Exairo (ἐξαίρω) means to lift out, remove, or expel from a community — with a sense of decisive purging. Paul uses this word in 1 Corinthians 5:2 and 5:13 in the context of church discipline: the immoral man 'should be removed [exairo] from your midst.' The command echoes the Old Testament formula 'purge the evil from among you' (Deuteronomy 17:7; 19:19; 22:21), showing that New Covenant community holiness has deep roots in Mosaic covenant purity.
The use of exairo in 1 Corinthians 5 is one of the strongest church discipline texts in the New Testament. Paul is not speaking of personal rejection but of covenantal boundary-marking: protecting the community's integrity and — paradoxically — offering the wayward member a path to repentance (2 Corinthians 2:5-11 may describe his restoration). The goal of exairo is not punishment but purification and ultimately restoration. The removal is not permanent condemnation but a form of love that refuses to enable continuing harm.