Christian Basics Bible - Flipbook - Page 18
1 Corinthians 5 • page 1308
Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and
we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm.
We are often beaten and have no home.
12
We work wearily with our own hands to
earn our living. We bless those who curse
us. We are patient with those who abuse us.
13
We appeal gently when evil things are said
about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s
garbage, like everybody’s trash—right up to
the present moment.
14
I am not writing these things to shame
you, but to warn you as my beloved chil
dren. 15 For even if you had ten thousand
others to teach you about Christ, you have
only one spiritual father. For I became your
father in Christ Jesus when I preached
the Good News to you. 16 So I urge you to
imitate me.
17
That’s why I have sent Timothy, my
beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He
will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus,
just as I teach in all the churches wherever
I go.
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Some of you have become arrogant,
thinking I will not visit you again. 19 But
I will come—and soon—if the Lord lets me,
and then I’ll find out whether these arro
gant people just give pretentious speeches
or whether they really have God’s power.
20
For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot
of talk; it is living by God’s power. 21 Which
do you choose? Should I come with a rod to
punish you, or should I come with love and
a gentle spirit?
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Paul Condemns Spiritual Pride
I can hardly believe the report about
the sexual immorality going on among
you—something that even pagans don’t
do. I am told that a man in your church
is living in sin with his stepmother.* 2 You
are so proud of yourselves, but you should
be mourning in sorrow and shame. And
you should remove this man from your
fellowship.
3
Even though I am not with you in
person, I am with you in the Spirit.* And as
though I were there, I have already passed
judgment on this man 4 in the name of the
Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the
church.* I will be present with you in spirit,
and so will the power of our Lord Jesus.
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5:7 See The Passover, page 80.
Then you must throw this man out and
hand him over to Satan so that his sinful
nature will be destroyed* and he himself*
will be saved on the day the Lord* returns.
6
Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t
you realize that this sin is like a little yeast
that spreads through the whole batch of
dough? 7 Get rid of the old “yeast” by re
moving this wicked person from among
you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of
dough made without yeast, which is what
you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb,
has been sacrificed for us.* 8 So let us cele
brate the festival, not with the old bread*
of wickedness and evil, but with the new
bread* of sincerity and truth.
9
When I wrote to you before, I told you
not to associate with people who indulge in
sexual sin. 10 But I wasn’t talking about un
believers who indulge in sexual sin, or are
greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols.
You would have to leave this world to avoid
people like that. 11 I meant that you are not
to associate with anyone who claims to be
a believer* yet indulges in sexual sin, or is
greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or
is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even
eat with such people.
12
It isn’t my responsibility to judge out
siders, but it certainly is your responsibil
ity to judge those inside the church who
are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the
outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You
must remove the evil person from among
you.”*
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Avoiding Lawsuits with Christians
When one of you has a dispute with
another believer, how dare you file a
lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide
the matter instead of taking it to other be
lievers*! 2 Don’t you realize that someday
we believers will judge the world? And
since you are going to judge the world,
can’t you decide even these little things
among yourselves? 3 Don’t you realize that
we will judge angels? So you should surely
be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this
life. 4 If you have legal disputes about such
matters, why go to outside judges who are
not respected by the church? 5 I am saying
this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all
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