1 Corinthians 5:10 Meaning and Explanation
“Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul explains he did not mean believers should avoid all sinful people in the world, since that would require leaving the world altogether.
What Does 1 Corinthians 5:10 Mean?
Paul corrects a misreading of his earlier letter. He never meant that Christians should shun every immoral, greedy, or idolatrous person in society at large; to do so they would have to abandon the world entirely.
The church is not called to retreat into isolation but to live as light within a darkened world. Jesus Himself ate with sinners. Paul's restriction, made clear in the next verse, concerns those inside the fellowship, not the outsiders the gospel is meant to reach. Believers remain present among people without being shaped by their sin.
1 Corinthians 5:10 in the Original Language
pleonektes (πλεονέκτης), 'covetous' -- one greedy for more, grasping after what belongs to another.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 5:10
What does 1 Corinthians 5:10 mean?
Paul explains he did not mean believers should avoid all sinful people in the world, since that would require leaving the world altogether.