1 Corinthians 5:1-6:11

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Sexual Immorality Defiles the Church

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you and the sort of sexual immorality that is not found even among gentiles, for a man is living with his father’s wife.^{(A) 2} And you are arrogant! Should you not rather have mourned, so that he who has done this would have been removed from among you?

³ For I, though absent in body, am present in spirit, and as if present I have already pronounced judgment ⁴ in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing.^[a] When you are assembled and my spirit is present with the power of our Lord Jesus,^{(B) 5} you are to hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.^[b](C)

⁶ Your boasting is not a good thing. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all of the dough?^{(D) 7} Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch of dough, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.^{(E) 8} Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.^(F)

Sexual Immorality Must Be Judged

⁹ I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral persons, ¹⁰ not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world.^{(G) 11} But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy or an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler. Do not even eat with such a one. ¹² For what have I to do with judging those outside? Are you not judges of those who are inside?^{(H) 13} God will judge those outside. “Drive out the wicked person from among you.”^(I)

Lawsuits among Believers

6 When any of you has a grievance against another, do you dare to take it to court before the unrighteous, instead of taking it before the saints? ² Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?^{(J) 3} Do you not know that we are to judge angels, to say nothing of ordinary matters? ⁴ If you have ordinary cases, then, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church? ⁵ I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one person wise enough to decide between brothers and sisters? ⁶ Instead, brothers and sisters go to court against one another, and this before the unbelievers.^(K)

⁷ In fact, to have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?^{(L) 8} But you yourselves wrong and defraud—and brothers and sisters at that.

⁹ Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes,^[c] men who engage in illicit sex,^{[d](M) 10} thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, swindlers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And this is what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ^[e] and in the Spirit of our God.^(N)