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with which the Corinthian church had treated it. Doubtless they regarded this as real
"freedom". They were now not under law and could do what they liked:
"And ye are puffed up, and did not rather mourn, that he that had done this deed might
be taken away from among you" (5: 2 R.V.).
But Paul had already come to a decision. Although he was not personally present at
Corinth, in thought and spirit he was there and had already made up his mind regarding
the one who had sinned:
"When you have been gathered together, with my spirit, in the name of the Lord Jesus,
we should, with the power of our Lord Jesus, hand over such a man as this to Satan, for
the destruction of his flesh, in order that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord"
(5: 4, 5 C. K. Barrett).
Paul was desirous that this severe judgment should not result from his apostolic power
alone, but that it should be the judgment of the whole church, acting under the power of
Christ as Lord. They would not only meet in the name of the Lord Jesus, but with the
intention of acting in obedience to Him as Lord and with His power underlying them.
We must remember that grace as a dispensation or administration, had not yet fully come.
The definite judgments of God among believers during the Acts period (as Ananias and
Sapphira) are evidence for this.
What does handing over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh mean? It does not
envisage perishing eternally for the spirit would be saved in the day of the Lord. It
cannot mean the flesh as the sinful old nature, for only the cross of Christ can deal with
this (Rom. 6: 6) and in any case it would not be in Satan's interest to destroy the old
nature, for this is the very thing he seeks to work on and ensnare the believer. It can only
mean the physical flesh, and in this case Satan would be permitted to inflict severe bodily
suffering and possibly death. That Satan can attack the body of the believer with God's
permission, Job and even Paul himself are sufficient evidence (II Cor. 12: 7). Just how
far he can go is certainly by the Lord.
Here Paul was concerned for the final salvation of the erring member and also with the
purity of the church as a whole.