5
Immorality Defiles the Church
1 It is actually heard that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father's wife! 2 And you have become arrogant, and have not grieved instead, so that he who did this deed would be removed from your midst. 3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has done this deed in this way. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, in order that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Purge out the old leaven, in order that you may be a new batch of dough, since you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 So then let us observe the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Immorality Must Be Judged
9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to associate with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to leave this world! 11 But now I have written to you not to associate with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler—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 will judge. Therefore “put away the evil person from yourselves.”