Psalm 138

Of David.

Salvation for Others

56 This is what the Lord says:

Doxology

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you,^(H) brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,^(I) holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform^(J) to the pattern of this world,^(K) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.^(L) Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is^(M)—his good, pleasing^(N) and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

³ For by the grace given me^(O) I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,^{(P) 5} so in Christ we, though many, form one body,^(Q) and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts,^(R) according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying,^(S) then prophesy in accordance with your^[d] faith;^{(T) 7} if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;^{(U) 8} if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;^(V) if it is giving, then give generously;^(W) if it is to lead,^[e] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

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)

⁶ Your boasting is not good.^(I) Don’t you know that a little yeast^(J) leavens the whole batch of dough?^{(K) 7} 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) 8} 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.

⁹ 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)