the bond of affection” “be a fornicator” which refers to “one who prostitutes his body to another's lust for hire or indulges in unlawful sexual intercourse”, “or covetous” which means “ones who are eager to have more especially what belongs to others and greedy of gain”. As though Paul had to reiterate what he wrote before in a letter, he told the church members to disassociate themselves from any “brother” who is a “prostitute, sexually immoral” or “greedy of gain”.

The verse continues, “... or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” Paul added the words, “or an idolater” which means “worshipers of false gods” “or a railer” which refers to “a reviler who is abusive”, “or a drunkard” who is “intoxicated, tipsy and a sot” “or an extortioner” which means “rapacious, ravenous or robber”, “with such an one” or “one like this kind” “no not to eat” which means “neither and not even to take food together with”. Paul included “not eating with” people who are “false god worshipers”, “abusive revilers”, “intoxicated” or “robbing thieves”.

When we consider these words from Paul, we understand how the church members in Corinth were not to be “fellowshiping” with wicked people in the world. The idea of “eating with them” was as though they were becoming “one” with them and aligning or approving of their evil deeds. This did not mean the church members could not be around “wicked” people, but meant they were not to have close and intimate “fellowship” with them in the church. Jesus prayed in the gospel of John in chapter seventeen and verse fifteen, “I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil”, and this was Paul's idea for the church in Corinth. May we employ the wisdom of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit as we live among those who do wickedness.

Next time Paul shares about having to “judge them also that are without” and “judge them that are within”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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