The phrase “handed over to Satan” appears only once in the Bible, in 1 Corinthians 5:5. In this verse, Paul instructs the Corinthian church to hand over an unrepentant sinner in their midst to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. This is a difficult verse to understand, but with careful study we can grasp the meaning and significance of Paul’s instruction.
The Context of 1 Corinthians 5
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul addresses a case of sexual immorality in the Corinthian church. A man in the church was sleeping with his father’s wife, an act explicitly forbidden in Scripture (Leviticus 18:8). This sin was even taboo among unbelievers, yet the Corinthian church had proudly tolerated it instead of mourning over it and removing the man from fellowship.
Paul rebuked the church for boasting about their open-mindedness. He said they should have been grieved and taken action to remove the immoral brother from among them (v. 2). Even though the man was physically present in their gatherings, his unrepentant lifestyle essentially removed him from true fellowship with Christ and His people. Paul said the church must be ready to decisively discipline any “so-called brother” who is sexually immoral or greedy, idolatrous, verbally abusive, a drunkard, or a swindler (v. 11).
The unrepentant state of the man was key. Paul clarified that his instructions were meant for any professing believer unwilling to turn away from brazen sin, not those outside the church. The church had no right to judge outsiders, but must keep its own members accountable (vv. 12-13). Discipline should move an unrepentant sinner to repentance and restoration, and protect the church’s integrity and witness.
The Meaning of “Hand This Man Over to Satan”
After rebuking the Corinthian church for failing to act against open immorality in their midst, Paul gave them instructions on how to deal with the sinning man:
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 5:1-5)
Paul urged them, when gathered together, to hand over or “deliver this man to Satan.” This was an exercise of apostolic authority and discipline endorsed by Paul and the leadership of the early church. But what did it mean?
First, delivering someone to Satan meant putting them out of the church, removing them from the fellowship of God’s people. Being assembled “in the name of the Lord Jesus” but refusing to repent evidenced that the man was not truly part of Christ’s body. Removing him formally broke fellowship and affirmed he belonged to the world and its ruler, Satan (John 12:31; 14:30).
Second, removing the man from the church revoked the spiritual protection enjoyed by believers, exposing him again to Satan’s attacks and influences. Within the church, even weak and struggling believers enjoy guidance, support, and empowering grace to resist temptation. Outside, one loses blessing and stands unguarded against the Enemy seeking to devour (1 Peter 5:8-10). Once removed, this man would face his sin without spiritual reinforcements.
Third, being handed over to Satan meant potential affliction to bring the man to repentance. Just as Jesus allowed Satan to afflict Job (Job 1-2), though limited, this immoral man might face physical trouble aimed to encourage self-examination and nudged him to repent and return. Being handed over does not mean being eternally damned or unable to repent. The goal was reform.
In summary, delivering to Satan was an extreme measure of discipline and protection for the church, involving excommunication, loss of spiritual protection/blessing, and potential affliction to motivate repentance. Exercising their apostolic authority, the Corinthian church put the immoral man out and revoked his privileges as a professing believer. Losing fellowship and blessing, he became fully exposed to the temptations and torments of Satan, hopefully driving him to “destroy” his fleshly desires and restore his relationship with Christ.
Why Such Harsh Discipline?
Delivering an unrepentant sinner over to Satan seems incredibly harsh today. So why did Paul command it and consider it an act of love and redemption (v. 5)?
First, gross sin demanded a strong response. The man’s wickedness was even intolerable to pagans. It threatened the church’s integrity and dishonored Christ. Letting it slide would imply approval.
Second, the discipline aimed to startle the man out of complacency. Being suddenly cut off might shock him into recognizing his sin and need for repentance. Tough love hopes pain prompts change.
Third, removing him protected the church from corruption. His presence implied tolerance and opened the door to depravity spreading. Quarantine protects others from infection.
Fourth, handing him over maintained the purity of the Lord’s Table. The church in Corinth observed this ordinance, but one must examine himself before participating (1 Corinthians 11:27-28). This man could not take communion while embracing sin.
Fifth, discipline was meant to restore fellowship. Just as God disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6), the church acted to bring this man to repentance and joyful reconciliation. Exclusion served redemption.
The harsh discipline was not permanent rejection. The church longed for this man to reject his sin and return in repentance. Though severe, handing him over expressed love both for him and the wider church. Tough measures sought to turn his heart back to God.
Paul’s Concluding Exhortation
After instructing the church to remove the immoral man, Paul concluded:
“Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)
Like leaven permeating dough, sin can quickly spread in the church. Tolerating obvious immorality was dangerous and demanded decisive action. The church must zealously guard against corruption. Paul urged them to remove the influence of this man’s “old leaven” and instead embrace sincerity and truth.
As believers identified with the perfect sacrifice of Christ, the Passover Lamb, they must root out “old leaven” and become fresh dough. Claiming to belong to Jesus while clinging to wickedness was unacceptable. The church must unmask hypocrisy and profess faith with integrity.
Other Examples of Church Discipline
Handing people over to Satan for the destruction of fleshly desires was an extreme form of discipline used in extreme cases by churches facing severe threats to faithfulness. But it was not the only kind practiced in the early church.
Jesus taught steps to take when a brother sins against you, starting privately, then with witnesses, then bringing it to the church (Matthew 18:15-17). If he refused to listen even to the church, Jesus said to treat him as an unbeliever. This removes the blessings and intimacy of Christian fellowship.
We also find:
– Leaders appointing men to deal with divisive false teachers (Acts 6:1-7).
– Peter confronting Simon’s corrupt motives (Acts 8:20-23).
– Paul urging the Thessalonians to warn those unwilling to work (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15).
– Paul rebuking Peter publicly over hypocrisy (Galatians 2:11-14).
– Paul urging Timothy to rebuke sinning elders (1 Timothy 5:19-20).
– Elders gently correcting those who oppose truth (2 Timothy 2:24-26).
– Titus instructed to rebuke and silence false teachers (Titus 1:10-13).
The church has always practiced discipline to protect truth and righteousness in obedience to Christ. Faithful discipline aims to restore people living contrary to sound doctrine back to godly fellowship in the body of Christ.
Principles for Discipline Today
While we no longer excommunicate people by formally “handing them over the Satan,” discipline remains essential today. What principles should guide church discipline?
1. Discipline must focus on serious sin, especially that which harms witness and threatens others.
2. Approach should be gentle, patient, grace-filled, without arrogance or hostility (Galatians 6:1).
3. Always aim at restoration and reconciliation, not condemnation.
4. Discipline must follow outlined biblical procedures, with justice and mercy for all.
5. Pray for God’s wisdom and discernment in each specific situation.
6. Preserve unity and obedience to Scripture, not personal preference.
7. Act with delegated, cooperative authority under church leadership.
8. Focus on repentance and forgiveness, not punishment or shaming.
9. Be consistent in upholding biblical standards of morality for all.
10. Move carefully – but decisively when needed – for health of persons involved and church as a whole.
Church discipline should always align with the contours of God’s Word under Spirit-filled leaders. Our goal is to lovingly restore straying sheep to the Shepherd and His flock.
The Hope of Restoration
Paul’s instructions about handing this notorious sinner over to Satan ended with a note of hope: “so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5). Despite stern measures, the aim remained to destroy the man’s fleshly desires that were wrapped up in sin and regain his full devotion to Christ.
This reveals the heart behind all biblical discipline. Whether privately warning a straying friend or formally correcting serious patterns of sin in the church, the goal is repentance, change, and restored relationship with God and His people. Removing someone from fellowship is painful yet needed at times, both for their sake and the church’s witness. It is not final rejection but tough love, a sobering wake-up call.
After urging the Corinthians to hand this man over to Satan, Paul later called them to forgive, comfort, and reaffirm their love for him if he repented (2 Corinthians 2:6-8). The aim was long-term restoration.
May we faithfully uphold truth while overflowing with grace. By God’s wisdom and power, may the process of discipline lead to the fruit of righteousness and joyful fellowship with Christ and one another in His body, the church.