“Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord,” is stated in 1 Corinthians 5:5. What does this mean?
Sexual immorality
Paul gave the Corinthian church the order to “turn this man over to Satan.” This is because the guy engaged in illicit sexual behavior: according to 1 Corinthians 5:1, he has his father’s wife, who may or may not be his mother or stepmother. This immorality, which does not even occur among pagans or those who do not know God, shocks Paul greatly. When it comes to moral rectitude, the church ought to lead by example!
Discipline executed
“Handing this man over to Satan” calls for [church leadership discipline] to be carried out. The church must be holy and free of leaven, which pervades the entire dough, which is why this discipline is necessary (1 Corinthians 5:6–8). As verses 2 and 12 make clear, the discipline entails this person’s banishment from the church: “Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” “Purge the evil person from among you.”
Destruction of the flesh
After being excommunicated from the church for continuing to live a life contrary to biblical teaching, this individual will be left to bear the full consequences of their transgression. These repercussions can even include illness brought on by their immoral actions. They could get sick as a result of their immoral deeds. The phrase “destruction of the flesh” most likely refers to this. Even though it will be terrible and painful, it will be well worth it if it results in someone’s spirit being saved! It is preferable to have a brief illness than [everlasting damnation].
Excommunicating a person
Excommunicating a person from the church is not something one can do in his own power. In verse 4 it says that it needs to be done “with the power of the Lord Jesus“. It is under the authority of Jesus that a person is handed over to Satan. Therefore, this can result in the salvation of his spirit (1 Corinthians 5:5). So Satan is under the sovereign control of our Lord Jesus – Satan would never want a person to be saved, but God can even use our archenemy to bring about repentance. Paul was harassed by a messenger of Satan to keep him from becoming conceited (2 Corinthians 12:7). It is important to note that Paul did not plead with Satan to leave him. Instead he pleaded with the Lord, that it should leave him (2 Corinthians 12:8); he knew that the Lord was in control.
Spirit of humility
One of the most difficult tasks for church leaders is to enforce discipline. It requires humility—the understanding that they are fallible human beings in need of God’s mercy. However, it would be disrespectful to God’s Word to back down from it by claiming, “Who am I to discipline others?” Because the church is the body of Christ, Jesus expressly orders us to give the holiness of the church our first concern. May discipline always be used in a prayerful manner by those who understand their complete dependence on God.
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