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It is actually reported that there is sexual sin among you. I'm told that a man is sleeping with his father's wife. Even people who don't know God don't let that kind of sin continue. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn't you be very sad instead? Shouldn't you have thrown out of your church the man doing this? 3 Even though I am not right there with you, I am with you in spirit. And because I am with you in spirit, I have already judged the man doing this. I have judged him in the name of our Lord Jesus. 4 So when you come together, I will be with you in spirit. The power of our Lord Jesus will also be with you. 5 When you come together like this, hand this man over to Satan. Then the power of sin in his life will be destroyed. His spirit will be saved on the day the Lord returns. 6 Your boasting is not good. It is like yeast. Don't you know that just a little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise? 7 Get rid of the old yeast. Then you can be like a new batch of dough without yeast. That is what you really are. That's because Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been offered up for us. 8 So let us keep the Feast, but not with the old bread made with yeast. The yeast I'm talking about is hatred and evil. Let us keep the Feast with bread made without yeast. Let us keep it with bread that is honesty and truth.
9 I wrote a letter to you to tell you to stay away from people who commit sexual sins. 10 I didn't mean the people of this world who sin in this way. I didn't mean those who always want more and more. I didn't mean those who cheat or who worship statues of gods. In that case you would have to leave this world! 11 But here is what I am writing to you now. You must stay away from anyone who claims to be a believer but does evil things. Stay away from anyone who commits sexual sins. Stay away from anyone who always wants more and more things. Stay away from anyone who worships statues of gods. Stay away from anyone who tells lies about others. Stay away from anyone who gets drunk or who cheats. Don't even eat with people like these.
12 Is it my business to judge those outside the church? Aren't you supposed to judge those inside the church? 13 God will judge those outside. Scripture says, ‘Get rid of that evil person!’ (Deuteronomy 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21, 24; 24:7)
5:1–13 The Corinthian church allowed believers to continue sinning and purposely causing harm. They were proud of this. They knew that Jesus had set them free from being slaves to sin. Christ did that when he sacrificed himself as the Lamb of God at the Passover Feast. Because of this, the Corinthians didn't treat sin as a serious problem. Paul described sin and evil like yeast that spreads throughout bread dough. The Corinthian believers had lived in sinful ways before they started following Jesus. Those ways included boasting, pride, hatred, sexual sin and wanting more and more things. They included telling lies, cheating and worshipping statues of false gods. Paul made it very clear that believers must have nothing to do with sin. Instead, believers should live in ways that are honest and true. This is holy living. Paul described it like a new batch of dough without yeast. Bread without yeast is what Jews ate during the Passover Feast. Paul explained how the Corinthians were to deal with believers who were proud of their sin. They were to judge them. This meant recognising the problem and taking action to stop it. They were to stay away from such people. People who were proud of their sin mustn't be allowed to remain in the church community. This is because people who want to keep sinning aren't serving Jesus as Lord. They are causing harm that might destroy the church. And such people must be handed over to Satan. Satan is another name for the devil. This meant that such people must repent and turn away from their sin. Until then, they were to be considered part of the kingdom of Satan instead of the kingdom of God.