1 Corinthians 5:11

1 Corinthians 5:11

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 a one, no, not to eat.”

a. NLT: I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

c. YLT: And now, I did write to you not to keep company with him, if any one, being named a brother, may be a whoremonger, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner -- with such a one not even to eat together; [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Amplified Bible Classic: But now I write to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of [Christian] brother if he is known to be guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater [whose soul is devoted to any object that usurps the place of God], or is a person with a foul tongue [railing, abusing, reviling, slandering], or is a drunkard or a swindler or a robber. [No] you must not so much as eat with such a person. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Worrell Translation: But, as it is, I wrote not to keep company, if anyone, called a brother, be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extorioner—with such a one, not even to eat.] [Copyright 1904 by A.S. Worrell. Copyright assigned to the Assemblies of God, Springfield, MO. This edition was published 1980 by the Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO 65802. Printed in the U.S.A.]

f. Wuest Translation: But now I am writing to you to urge you not to be mingling in a close and habitual intimacy—should any one who is called a brother [Christian] be a fornicator or a covetous person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or rapacious—with such  a person not even to be eating. [Copyright 1904 by A.S. Worrell. Copyright assigned to the Assemblies of God, Springfield, MO. This edition was published 1980 by the Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO 65802. Printed in the U.S.A.]

1. “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother…”

a. But [Strong: 1161. de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. now [Strong: 3570. nuni noo-nee' a prolonged form of 3568 for emphasis; just now:--now.]

c. [I have] written [Strong: 1125. grapho graf'-o a primary verb; to "grave", especially to write; figuratively, to describe:--describe, write(-ing, -ten).]

d. unto you [Strong: 5213. humin hoo-min' irregular dative case of 5210; to (with or by) you:--ye, you, your(-selves).]

e. not [Strong: 3361. me may a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas 3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas 3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:--any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations.]

f. [to] keep company with [Strong: 4874. sunanamignumi soon-an-am-ig'-noo-mee from 4862 and a compound of 303 and 3396; to mix up together, i.e. (figurative) associate with:--(have, keep) company (with).]

g. if [Strong: 1437. ean eh-an' from 1487 and 302; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.; often used in connection with other particles to denote indefiniteness or uncertainty:--before, but, except, (and) if, (if) so, (what-, whither-)soever, though, when (-soever), whether (or), to whom, (who-)so(-ever).]

h. any man [Strong: 5100. tis tis an enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object:--a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, - thing, -what), (+ that no-)thing, what(-soever), X wherewith, whom(-soever), whose(-soever).]

i. [that is] called [Strong: 87. onomazo on-om-ad'-zo from 3686; to name, i.e. assign an appellation; by extension, to utter, mention, profess:--call, name.]

j. [a] brother [Strong: 80. adephos ad-el-fos' from 1 (as a connective particle) and delphus (the womb); a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (much like 1):--brother.

2. “…be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner…” 

a. be [Strong: 2228. e ay a primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than:--and, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea. Often used in connection with other particles.]

b. [a] fornicator [Strong: 4205. pornos por'-nos from pernemi (to sell; akin to the base of 4097); a (male) prostitute (as venal), i.e. (by analogy) a debauchee (libertine):--fornicator, whoremonger.] [Zodhiates: A whoremonger or male prostitute. In the NT a fornicator. The word also has the meaning of an impure or unclean person of whatever kind.]

c. or [Strong: 2228. e ay a primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than:--and, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea. Often used in connection with other particles.]

d. covetous [Strong: 4123. pleonektes pleh-on-ek'-tace from 4119 and 2192; holding (desiring) more, i.e. eager for gain (avaricious, hence a defrauder):--covetous.] [Zodhiates: One who wants more, a person covetous of something that others have, a defrauder for gain.

e. or [Strong: 2228. e ay a primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than:--and, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea. Often used in connection with other particles.]

f. [an] idolater [Strong: 1496. eidololatres i-do-lol-at'-race from 1497 and the base of 3000; an image- (servant or) worshipper (literally or figuratively):--idolater.] [Zodhiates: Idolater, a servant or worshipper of idols.]

g. or [Strong: 2228. e ay a primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than:--and, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea. Often used in connection with other particles.]

h. [a] railer [Strong: 3060. loidoros loy'-dor-os from loidos (mischief); abusive, i.e. a blackguard:--railer, reviler.]

i. or [Strong: 2228. e ay a primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than:--and, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea. Often used in connection with other particles.]

j. [a] drunkard [Strong: 3183. methusos meth'-oo-sos from 3184; tipsy, i.e. (as noun) a sot:--drunkard.]

k. or [Strong: 2228. e ay a primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than:--and, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea. Often used in connection with other particles.]

l. [an] extortioner [Strong: 727. harpax har'-pax from 726; rapacious:--extortion, ravening.] [Zodhiates: Rapacious person or animal, as wolves.]

3. “…with such a one, no not to eat.”

a. with [Strong: 3588. ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

b. [Strong: 3588. [tō] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tō] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

c. such a one [Strong: 5108. toioutos toy-oo'-tos (including the other inflections); from 5104 and 3778; truly this, i.e. of this sort (to denote character or individuality):--like, such (an one).]

d. [no] not [Strong: 3366. mede may-deh' from 3361 and 1161; but not, not even; in a continued negation, nor:--neither, nor (yet), (no) not (once, so much as).]

e. [to] eat [Strong: 4906. sunesthio soon-es-thee'-o from 4862 and 2068 (including its alternate); to take food in company with:--eat with.]

1). In the very next chapter, actually eleven verses a head, Paul gives another list of offences and again says the individuals guilty of these will not inherit the Kingdom of God. The good news is he goes on to say that some of the Corinthians in their church used to be these people but they have been saved and delivered from those behaviors.

a). 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God/ Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

2). An interesting element in all of this is the fornicator (1 Corinthians 10:8; Numbers 25:1, 9), and the idolater were punishable by death under the old covenant (Deuteronomy 17:2-5), as was the individual who was sleeping with his step mother (Leviticus 20:11). Yet under the New Covenant there is no death penalty issued. Granted, when all the ingredients of excommunication are added up, the sum is quite terrifying, and could result in death. The individual is spared immediate death, and the prayer is while the person is experiencing all the aspects of excommunication, removal from the body, denial of fellowship and being turned over to Satan, the individual will repent and full fellowship will be reinstated, as was in the case Paul was referring to in 1 Corinthians 5.