Book of Common Prayer

⁹ I wrote to you in the previous letter not to become associated with immoral people. ¹⁰ I didn’t (of course) mean immoral people in the world at large, or greedy people, or thieves, or idolaters. To avoid them, you’d have to remove yourselves from the world altogether! ¹¹ No; I was referring to people who call themselves Christians but who are immoral, or greedy, or idolaters, or blasphemers, or drunkards or robbers. You shouldn’t associate with them; you shouldn’t even eat with a person like that. ¹² Why should I worry about judging people outside? It’s the people inside you should judge, isn’t it? ¹³ God judges the people outside. “Drive out the wicked person from your company.”

Lawsuits in the church?

6 Can it really be the case that one of you dares to go to law against a neighbor, to be tried before unjust people, and not before God’s people? ² Don’t you know that God’s people will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you really incompetent to try smaller matters? ³ Don’t you know that we shall be judging angels? Why not then also matters to do with ordinary life? ⁴ So if you have lawsuits about ordinary matters, are you actually going to appoint as judges people whom the church despises? ⁵ I’m saying this to bring shame on you. Is it really true that there is no wise person among you who is able to decide between one Christian and another? ⁶ But one Christian is being taken to court by another, and before unbelievers at that!

⁷ Actually, to have lawsuits with one another at all represents a major setback for you. Why not rather let yourselves be wronged? Why not rather put up with loss? ⁸ But you yourselves are wronging and defrauding people, and fellow Christians at that!

Loving your enemies

³⁸ “You heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I say to you: don’t use violence to resist evil! Instead, when someone hits you on the right cheek, turn the other one towards him. ⁴⁰ When someone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your cloak, too. ⁴¹ And when someone forces you to go one mile, go a second one with him. ⁴² Give to anyone who asks you, and don’t refuse someone who wants to borrow from you.

⁴³ “You heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you: love your enemies! Pray for people who persecute you! ⁴⁵ That way, you’ll be children of your father in heaven! After all, he makes his sun rise on bad and good alike, and sends rain both on the upright and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ Look at it like this: if you love those who love you, do you expect a special reward? Even tax-collectors do that, don’t they? ⁴⁷ And if you only greet your own family, what’s so special about that? Even Gentiles do that, don’t they? ⁴⁸ Well then: you must be perfect, just as your heavenly father is perfect.”