What business of mine is it to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
Parallel translations
- WEB For what do I have to do with also judging those who are outside? Don’t you judge those who are within?
- KJV For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
- NKJV For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?
- NASB For what business of mine is it to judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
- NLT It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul says it is not his place to judge outsiders, but the church is responsible to judge its own members. It matters because the church's disciplinary responsibility falls on those inside, not the world.
Overview
Paul draws a clear line: God will deal with those outside the church, but believers are accountable to address sin among those within. The Corinthians had reversed this, condemning each other while tolerating scandal in their midst. The verse defines the proper sphere of church discipline—the covenant community, not the surrounding society.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Mark 4:11He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables,
- Luke 12:14But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?”
- 1 Tim 3:7Furthermore, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the snare of the devil.
- 1 Cor 5:3–5Although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.
- Col 4:5Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.
- 1 Cor 6:1–5If any of you has a grievance against another, how dare he go to law before the unrighteous instead of before the saints!
- 1 Th 4:12Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.
- John 18:36Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is not of this realm.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 5:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.