Are you already satisfied? Are you now rich? Have you become kings while we are still nobodies? I wish you were kings. Then we could have a share in your kingdom.

It seems to me that God has put us apostles in the worst possible place. We are like prisoners on their way to death. Angels and the people of this world just laugh at us.

We work hard with our own hands, and when people abuse us, we wish them well. When we suffer, we are patient.

When someone curses us, we answer with kind words. Until now we are thought of as nothing more than the trash and garbage of this world.

This is why I sent Timothy to you. I love him like a son, and he is a faithful servant of the Lord. Timothy will tell you what I do to follow Christ and how it agrees with what I always teach about Christ in every church.

Some of you think I am not coming for a visit, and so you are bragging.

But if the Lord lets me come, I will soon be there. Then I will find out if the ones who are doing all this bragging really have any power.

Immoral Followers

I have heard terrible things about some of you. In fact, you are behaving worse than Gentiles. A man is even sleeping with his own stepmother.

I am with you only in my thoughts. But in the name of our Lord Jesus I have already judged this man, as though I were with you in person. So when you meet together and the power of the Lord Jesus is with you, I will be there too.

You must then hand that man over to Satan. His body will be destroyed, but his spirit will be saved when the Lord Jesus returns.

Stop being proud! Don't you know how a little yeast can spread through the whole batch of dough?

Get rid of the old yeast! Then you will be like fresh bread made without yeast, and this is what you are. Our Passover lamb is Christ, who has already been sacrificed.

So don't celebrate the festival by being evil and sinful, which is like serving bread made with yeast. Be pure and truthful and celebrate by using bread made without yeast.

Why should I judge outsiders? Aren't we supposed to judge only church members?

God judges everyone else. The Scriptures say, “Chase away any of your own people who are evil.”

Taking Each Other to Court

When one of you has a complaint against another, do you take your complaint to a court of sinners? Or do you take it to God's people?

Don't you know that God's people will judge the world? And if you are going to judge the world, can't you settle small problems?

Don't you know we will judge angels? And if this is so, we can surely judge everyday matters.

I say this to your shame. Aren't any of you wise enough to act as a judge between one follower and another?

Why should one of you take another to be tried by unbelievers?

Don't you know that evil people won't have a share in the blessings of God's kingdom? Don't fool yourselves! No one who is immoral or worships idols or is unfaithful in marriage or is a pervert or behaves like a homosexual

will share in God's kingdom. Neither will any thief or greedy person or drunkard or anyone who curses and cheats others.

Some of you used to be like that. But now the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of God's Spirit have washed you and made you holy and acceptable to God.

Honor God with Your Body

Some of you say, “We can do anything we want to.” But I tell you not everything is good for us. So I refuse to let anything have power over me.

You also say, “Food is meant for our bodies, and our bodies are meant for food.” But I tell you that God will destroy them both. We are not supposed to do indecent things with our bodies. We are to use them for the Lord who is in charge of our bodies.