Immorality Defiles the Church

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even [a]named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s (A)wife! (B)And you are [b]puffed up, and have not rather (C)mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. (D)For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. In the (E)name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, (F)with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, (G)deliver such a one to (H)Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord [c]Jesus.

(I)Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that (J)a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore [d]purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed (K)Christ, our (L)Passover, was sacrificed [e]for us. Therefore (M)let us keep the feast, (N)not with old leaven, nor (O)with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Immorality Must Be Judged

I wrote to you in my epistle (P)not to [f]keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go (Q)out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company (R)with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—(S)not even to eat with such a person.

12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore (T)“put away from yourselves the evil person.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 5:1 NU omits named
  2. 1 Corinthians 5:2 arrogant
  3. 1 Corinthians 5:5 NU omits Jesus
  4. 1 Corinthians 5:7 clean out
  5. 1 Corinthians 5:7 NU omits for us
  6. 1 Corinthians 5:9 associate

Immorality Rebuked

It is actually reported [everywhere] that there is sexual immorality among you, a kind of immorality that is condemned even among the [unbelieving] Gentiles: that someone [a]has [an intimate relationship with] his father’s wife.(A) And you are proud and arrogant! You should have mourned in shame so that the man who has done this [disgraceful] thing would be removed from your fellowship!

For I, though absent [from you] in body but present in spirit, have already passed judgment on him who has committed this [act], as if I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to [b]hand over this man to Satan for the destruction of his body, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Your boasting [over the supposed spirituality of your church] is not good [indeed, it is vulgar and inappropriate]. [c]Do you not know that [just] a little leaven ferments the whole batch [of dough, just as a little sin corrupts a person or an entire church]? [d]Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new batch, just as you are, still unleavened. For Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of vice and malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and [untainted] truth.(B)

I wrote you in my [previous] letter not to associate with [sexually] immoral people— 10 not meaning the immoral people of this world, or the greedy ones and swindlers, or idolaters, for then you would have to get out of the world and human society altogether! 11 But actually, I have written to you not to associate with any so-called [Christian] brother if he is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater [devoted to anything that takes the place of God], or is a reviler [who insults or slanders or otherwise verbally abuses others], or is a drunkard or a swindler—you must not so much as [e]eat with such a person.(C) 12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders (non-believers)? Do you not judge those who are within the church [to protect the church as the situation requires]? 13 God alone sits in judgment on those who are outside [the faith]. Remove the wicked one from among you [expel him from your church].(D)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 5:1 Some maintain that the man had married his stepmother. The marriage, if it occurred, was illegal and invalid by both Jewish and Roman law.
  2. 1 Corinthians 5:5 Probably a call for the man to be excommunicated and removed from the safety and blessing of the church.
  3. 1 Corinthians 5:6 See note 3:16.
  4. 1 Corinthians 5:7 Paul is using the Passover celebration as an analogy. Leading up to the Passover meal was the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex 12:17-20), during which the Israelites were to remove all leaven from their homes to symbolize the removal of sin from their lives. Leaven (yeast) was often used as a symbol of spiritual corruption.
  5. 1 Corinthians 5:11 In ancient times eating together was an open display of friendship and acceptance of one another.

Dealing With a Case of Incest

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) 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? 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. So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 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)

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

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)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 5:5 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
  2. 1 Corinthians 5:5 Or of his body
  3. 1 Corinthians 5:11 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in 8:11, 13.
  4. 1 Corinthians 5:13 Deut. 13:5; 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21,24; 24:7

It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.

And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:

10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

Sexual Immorality Defiles the Church

It is actually reported that there is (A)sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, (B)for a man has his father's wife. And (C)you are arrogant! Ought you (D)not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

For though (E)absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled (F)in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are (G)to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so (H)that his spirit may be saved (I)in the day of the Lord.[a]

(J)Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that (K)a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, (L)not with the old leaven, (M)the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

I wrote to you in my letter (N)not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 (O)not at all meaning (P)the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, (Q)since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone (R)who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging (S)outsiders? (T)Is it not those inside the church[b] whom you are to judge? 13 God judges[c] those outside. (U)“Purge the evil person from among you.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 5:5 Some manuscripts add Jesus
  2. 1 Corinthians 5:12 Greek those inside
  3. 1 Corinthians 5:13 Or will judge