1 Corinthians 5:5 is a curious passage which has been variously interpreted by scholars. For some, it denotes a magical curse which is designed to cause the physical death of the sinner. Others have found such an interpretation unpersuasive. Instead, they maintain that Paul's words at verse five are to be understood as a metaphor for exclusion from the Corinthian community. So, the errant Corinthian is not to die by a curse, but is to be excluded.

This work argues for the former interpretation by marshalling a range of the most recent-specialised-magical material,...