RE-INTERPRETING THE INCESTUOUS CASE IN 1 CORINTHIANS 5: 1- 13 IN THE CONTEXT OF THE YORUBA INTERDICTION OF INCEST

Abstract

This article is a re-reading of 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 which is about a reported case of an incestuous man and how Paul the founder of the church in Corinth handled it. In 1 Corinthians 5: 1-13, Paul rebuked the Corinthian church for harbouring such a despicable act and shielding the culprit. Incest is a universal problem and its understanding varies from one culture to another. Incestuous relationship is discouraged to certain degrees in most cultures of the world. The Yoruba people of Southwestern Nigeria consider incest as a taboo (eewo). In this paper, 1 Corinthians 5: 1-13 is re-read using the Yoruba interdiction of incestuous relationship as the context of interpretation. Doing this reasserts the fact that cultures around the world are unanimous in interdicting incestuous relationships.