Throw the Man Out of Church
1I can’t believe what I’ve heard. It’s this: you’re condoning a case of sexual immorality so depraved that even godless people wouldn’t tolerate it. A man is living in sin with his own father’s wife. [1] 2Look at what your arrogance has done to you. Shouldn’t you be crying about this and asking the man to leave?3I know I’m not there with you physically. But I’m there in spirit. So listen up. I want you to know I’ve already passed judgment on this man—as effectively as if I had been there in person. 4When you get together, you do that in the name of our leader, Jesus. [2] I am with you in spirit too. So is the full authority and power of our leader, Jesus. [3] 5Show this man the door to his destruction. Do that by kicking him out into the world Satan rules. Maybe this spiritual shock therapy will somehow end up saving him on Judgment Day. [4]
What’s with All the Bragging?
6The bragging you’re doing is not a good thing. Don’t you know that even a tiny piece of yeast eventually works its way through the entire lump of dough? 7You’ve got to get rid of that speck of old yeast. You need to be a fresh batch of dough, unaffected by any yeast. Remember that the Messiah, our Passover lamb, was sacrificed. [5]8So let’s get rid of that old yeast and celebrate the festival. We don’t need that kind of yeast, loaded with all sorts of evil and wickedness. We celebrate our festival with the yeast-free bread of sincerity and truth.
Avoid so-called believers who blatantly sin
9In an earlier letter, I told you not to associate with people who engage in sex sins. 10I wasn’t talking about all sinners in the world, such as folks who are sexually immoral, greedy moneygrubbers, dishonest con artists, or idol worshipers. If I told you to stay away from them, you’d have to leave this world.11I want to clarify now that the sinful people I’m talking about are those who say they’re your spiritual brothers and sisters. Do not associate with anyone who claims to be a fellow believer, but who is sexually immoral, greedy, an idol worshiper, verbally abusive, a drunk, or a con artist. Don’t you dare even sit down and eat a meal with someone like that. 12What business do I have judging someone outside our community of faith? Isn’t it those who claim to be insiders that we need to judge? 13God will judge the outsiders. “Get rid of the evil person in your group.” [6]
