1 Corinthians 5:13 (KJV)

What does 1 Corinthians 5:13 mean?

1 Corinthians 5:13 says that God is the one who judges those outside the church, but the church itself is responsible for removing a wicked person from among its own members. The verse draws a clear line between how the church should handle its own community and how it relates to people outside of it.

Paul is writing to the Christians in Corinth, addressing a situation where someone in their group was behaving in a way that was widely considered immoral. Paul tells the church that while God judges those "without" (outside the church), the church must take action regarding its own members. This verse closes a section where Paul urges the church to maintain its integrity by dealing directly with serious wrongdoing among believers.

The Greek behind 1 Corinthians 5:13

• "without" (ἔξω, exō): This word refers to those outside the church community. Paul uses it to make a distinction between insiders (church members) and outsiders (non-members).
• "judgeth" (κρίνει, krinei): This verb means to judge or decide. Here, it emphasizes that judging those outside the church is God's responsibility, not the church's.
• "away" (ἐξάρατε, exarate): This word means to remove or take out. Paul uses it as a command, telling the church to actively remove the person who is behaving wickedly from their midst.
• "person" (πονηρόν, ponēron): This word means "wicked" or "evil." Paul is not speaking generally, but about a specific person whose actions are harmful to the community.

Why 1 Corinthians 5:13 matters

• This verse clarifies that the church's responsibility is to maintain its own standards among its members, rather than policing the behavior of those outside the church.
• Paul’s instruction helps prevent the church from becoming judgmental toward outsiders while still taking seriously the need for accountability within its own community.
• The verse is the conclusion of a passage where Paul addresses church discipline, making it clear that action should be taken when a member’s behavior threatens the moral health of the group.