1 Corinthians 5-6

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Immoral Church Members

5 It is widely reported that there is sexual immorality^(A) among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated^[a] among the Gentiles^(B)—a man is living with his father’s wife.^{(C) 2} And you are inflated with pride, instead of filled with grief^(D) so that he who has committed this act might be removed from your congregation. ³ For though I am absent in body but present in spirit,^(E) I have already decided about the one who has done this thing as though I were present. ⁴ When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus with my spirit and with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ turn that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,^(F) so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord.^(G)

⁶ Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast^(H) permeates the whole batch of dough?^{(I) 7} Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch. You are indeed unleavened, for Christ our Passover^(J) has been sacrificed.^{[b] 8} Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old yeast or with the yeast of malice and evil^(K) but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Church Discipline

⁹ I wrote to you in a letter not to associate^(L) with sexually immoral people.^{(M) 10} I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy^(N) and swindlers^(O) or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.^{(P) 11} But now I am writing^[c] you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer^[d](Q) who is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard^(R) or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. ¹² For what business is it of mine to judge^(S) outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside? ¹³ But God judges outsiders. Put away the evil person from among yourselves.^(T)[e]

Lawsuits among Believers

6 If any of you has a legal dispute against another, do you dare go to court^(U) before the unrighteous,^[f] and not before the saints? ² Or don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest cases? ³ Don’t you know that we will judge angels—not to mention ordinary matters? ⁴ So if you have cases pertaining to this life, do you select those^[g] who have no standing^(V) in the church to judge? ⁵ I say this to your shame!^(W) Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between his brothers?^{(X) 6} Instead, believer^[h] goes to court against believer, and that before unbelievers!^(Y)

⁷ Therefore, to have legal disputes against one another is already a moral failure for you.^(Z) Why not rather put up with injustice?^(AA) Why not rather be cheated?^{(AB) 8} Instead, you act unjustly and cheat—and you do this to believers! ⁹ Don’t you know that the unrighteous^(AC) will not inherit God’s kingdom?^(AD) Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters,^(AE) adulterers,^(AF) or anyone practicing homosexuality,^{[i](AG) 10} no thieves,^(AH) greedy^(AI) people, drunkards, verbally abusive people,^(AJ) or swindlers^(AK) will inherit God’s kingdom. ¹¹ And some of you used to be like this.^(AL) But you were washed, you were sanctified,^(AM) you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Glorifying God in Body and Spirit

¹² “Everything is permissible^(AN) for me,”^[j] but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be brought under the control of anything. ¹³ “Food^(AO) for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will do away with both of them.^[k] The body is not for sexual immorality^(AP) but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴ God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.^{(AQ) 15} Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body?^(AR) So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not! ¹⁶ Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh.^{(AS)[l] 17} But anyone joined^(AT) to the Lord is one spirit^(AU) with Him.

¹⁸ Run^(AV) from sexual immorality! “Every sin a person can commit is outside the body.”^[m] On the contrary, the person who is sexually immoral^(AW) sins against his own body. ¹⁹ Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary^(AX) of the Holy Spirit^(AY) who is in you,^(AZ) whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought^(BA) at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.^[n]