1 Corinthians 5:5 and Bible Translations

Question: Glenn also asks, “I am really concerned about the various translations. In the NIV, in First Corinthians 5:5, it states, ‘Hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed, and the spirit saved on the day of the Lord.’ In the NKJV the same verse is translated, ‘Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.'” [Glenn’s legitimate concern is that these do not sound the same.]

Answer:The availability of many different Bible translations in English can be a great blessing–or it can breed confusion and error. Unless we are experts in Hebrew and Greek, the safest course is to use one of the better literal translations as a main Bible, comparing others for study purposes. Among the newer versions, the New King James Version, and the New American Standard Bible are excellent. That is not to say they have absolutely no translation difficulties, but they tend to be reliable in the vast majority of cases. The New International Version is helpful many times too. But the translators often paraphrase (rephrasing the original in their own words, according to what they think it means). When this happens, the NIV becomes more of a man-made commentary than a Bible. And commentators can be wrong.

Bottom line: Use the NIV as a helpful study tool, but check it against a more literal translation.

Regarding the passage in question, the sinful nature (in Greek, sarkos, “the flesh,” used in this spiritual sense) is not “destroyed” on this side of eternity. In the believer, “The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.” But we can have victory as we “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16-17). Christians who do not do so become “carnal” (sarkikos), worldly, and remain spiritual babies (I Cor. 3:1-3). The Greek word (sarkos) which the NIV translates “sinful nature” can also mean “physical body” (as the NIV admits in a footnote). In other words, sometimes “flesh” is used in the physical sense of the word, depending on the context. I believe this is the intended meaning in First Corinthians 5:5. (The verse is describing a step also mentioned in First Timothy 1:20).

If the man is a believer (which is possible in this case), Satan cannot affect his security in Christ (Rom. 8:38-39). However, he can assault him physically–as he did Job. The thought here is that such physical affliction from Satan may cause this wayward individual to seek after God, and bring him to repentance.

In the local church, the fellowship of believers provides an umbrella of protection for each individual Christian. This comes about through the presence of the Lord in their midst (Matt. 18:20), the purifying work of the Spirit through the Word, and the mutual admonishment and encouragement of Christians. When a member is expelled (vs. 2, 11), he loses that benefit and is more vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. This is part of the remedial effect of church discipline. Believers should not pray for him to be kept from this, because it is meant to be corrective (cf. I Jn. 5:16-17, where John speaks of a “sin unto death [i.e. physical death]”). (Paul gives us an example of this in First Corinthians 11:27, 30).