1 Corinthians 5:3–5 shows the urgency of the matter. This man should be removed as soon as the church is gathered again for worship. Although Paul will not be present at this meeting in body,
he will be there in spirit.
The contrasting of spirit
with body
indicates that Paul is referring not to the Holy Spirit but to his own spirit (see also 1 Corinthians 5:4; 1 Corinthians 7:34; Colossians 2:5).
Paul’s statement that he has pronounced judgment on the sinner is probably an indication of two things: (1) that the Corinthians themselves have failed to pronounce such judgment; and (2) that the Corinthian church does not yet have a body of elders to lead them in decision-making.
3 Pour moi, absent de corps, mais présent d'esprit, j'ai déjà jugé, comme si j'étais présent, celui qui a commis un tel acte.