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NASB | 1 Corinthians 5:5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Corinthians 5:5 you are to hand over this man to Satan for the destruction of his body, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. |
Subject: How could Paul hand him over to Satan? |
Bible Note: Hi, Nolan; I liked my answer in a related thread so much I decided to post it here too. ;-) There are two possibilities that I can think of: (1) This person, Mr. X, is already saved but abusing his freedom in Christ. Paul wants to cut him loose so he can directly experience the consequences of his sin. He will be cut off from the fellowship of believers and back in the world ruled by Satan. There he will find disease, jealousy, drunkenness and the whole catalog of ills described in Romans 1:20-32. Mr. X will either repent or waste the remainder of his life in this sorry state. Either way, his spirit will be liberated from his sinful nature. (2) Mr. X is not/may not be saved. By sending him back to the world described in Romans 1:20-32, Paul hopes that Mr. X will recall the teaching and fellowship of the church and realize that he is "exchanging the truth for a lie". He will, Paul hopes, return to the fold and be saved. In either case, a bad apple is being removed. At least that's how it looks to me.... Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |