Does Paul contradict Jesus by saying not to eat with sinners?

Question

In 1 Corinthians, Paul is writing to the church at Corinth after hearing reports over various matters. One of them is sexual immorality within the church at Corinth. Of this matter he says in 1 Corinthians 5: 11

But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

Does this not contradict the gospels which document Jesus sitting with sinners?

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them”. Luke 15:1-2

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Luke:5:29-30

After this Jesus says:

It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance Luke 5:31-32

So Jesus on two separate occasions eats with sinners. Jesus then gives his reasoning, that he does so to save them. Paul on the other hand says not to associate with them, not even to eat with them, seemingly contradicting Jesus as far as I see it.

So does Paul contradict Jesus?

Answer 1

In 1 Corinthians 5:11, Paul addresses the command to people who claim to be Christians.

But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

Jesus ate with sinners who had not believed in the Messiah.

So does Paul contradict Jesus?

No, they are two different audiences.

Answer 2

The tax gatherers eating together with Jesus were not (yet) brethren in a Christian sense.

And one assumes that, like Matthew, they were intent on not stealing in the future.

Separating from a professed Christian who deliberately continues in immoral behaviour is (clearly) quite a different matter.

Answer 3

Does Paul contradict Jesus by saying not to eat with sinners?

Paul did not say not to eat with sinners, the Greek word sy.na.na.migny.sthai (συναναμίγνυσθαι) rendered to "keep company" or "associate with "any so-called brother implies having a close fellowship or companionship and sharing with them the same views and Christian beliefs.

Christians in Corinth had to "stop keeping company with," that is, refuse to mingle with, any unrepentant sinner. They were to “remove the wicked person from among them . 1Cor. 5:13.

1 Corinthians 5:11 (NASB)

11 But [a]actually, I [b]wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or a greedy person, or an idolater, or is verbally abusive, or habitually drunk, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a person.

1 Corinthians 5:11 (ASV)

11 but [a]as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat.

Answer 4

The rules by which Jesus and Paul lived were different in many respects because Jesus was "born under the law" ("beholden to the Torah"):

[Gal 4:4 NASB] (4) But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

But Paul, because of the new covenant ratified upon Jesus' death, was not:

[Gal 3:24-25 KJV] (24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (25) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Paul, however, lived in a Roman world, where the only legal religion besides the Roman gods was Judaism, so he was required to maintain his Jewish identity to some degree. To cast off Judaism was to fall afoul of the State. This was at the heart of his controversy with Peter:

https://www.quora.com/Does-the-Bible-say-no-blood-transfusions/answer/Bill-Ross-22

Paul did have scruples about with whom a holy person should eat. He apparently had written to the Corinthians about it. However, they misconstrued his instruction as did the messengers from James that influenced Peter. They thought he was saying not to eat with sinners at all. But what Paul was really saying was to not fellowship with anyone who claimed to be a Christian but was not living the life:

[1Co 5:9-13 NLT] (9) When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. (10) But I wasn't talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. (11) I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don't even eat with such people. (12) It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. (13) God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, "You must remove the evil person from among you."

Jesus, though mixing freely with ungodly Jews also insisted on discipline for one who claimed to be a disciple but was behaving irresponsibly:

[Mat 18:15-20 NASB] (15) "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. (16) "But if he does not listen [to you,] take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. (17) "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (18) "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. (19) "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. (20) "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

Answer 5

Christ may indeed have eaten with (unrepentant) sinners at their table (in the hopes of convincing them to repent, as He Himself explains), but I don't recall Him inviting any of them to His, when He partook of the Last Supper, to which only His close circle of disciples were present, all of which have put their sinful lives behind them by that point.

Similarly, in the fifth chapter of Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, which, within context, seems to discuss excommunication, the (communal) meal mentioned therein being, most likely, the Lord's supper, in which those that have not yet repented cannot participate, since one cannot indulge both in the table of the Lord, and in that of demons (10:20-21), for the same reason one cannot (ultimately) serve two masters, both God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13).