In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus;

“That you bewail and grieve over the downfall of our brethren I know from myself, beloved brethren, who also bewail with you and grieve for each one, and suffer and feel what the blessed apostle said: "Who is weak," said he, "and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? " And again he has laid it down in his epistle, saying, "Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member rejoice, all the members rejoice with it." I sympathize with you in your suffering and grief, therefore, for our brethren, who, having lapsed and fallen prostrate under the severity of the persecution, have inflicted a like pain on us by their wounds, inasmuch as they tear away part of our bowels with them,-to these the divine mercy is able to bring healing. Yet I do not think that there must be any haste, nor that anything must be done incautiously and immaturely, lest, while peace is grasped at, the divine indignation be more seriously incurred. The blessed martyrs have written to me about certain persons, requesting that their wishes may be examined into. When, as soon as peace is given to us all by the Lord, we shall begin to return to the Church, then the wishes of each one shall be looked into in your presence, and with your judgment.”

“Then lest he should be thought too authoritative and his speech sound rather self-willed, mark how he makes them also partners in the sentence. For having said, "I have judged," he adds, "concerning him that hath so wrought this thing, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ye being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan." Now what means, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ?" "According to God;" "not possessed with any human prejudice." Some, however, read thus, "Him that hath so wrought this thing in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," and putting a stop there or a break, then subjoin what follows, saying, "When you are gathered together and my spirit to deliver such an one unto Satan:" and they assert that the sense of this reading is as follows, "Him that hath done this thing in the Name of Christ," saith St. Paul, "deliver ye unto Satan;" that is, "him that hath done insult unto the Name of Christ, him that, after he had become a believer and was called after that appellation, hath dared to do such things, deliver ye unto Satan." But to me the former exposition appears the truer. What then is this? "When ye are gathered together in the Name of the Lord." That is; His Name, in whose behalf ye have met, collecting you together. "And my spirit." Again he sets himself at their head in order that when they should pass sentence, they might no otherwise cut off the offender than as if he were present; and that no one might dare to judge him pardonable, knowing that Paul would be aware of the proceedings.”

“After the Apostle has pursued those things which pertain to the sacrament of Baptism, here he begins to pursue those things which pertain to marriage. And first he argues against the sin contrary to marriage, namely fornication; second he treats of marriage itself, chapter 7, where it says "now concerning the things you wrote," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the fault; second he rebukes it, where it says "your glorying is not good," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the fault of a certain fornicator; second, the fault of the others, who were tolerating the sin of the fornicator, where it says "and you are puffed up," etc. Concerning the first, first he sets down three things which pertain to the gravity of the fault. First indeed he shows the sin to be notorious, saying: not without cause did I ask, whether you wish that I come to you with a rod. For there is in you something worthy of the rod of discipline, because fornication is heard of among you altogether, in a public manner; against which it is said Eph. 5:3: "but fornication let it not even be named among you"; Isa. 3:9: "they have proclaimed their sin as Sodom, and have not hidden it." Second, he aggravates the sin by comparison, when he says: and such fornication as is not held lawful or found even among the gentiles. For among the gentiles, simple fornication was not accounted a sin. Whence the apostles, Acts 15:20, to exclude this error, imposed upon the gentiles converted to the faith that they should abstain from fornication. There was, however, a certain species of fornication which was held unlawful even among the gentiles. And therefore he says: so that someone has his father's wife, as it is said Gen. 49:4: "poured out you are like water, may you not increase, for you went up to your father's bed, and defiled his couch." This, however, was horrible even among the gentiles, as being contrary to natural reason. For by the natural reverence of a son toward his parents, in every state and law, the father and the mother are excluded from marriage. So that thus also can be understood what is had in Gen. 2:24: "for this reason a man shall leave father and mother," namely in the contracting of marriage, "and shall cleave to his wife." As indeed it is added there: "and the man and the woman shall be two in one flesh." And therefore the father's wife is excluded from marriage, like the person of the father or of the mother, according to that word Lev. 18:8: "the nakedness of your father's wife you shall not uncover, for it is the nakedness of your father." Then, when he says "you are puffed up," he sets down the fault of those who were tolerating this sin. And first he reproves their toleration; second he supplies what they were neglecting, where it says "I indeed," etc. Concerning the first he notes in them three vices. First, pride, when he says "and you are puffed up," namely with the wind of pride, reckoning yourselves innocent by comparison with the sinner, just as, Luke 18:11, the Pharisee said: "I am not as the rest of men, even as also this publican." Wis. 4:19: "I will burst them, puffed up, without a voice." Second, he touches upon their injustice, when he says "and you have not rather mourned," namely by suffering with the case of the sinner, just as it is said Jer. 9:1: "who will give water to my head, and to my eyes a fountain of tears, that I may weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people?" For true justice, as Gregory says, has compassion, not disdain. Third, he touches upon their negligence of judgment: "that he who did this deed be taken away from the midst of you." For such compassion of a just man toward a sinner wounds and delivers, according to that word Prov. 23:14: "you strike him with the rod, and you shall deliver his soul from hell." By this also others are corrected, according to that word Prov. 19:25: "the pestilent man being scourged, the fool will become wiser." Whence Eccles. 8:11: "because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, the sons of men commit evils without any fear." But the sinner ought, for the correction of others, sometimes to be separated, where there is fear of contagion, according to that word Prov. 22:10: "cast out the scoffer, and strife shall go out with him, and quarrels and reproaches shall cease." Then, when he says "I indeed, absent in body," etc., he supplies their negligence, pronouncing sentence against the sinner. And concerning this he does three things. First he sets down the authority of the one judging; second the manner of judging, where it says "you being gathered together," etc.; third the sentence of the judge, where it says "to deliver such a one," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the authority of the minister, namely of himself. Now it seemed contrary to judicial order that he should condemn one who was absent, according to that word Acts 25:16: "it is not the custom of the Romans to condemn any man, before he who is accused has his accusers present"; but the apostle excuses this, saying "I indeed, absent in body, but present in spirit," that is, in affection and solicitude of mind, according to that word Col. 2:5: "and though I am absent in body, yet in spirit I am with you, rejoicing and seeing your order." Or "present in spirit," because through the spirit he knew the things which were being done among them, as if he were present, just as also Elisha said, 4 Kings 5:26: "was not my heart present, when the man returned from his course?" And because I am present in spirit, I have already judged, that is, I have ordained the sentence of condemnation against him who has so acted. Second, he sets down the authority of the principal Lord, saying "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," that is, in his place and by his authority, or with the power and invocation of his name, according to that word Col. 3:17: "whatever you do, in word or in work, do all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Then, when he says "you being gathered together into one," he shows the manner of judging, where he touches upon three things: first, the congregation of the faithful, when he says "you being gathered together." For those things which are grave are to be punished by the concordant deliberation of many. Whence also in antiquity judges sat in the gates, where the people gathered, according to that word Deut. 16:18: "you shall appoint judges in all your gates." Whence it is said in Ps. 110:1: "in the council of the just, and in the congregation, great are the works of the Lord." And Matt. 18:20: "where there are two or three gathered in my name, there am I in the midst." Second, he applies his own assent, when he says "and my spirit," that is, my will and authority, according to what he had said: "but present in spirit." Third, he applies the authority of the principal Lord, namely Christ, saying "with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ," from which the judgment of the Church has the strength of firmness, according to that word Matt. 18:18: "whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven." Then, when he says "to deliver such a one," etc., he sets down the sentence of condemnation, concerning which he sets down three things. First, the penalty, when he says "to deliver such a one to Satan" — supply: I have judged. This can be understood in two ways. First, that, as it is said Matt. 10:8, the Lord gave the apostles power over unclean spirits, that they might cast them out, and by that same power they could command unclean spirits to afflict bodily those whom they judged worthy of this penalty. The apostle therefore commanded the Corinthians, by his authority, to deliver the aforesaid fornicator to Satan to be bodily afflicted. Whence he sets down, second, the effect of this sentence, when he says "unto the destruction of the flesh," that is, unto the vexation of the flesh and the affliction in which he sinned, according to that word Wis. 11:17: "by what things a man sins, by these also he is tormented." Third, he sets down the fruit, when he says "that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ," that is, that he may attain salvation in the day of death, or in the day of judgment, as was expounded above in the third chapter, and thus what is added there is fulfilled: "but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire," namely of temporal penalty. For the apostle did not deliver the sinner to Satan that he might be perpetually subject to his power, but that by the affliction of the flesh he might be converted to penance, according to that word Isa. 28:19: "vexation alone shall give understanding to the hearing." This, moreover, is the sentence of the apostle which the Lord observed, Job 2:6, where he said to Satan: "behold, he is in your hand," namely his flesh, "but yet save his soul," namely unharmed. In another way it can be understood what is said, "to deliver such a one to Satan," namely through the sentence of excommunication, by which someone is separated from the communion of the faithful, and from participation in the sacraments, and is deprived of the suffrages of the Church, by which man is fortified against the assault of Satan; on account of which it is said of the Church, Song 4:9: "terrible as an army set in array," namely to the demons. But what is added, "unto the destruction of the flesh," is understood in this way: that, separated from the Church, and exposed to the temptations of Satan, he may more freely fall into sin, according to that word Apoc., last chapter: "he who is filthy, let him be filthy still." He calls mortal sins "the destruction of the flesh," because, as it is said Gal., last chapter: "he who sows in the flesh, of the flesh shall also reap corruption." He adds, moreover, "that the spirit may be saved," that is, that, recognizing the foulness of his sins, he may be confounded and repent, and thus be healed, according to that word Jer. 31:19: "I am confounded and ashamed, because I have borne the reproach of my youth." It can also be understood that its spirit, namely the Church's, that is, the Holy Spirit of the Church, may be preserved for the faithful unto the day of judgment, lest, namely, they lose him through contagion with the sinner, because, as it is said Wis. 1:5: "the Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from the deceitful," etc.”

“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,.... These words contain an account of the several things and circumstances, that should attend the awful act of the apostle, in delivering this man to Satan; it would be done "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"; by his command, power, and authority, and for his glory; in whose name all miraculous actions, as this was one, were performed: when ye are gathered together; as a church, in a public manner, in one place; not to do this business, for this was purely apostolical; but to be witness of this wonderful operation, to acknowledge the justice of God in it, and that they might fear and take warning by it: and my spirit; meaning that though he was absent in body, he should be present in spirit; and that the extraordinary gift of the Spirit of God bestowed on him would be visibly exercised upon this man before them all, as if he himself was in the midst of them; and this not by any power of his own, but with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ; to which all such miraculous effects, as this hereafter related, are to be ascribed.”

“The apostle represents himself as acting with their presumed concurrence. He would have wished to have presided in an assembly of the Corinthians, and pronounced sentence, after a public investigation of the fact. 3_That power was communicated to him, and could be most suitably exercised in such an assembly. G. P. add "Christ," which, however, is not found in the chief manuscripts and versions.”

“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--By His authority and as representing His person and will (Co2 2:10). Join this with "to deliver such a one unto Satan" (Co1 5:5). The clause, "When ye have been gathered together and my spirit (wherein I am 'present,' though 'absent in body,' Co1 5:3), with the power of our Lord Jesus," stands in a parenthesis between. Paul speaking of himself uses the word "spirit"; of Christ, "power." Christ's power was promised to be present with HIS Church "gathered together in His name" (Mat 18:18-20): and here Paul by inspiration gives a special promise of his apostolic spirit, which in such cases was guided by the Holy Spirit, ratifying their decree passed according to his judgment ("I have judged," Co1 5:3), as though he were present in person (Joh 20:21-23; Co2 13:3-10). This power of infallible judgment was limited to the apostles; for they alone had the power of working miracles as their credentials to attest their infallibility. Their successors, to establish their claim to the latter, must produce the former (Co2 12:2). Even the apostles in ordinary cases, and where not specially and consciously inspired, were fallible (Act 8:13, Act 8:23; Gal 2:11-14).”