1 Corinthians 5

1 [Now I want to discuss another matter]. It has been {People have} reported to me, and I believe that it is true, that some people among you have been acting in a sexually immoral way, in a way that is so bad that not even (pagans/people who do not know about God) act that way. People tell me that a man is living with his stepmother (OR, his father’s other wife).

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that one has his father’s wife.

2 You should be sad about what that man is doing! He should have been expelled {[You] should have expelled him} from your congregation! [But you] have not [done that], so (how can you be proud, [thinking that you are spiritually mature?]/it is disgusting that you are proud, [thinking that you are spiritually mature]!) [RHQ]

You are arrogant, and didn’t mourn instead, that he who had done this deed might be removed from among you.

3 As for me, I have already decided [how you should] punish that man. And even though I am away from you, my spirit is with you, and you should do as I would do if I were there with you.

For I most certainly, as being absent in body but present in spirit, have already, as though I were present, judged him who has done this thing.

4 [What I have decided is that] when you have gathered together with the authority [MTY] of our Lord Jesus, and my spirit is with you, and the power of our Lord Jesus [is with you],

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

5 you should hand that man over to Satan. Then Satan can injure/punish his body, in order that [he will turn away from his sinful behavior] and his spirit will be saved on the day when the Lord [returns] [MTY].

you are to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

6 It is not good that, [while you are letting that immoral man continue to be in your congregation], you are boasting [about being spiritually mature]. (You know that a small amount of yeast affects all the bread dough [MET] [into which it is put] {[a woman puts it]}./Do you not know that a small amount of yeast affects all the bread dough [MET] [into which it is put]?) [RHQ] [Similarly, one person who continues to sin will have a bad effect on all the congregation].

Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump?

7 So, [just like we Jews] expel the old yeast [from our houses during the Passover celebration] in order that we may have a fresh batch of dough without yeast in it [MET], [you must expel such evil people from your congregation]. Do [that so that you can truly be holy people], as [I know that] you really are. Remember that Christ was sacrificed {sacrificed himself} [so that God could spare us from being punished for our sins, just like the Jews sacrificed lambs during] the [first] Passover celebration [so that God would spare their firstborn sons from being killed].

Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place.

8 So let us celebrate [the fact that God has freed us from being punished us for our sins] [MET], [just like the Jews] in [later years] celebrated Passover [to celebrate God freeing them from being slaves in Egypt. They made sure that there was] no old yeast in the dough. [They ate bread that] had no yeast in it. [Similarly], [we should make sure that there are no people in our congregations] [MET] [who act] maliciously [toward others] or [act] wickedly. Instead, [make sure] [MET] [that all those in our congregations are ones who act] sincerely and [speak] truthfully.

Therefore let’s keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 In the previous letter that I wrote to you, I said that you should not associate with sexually immoral people.

I wrote to you in my letter to have no company with sexual sinners;

10 I did not mean that you should not associate with unbelievers who are immoral, or who desire things that belong to others, or who (forcefully seize things that belong to others/are swindlers), or who worship idols. You would have to leave this world [to avoid all people] like that.

yet not at all meaning with the sexual sinners of this world, or with the covetous and extortionists, or with idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world.

11 But now [I am stating clearly that] when I wrote, I [meant that] you should not associate with those who say that they are fellow believers, if they are sexually immoral or if they desire and forcefully seize things that belong to others, or worship idols, or slander others, or become drunk. You should not associate with people like that, and you should not even eat with them!

But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortionist. Don’t even eat with such a person.

12 It is certainly not [RHQ] my business to judge people who are not believers and who do not belong to [Christian congregations]. But it certainly is [RHQ] your business to judge those who are in [your congregation]!

For what do I have to do with also judging those who are outside? Don’t you judge those who are within?

13 God is the one who will judge those who are not believers. [Do as the Scriptures command]: “Expel the wicked person from your midst!”

But those who are outside, God judges. “Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.”