When a Christian Falls into Sin: Understanding Paul’s Instruction to the Church

In 1 Corinthians 5, the apostle Paul addresses a difficult and often misunderstood situation. A man in the Corinthian church was openly involved in sin, and the church had not addressed it. Paul does not ask the believers to determine whether the man was truly saved. Instead, Paul gives specific instruction for how to deal with anyone who claims to be a follower of Christ while living in ongoing, unrepentant sin.

This passage is not about judging the world. It is about purity and accountability inside the church. The teaching is firm, not because Paul lacks compassion, but because he is protecting the integrity of the church and calling the sinner to repentance through correction.

The Context: A Church Tolerating Sin

Paul writes to the Corinthians with grief in his heart. He had received news that someone in the church was engaged in sexual immorality, a sin so outrageous that even pagans would be shocked (1 Corinthians 5:1). Rather than mourning over the sin, the church had become arrogant and indifferent. Paul rebukes their complacency and commands decisive action—not to determine if the man was “really saved,” but to uphold the holiness of Christ’s body.

His language is unmistakably strong: “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (1 Corinthians 5:6). In other words, tolerating open sin in the body contaminates the entire church. It is a call to cleanse the house of God, just as the Israelites were commanded to remove leaven before the Passover.

Paul’s Instruction: Remove the One Who Claims Christ but Lives in Sin

Paul says clearly:

“But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”
(1 Corinthians 5:11, ESV)

Notice what Paul does not say. He does not ask the church to examine the person’s salvation. He does not ask them to determine if the individual is truly regenerate. He simply refers to someone who “bears the name of brother.” This refers to anyone who claims to be a Christian.

This is important. The instruction is based on the claim of faith, not the reality of it. Why? Because the focus is on how the church must respond to persistent, unrepentant sin in its midst. The authority and purity of the church must be preserved, and that cannot happen if sin is ignored.

The Sins Paul Lists: More Than Sexual Immorality

Paul lists six types of sin:

• Sexual immorality: Any sexual activity outside of God’s design for marriage between one man and one woman.
• Greed: An insatiable craving for more, especially at the expense of others.
• Idolatry: Worship of anything other than God, including money, status, or self.
• Reviling: Verbally abusing, mocking, or constantly tearing others down.
• Drunkenness: A life characterized by intoxication and loss of self-control.
• Swindling: Cheating, manipulating, or defrauding others for financial gain.

These are not occasional stumbles or one-time failures. Paul is referring to ongoing patterns of behavior—unchallenged, unrepented, and unaddressed.

Why This Matters: Love Requires Truth

Some may read this and think Paul sounds harsh. But his goal is restoration, not punishment. He tells the Corinthians to deliver the man “to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5). This may sound terrifying, but it is actually merciful.

Paul wants the sinner to come face to face with the reality of his sin, experience the consequences of being outside the covering of the church, and be brought to repentance.

Tolerating sin is not love. Love corrects. Love protects the church. Love pleads for repentance. That is why Paul calls the church to act, not because the man is beyond hope, but because hope is found through truth.

But What About Jesus’ Words “Do Not Judge”?

Many people quote Matthew 7:1—“Judge not, that you be not judged”—and argue that we should never make any judgment at all. But Jesus was warning against hypocritical judgment, not godly discernment. In the same chapter, He tells us to examine people by their fruit (Matthew 7:16) and to beware of false prophets.

Paul, likewise, says:

“For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?”
(1 Corinthians 5:12)

In the body of Christ, we are called to hold one another accountable in love. The church is not a gathering of perfect people, but it is a gathering of repentant people. When someone lives in unrepentant sin and still claims to be a believer, correction is not optional—it is biblical.

The Danger of Delayed Correction

When sin is left unchecked in the church, several dangers arise:

1. It corrupts the witness of the church.
2. It misleads others.
3. It hardens the sinner.
4. It dishonors Christ.

Restoration Is Always the Goal

Paul’s words are serious, but they are never without hope. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he urges the church to forgive and restore the man who had repented (2 Corinthians 2:6–8). That is the end goal: not exile, but restoration; not shame, but healing.

The process of church discipline is designed to lead the sinner back to the arms of Christ, broken but forgiven, humbled but healed.

A Word to the Modern Church

In our age of tolerance and moral confusion, this teaching from Paul is more needed than ever. Many churches have grown silent on the issue of sin. In the name of inclusion, they have excluded truth. In the name of love, they have rejected correction. But we are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), and to maintain purity within the body (1 Peter 1:16).

We must not shy away from hard conversations. The health of the church depends on our willingness to walk in both grace and truth. When someone who professes to follow Jesus persists in sin, we must lovingly confront them—not to condemn, but to call them home.

Let the Church Be Holy

Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 5 is not about creating a witch hunt for sin. It is not about arrogance or self-righteousness. It is about preserving the witness, purity, and spiritual health of the church.

We are not told to decide who is “really” a Christian. That is God’s domain. But we are clearly commanded to take seriously the claim to follow Christ and to hold each other accountable to that claim. When someone who professes to follow Jesus lives in ongoing sin, we cannot remain silent.

The church must be a place of grace, but it must also be a place of holiness. These are not enemies. They are partners. Because true grace leads to repentance, and true holiness reflects the beauty of our Savior.

May we be a people who live with humility, speak with love, correct with courage, and never forget the goal: redemption, not rejection.

“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.”
(2 Thessalonians 2:15)

Let the church be bold. Let the church be holy. Let the church be faithful.