Immorality Defiles the Church

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even [a]named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s (A)wife! (B)And you are [b]puffed up, and have not rather (C)mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. (D)For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. In the (E)name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, (F)with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, (G)deliver such a one to (H)Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord [c]Jesus.

(I)Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that (J)a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore [d]purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed (K)Christ, our (L)Passover, was sacrificed [e]for us. Therefore (M)let us keep the feast, (N)not with old leaven, nor (O)with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Immorality Must Be Judged

I wrote to you in my epistle (P)not to [f]keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go (Q)out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company (R)with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—(S)not even to eat with such a person.

12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore (T)“put away from yourselves the evil person.”

Do Not Sue the Brethren

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the (U)saints? Do you not know that (V)the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall (W)judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? If then you have [g]judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!

Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. (X)Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. (Y)Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [h]homosexuals, nor [i]sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were (Z)some of you. (AA)But you were washed, but you were [j]sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Glorify God in Body and Spirit

12 (AB)All things are lawful for me, but all things are not [k]helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of [l]any. 13 (AC)Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for (AD)sexual immorality but (AE)for the Lord, (AF)and the Lord for the body. 14 And (AG)God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up (AH)by His power.

15 Do you not know that (AI)your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For (AJ)“the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 (AK)But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

18 (AL)Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins (AM)against his own body. 19 Or (AN)do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, (AO)and you are not your own? 20 For (AP)you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body [m]and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 5:1 NU omits named
  2. 1 Corinthians 5:2 arrogant
  3. 1 Corinthians 5:5 NU omits Jesus
  4. 1 Corinthians 5:7 clean out
  5. 1 Corinthians 5:7 NU omits for us
  6. 1 Corinthians 5:9 associate
  7. 1 Corinthians 6:4 courts
  8. 1 Corinthians 6:9 catamites, those submitting to homosexuals
  9. 1 Corinthians 6:9 male homosexuals
  10. 1 Corinthians 6:11 set apart
  11. 1 Corinthians 6:12 profitable
  12. 1 Corinthians 6:12 Or anything
  13. 1 Corinthians 6:20 NU omits the rest of v. 20.

Dealing With a Case of Incest

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.(A) And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning(B) and have put out of your fellowship(C) the man who has been doing this? For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit.(D) As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus(E) on the one who has been doing this. So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over(F) to Satan(G) for the destruction of the flesh,[a][b] so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.(H)

Your boasting is not good.(I) Don’t you know that a little yeast(J) leavens the whole batch of dough?(K) Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.(L) Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread(M) of sincerity and truth.

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate(N) with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world(O) who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[c](P) but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater(Q) or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.(R)

12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside(S) the church? Are you not to judge those inside?(T) 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”[d](U)

Lawsuits Among Believers

If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people?(V) Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world?(W) And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you.(X) Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?(Y) But instead, one brother(Z) takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!(AA)

The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?(AB) Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.(AC) Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?(AD) Do not be deceived:(AE) Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers(AF) nor men who have sex with men[e](AG) 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers(AH) will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were.(AI) But you were washed,(AJ) you were sanctified,(AK) you were justified(AL) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Sexual Immorality

12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.(AM) “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”(AN) The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord,(AO) and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead,(AP) and he will raise us also.(AQ) 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?(AR) Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”[f](AS) 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.[g](AT)

18 Flee from sexual immorality.(AU) All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.(AV) 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples(AW) of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;(AX) 20 you were bought at a price.(AY) Therefore honor God with your bodies.(AZ)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 5:5 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
  2. 1 Corinthians 5:5 Or of his body
  3. 1 Corinthians 5:11 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in 8:11, 13.
  4. 1 Corinthians 5:13 Deut. 13:5; 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21,24; 24:7
  5. 1 Corinthians 6:9 The words men who have sex with men translate two Greek words that refer to the passive and active participants in homosexual acts.
  6. 1 Corinthians 6:16 Gen. 2:24
  7. 1 Corinthians 6:17 Or in the Spirit