9) I wrote you in my letter not to associate (lit. be mixed up) with immoral people; 10) I did not at all mean (emphasis added) with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
11) But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called (i.e. by name only) brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one. 12) For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13) But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES!
Paul was never one to be afraid of using stern words to get his point across. In the context of his discussion of immorality within the Church, and of pride also, he sums up his address with these 5 verses. Essentially, the point comes across like this if you don't mind my paraphrase.
"I told you not to associate with corrupt people, but you thought I meant the corrupt people in the world. You missed the point completely, that is not even possible! What I meant is that you should not even mingle with the corrupted, or the takers, or image adorers, or the verbally abusive, or alcoholics, or scammers who are within the Church, who are believers in their profession only, and not in their actions. I want you to have nothing to do with those people. It is not your place to judge outsiders, that is in God's hands, but you must judge the fruits of those who are among you in the Church. If they are not repentant, and they glory in their sin, rid yourself of them, and the sooner the better!"
Wow. First let me say, that most of the time we could not have fallen farther from the spirit of this passage if we tried. Normally our churches operate as follows:
1) Condemn the sinners outside of the church... especially the following: gays, abortionists, addicts, the ACLU, and democrats.
2) Cover up the sin of your members to preserve your public reputation.
Now, I may be a bit hyperbolic here, but most of you have experienced pastors and church leaders (I know I have at least) who, in and out of the pulpit, have done exactly that. I imagine, reading between the lines here, that Paul's sentiment in this passage, somewhere between verses 10 and 11, is to say, "I didn't tell you to shun the corrupt people of the world, you need to love them and teach them the truth!" Before you accuse me of eisegeting here, it's obvious that we can trace this sentiment in other writings from the apostle. In 1 Cor. 10, for example, Paul spends a large portion of the chapter instructing the Corinthians to love their neighbors and avoid offending them, summarizing with "32) Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; 33) just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved."
Clearly his instructions here include our interactions with unbelievers, since he summarizes to act in this way to Jews and Greeks (i.e. those "outside" the Church). So lessons learned... let's stop washing the unsaved in condemnations with no conversation of redemption, and let's start loving them, teaching them, and fulfilling our duties in the ministry of reconciliation. Second, let's stop pandering to the sinners in the Church who claim Christ in name only, regardless of who they are or how much they tithe. Faith without works is dead, and too many churches are carrying dead weight.
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