1 Corinthians 5–6

IMMORAL CHURCH MEMBERS

5It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality^am among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated^A among the Gentiles^an—a man is sleeping with his father’s wife.^{ao 2}And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you be filled with grief^ap and remove from your congregation the one who did this? ³Even though I am absent in the body, I am present in spirit.^aq As one who is present with you in this way, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who has been doing such a thing. ⁴When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,^ar so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.^as

⁶Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven^at leavens the whole batch of dough?^{au 7}Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb^av has been sacrificed.^{C 8}Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil,^a but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

CHURCH DISCIPLINE

⁹I wrote to you in a letter not to associate^b with sexually immoral people.^{c 10}I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy^d and swindlers^e or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.^{f 11}But actually, I wrote^D you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister^g and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard^h or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. ¹²For what business is it of mine to judgeⁱ outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside? ¹³God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you.^Ej

LAWSUITS AMONG BELIEVERS

6If any of you has a dispute against another, how dare you take it to court^k before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? ²Or don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the trivial cases? ³Don’t you know that we will judge angels—how much more matters of this life? ⁴So if you have such matters, do you appoint as your judges those who have no standing^l in the church? ⁵I say this to your shame!^m Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between fellow believers?^{n 6}Instead, brother goes to court against brother, and that before unbelievers!^o

⁷As it is, to have legal disputes against one another is already a defeat for you.^p Why not rather be wronged?^q Why not rather be cheated?^{r 8}Instead, you yourselves do wrong and cheat—and you do this to brothers and sisters! ⁹Don’t you know that the unrighteous^s will not inherit God’s kingdom?^t Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters,^u adulterers,^v or males who have sex with males,^{Aw 10}no thieves,^x greedy^y people, drunkards, verbally abusive people,^z or swindlers^aa will inherit God’s kingdom. ¹¹And some of you used to be like this.^ab But you were washed, you were sanctified,^ac you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

GLORIFYING GOD IN BODY AND SPIRIT

¹²“Everything is permissible^ad for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. ¹³“Food^ae is for the stomach and the stomach for food,” and God will do away with both of them. However, the body is not for sexual immorality^af but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.^{ag 15}Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body?^ah So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not! ¹⁶Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh.^{Bai 17}But anyone joined^aj to the Lord is one spirit^ak with him.

¹⁸Flee^al sexual immorality! Every other sin^C a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral^am sins against his own body. ¹⁹Don’t you know that your body is a temple^an of the Holy Spirit^ao who is in you,^ap whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰for you were bought^aq at a price. So glorify God with your body.^D