Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [1 Corinthians: Chapter 5].
certainly means expulsion from the church (verse 2) and
regarding him as outside of the commonwealth of Israel (Eph
2:11f.). But we are not to infer that expulsion from the local
church means the damnation of the offender. The wilful offenders
have to be expelled and not regarded as enemies, but admonished
as brothers (2Th 3:14f.). {For the destruction of the flesh}
(\eis olethron t•s sarkos\). Both for physical suffering as in
the case of Job (Job 2:6) and for conquest of the fleshly sins,
remedial punishment. {That the spirit may be saved} (\hina to
pneuma s•th•i\). The ultimate purpose of the expulsion as
discipline. Note the use of \to pneuma\ in contrast with \sarx\
as the seat of personality (cf. 3:15). Paul's motive is not
merely vindictive, but the reformation of the offender who is not
named here nor in 2Co 2:5-11 if the same man is meant, which is
very doubtful. The final salvation of the man in the day of
Christ is the goal and this is to be attained not by condoning
his sin.
5:6 {Not good} (\ou kalon\). Not beautiful, not seemly, in view
of this plague spot, this cancer on the church. They needed a
surgical operation at once instead of boasting and pride (puffed
up). \Kauch•ma\ is the thing gloried in. {A little leaven
leaveneth the whole lump} (\mikra zum• holon to phurama zumoi\).
This proverb occurs _verbatim_ in Ga 5:9. \Zum•\ (leaven) is a
late word from \ze•\, to boil, as is \zumo•\, to leaven. The
contraction is regular (\-oei=oi\) for the third person singular
present indicative. See the parables of Jesus for the pervasive
power of leaven (Mt 13:33). Some of the members may have argued
that one such case did not affect the church as a whole, a
specious excuse for negligence that Paul here answers. The
emphasis is on the "little" (\mikra\, note position). Lump
(\phurama\ from \phura•\, to mix, late word, in the papyri mixing
a medical prescription) is a substance mixed with water and
kneaded like dough. Compare the pervasive power of germs of
disease in the body as they spread through the body.
5:7 {Purge out} (\ekkatharate\). First aorist (effective) active
imperative of \ekkathair•\, old verb to cleanse out (\ek\), to
clean completely. Aorist tense of urgency, do it now and do it
effectively before the whole church is contaminated. This turn to
the metaphor is from the command to purge out the old (\palaian\,
now old and decayed) leaven before the passover feast (Ex
12:15f.; 13:7; Zep 1:12). Cf. modern methods of disinfection
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/1CO5.RWP.html (3 of 6) [28/08/2004 09:11:14 a.m.]