Immoral Church Members

It is actually 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 sleeping with his father’s wife.(C) And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you be filled with grief(D) and remove from your congregation the one who did this? Even though I am absent in the body, I am present in spirit.(E) As one who is present with you in this way, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who has been doing such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, hand 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)

Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven[b](H) leavens the whole batch of dough?(I) Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb(J) has been sacrificed.[c] Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil,(K) but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Church Discipline

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 actually, I wrote[d] you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister(Q) and 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 God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you.[e](T)

Footnotes

  1. 5:1 Other mss read named
  2. 5:6 Or yeast, also in vv. 7,8
  3. 5:7 Other mss add for us
  4. 5:11 Or But now I am writing
  5. 5:13 Dt 17:7

Paul Condemns Spiritual Pride

I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother.[a] You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.

Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit.[b] And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church.[c] I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed[d] and he himself[e] will be saved on the day the Lord[f] returns.

Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.[g] So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread[h] of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread[i] of sincerity and truth.

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[j] 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.”[k]

Footnotes

  1. 5:1 Greek his father’s wife.
  2. 5:3 Or in spirit.
  3. 5:4 Or In the name of the Lord Jesus, you must call a meeting of the church.
  4. 5:5a Or so that his body will be destroyed; Greek reads for the destruction of the flesh.
  5. 5:5b Greek and the spirit.
  6. 5:5c Other manuscripts read the Lord Jesus; still others read our Lord Jesus Christ.
  7. 5:7 Greek has been sacrificed.
  8. 5:8a Greek not with old leaven.
  9. 5:8b Greek but with unleavened [bread].
  10. 5:11 Greek a brother.
  11. 5:13 Deut 17:7.