Book of Common Prayer

How Paul curses the man who committed fornication with his stepmother.

5 There is a report abroad that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not once named among the Gentiles: that a man should have his father’s wife. ² And you swell, and have not rather sorrowed, so that he who has done this deed might be put out from among you. ³ For indeed I, as absent in body yet present in spirit, have determined already (as though I were present) concerning him who has done this thing, ⁴ in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵ to deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

⁶ Your complacency is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven sours the whole lump of dough? ⁷ Purge therefore the old leaven, so that you may be new dough, as you are sweet bread. For Christ our Passover lamb is offered up for us. ⁸ Therefore let us keep holy day – not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of immorality and wickedness, but with the sweet bread of pureness and truth.

²⁷ You have heard how it was said to the people of the old time, You shall not commit adultery. ²⁸ But I say to you that whosoever looks on a wife, lusting after her, has committed adultery with her already in his heart. ²⁹ Therefore, if your right eye causes you to offend, tear it out and cast it from you. It is better for you that one of your members perish than that your whole body should be cast into hell. ³⁰ Also, if your right hand causes you to offend, cut it off and cast it from you. Better it is that one of your members perish, than that all your body should be cast into hell.

³¹ It is said, Whosoever puts away his wife, let him give her a testimonial also of the divorce. ³² But I say to you, whosoever puts away his wife (unless it be for fornication), causes her to break matrimony. And whoever marries her who is divorced, breaks wedlock.

³³ Again, you have heard how it was said to the people of old time, Do not forswear yourself, but perform your oath to God. ³⁴ But I say to you, do not swear at all – neither by heaven, for it is God’s seat, ³⁵ nor yet by the earth, for it his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of that great king. ³⁶ Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your communication be yes, yes, and no, no. For whatever is more than that, comes of evil.