My brothers and sisters, don’t say bad things about one another. Anyone who says something bad about a brother or sister is saying it about the law, and anyone who judges another believer is judging the law. When you judge the law, you’re not keeping it, you’re acting as if you were its judge.
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, then you who live by the Spirit should correct that person. But do it in a gentle way, and be careful, because you could be tempted too.
In the same way, the women must be worthy of respect. They shouldn’t be people who say things that hurt others. They must be restrained, and they must be worthy of trust in everything.
I’m afraid that when I come I won’t find you as I want you to be, and you won’t find me as you want me to be. I’m afraid that there will be arguing, jealousy, fits of anger, selfish ambition, insults, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.
I appeal to you by the humbleness and gentleness of Christ—I, Paul, the one you think is timid when I’m face to face with you, but bold when I’m away from you.
But these people say insulting things about whatever they don’t understand. And the only things they do understand will destroy them. They’re like wild animals who can’t think for themselves and live only by instinct.
In the very same way, these ungodly people act on their dreams and make their own bodies impure. They reject authority and say insulting things about heavenly beings.
Most of all, this is true of people who are corrupted by their wrong desires and hate to be under authority. People like that are cocky and arrogant. They’re not afraid even to insult heavenly beings.