¹⁰ So when I come,^(A) I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers.^(B) He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.^(C)

² I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent:^(A) On my return I will not spare^(B) those who sinned earlier^(C) or any of the others,

³⁴ To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth;^(A) how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.^(B)

Spiritual Blindness

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe^(C) in the Son of Man?”^(D)

⁵ Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,^[a](A) even though they are strangers to you.^(B)

Paul’s Defense of His Ministry

10 By the humility and gentleness^(A) of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul,^(B) who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! ² I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold^(C) as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.^{(D) 3} For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.^{(E) 4} The weapons we fight with^(F) are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power^(G) to demolish strongholds.^{(H) 5} We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,^(I) and we take captive every thought to make it obedient^(J) to Christ. ⁶ And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.^(K)

⁷ You are judging by appearances.^[a](L) If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ,^(M) they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.^{(N) 8} So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us^(O) for building you up rather than tearing you down,^(P) I will not be ashamed of it. ⁹ I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. ¹⁰ For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive^(Q) and his speaking amounts to nothing.”^{(R) 11} Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

Dealing With a Case of Incest

5 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) 2} 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? ³ 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. ⁴ So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, ⁵ 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)