The Corinthian Christians are urged to view church teachers as servants of Christ and "caretakers of God's mysteries." Success is measured by their faithfulness to the tasks assigned by their Master. Paul emphasizes that only God's flawless examination of his servants upon Christ's return holds significance. He urges the Corinthians not to judge him prematurely. This doesn't mean that self-reflection or the evaluation of church teachers by the church is wrong. What's wrong is self-righteous judgment based on worldly standards instead of God's standards. Ultimately, those who serve God are accountable to Him alone. They will receive praise from God at the final judgment.

Paul addresses the Corinthians in this personal message, who reject his teaching and authority. He uses the sinful competition between Paul and Apollos as an example to illustrate the division in the Corinthian community. Paul emphasizes not exceeding what is written and warns against boasting in human wisdom or elevating one church teacher over others. The Corinthians should not boast about their possessions or accomplishments because everything they have is a gift from God. The worldly values of their culture influence them to overemphasize their achieved status. At the same time, Paul and the other apostles are portrayed as captives in a victory parade, condemned to die like criminals in the arena.

Paul rebukes the Corinthians not to shame them but to caution and correct them, like a caring father guiding his beloved children without causing bitterness. As the founder of the Corinthian church, Paul is their spiritual father. Despite having many guides, they have only one father. Paul urges them to follow his example, living by God's wisdom revealed in the crucified Messiah rather than worldly wisdom. He emphasizes that after three years of following Christ, they still need help bridging the gap between knowledge and practice, and he promises to return and address their concerns. The foundation of God's kingdom is not just talk but real power. Paul addresses the church with the tenderness of a father appealing to his wayward children. What child wouldn't prefer a loving embrace from their father over discipline?

Paul is addressing two issues in his letter. First, he addresses the presence of sexual immorality within the Corinthian community. Specifically, a man is engaged in a relationship with his father's wife, likely referring to his stepmother. Paul emphasizes that such behavior is not even acceptable among pagans. Second, Paul urges the Corinthians to remove this man from their community through excommunication. Even though he is not physically present, Paul has already passed judgment on him. The purpose of this judgment is to bring about the destruction of the man's flesh while preserving his spirit. This passage is significant for understanding the concepts of excommunication, church membership, and the congregation's role in church governance.

In the church, leaven is used as a symbol of evil, particularly referring to the incestuous man. God's church must remain pure and without leaven. "Cleanse out the old leaven" refers to Exodus 12:15, where God commands Israel to "kill their lambs" during the Passover. Here, Paul explains that the church is already unleavened because Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Jesus, known as the Lamb of God, died on the cross as the Passover lamb. When a church tolerates leaven, such as sexual immorality, it participates in the sacred festival with "malice and evil" instead of "sincerity and truth."

Paul does not mean believers should avoid associating with unbelievers, as that would be virtually impossible. Instead, Paul clarifies that believers should not closely associate with unrepentant sinners who claim to be believers. Paul's point is that if a sin defines a professing believer's life that they refuse to repent and others can identify them by that sin, the church must separate that person from their community. At the very least, this means that the church should not allow such a person to partake in the Lord's Supper. Even when a church member interacts with a former member who has yet to repent, they should not give the impression that everything is fine but instead lovingly encourage them to repent. Paul quotes Deuteronomy because the underlying principle behind God's commands in Deuteronomy applies to church discipline under the new covenant. This principle applies because God and His people are holy. Therefore,  His holy people must remove those who deliberately and unrepentantly disobey God's commands from their community.