1 Corinthians 6
Lawsuits among Believers
When any of
you has a grievance against another, do you dare to take it to court before the
unrighteous, instead of taking it before the saints?
2 Do you not know that the
saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you
incompetent to try trivial cases? 3
Do you not know that we are to judge angels—to say
nothing of ordinary matters? 4
If you have ordinary cases, then, do you appoint as judges
those who have no standing in the church? 5
I say this to your shame. Can it be that there
is no one among you wise enough to decide between one believera
and another, 6
but a believerb
goes to court against a believerc—and
before unbelievers at that?
7 In fact, to have lawsuits
at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged?
Why not rather be defrauded? 8
But you yourselves wrong and defraud—and believersd
at that.
9 Do you not know that
wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators,
idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites,
10 thieves, the greedy,
drunkards, revilers, robbers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And this is
what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Glorify God in Body and Spirit
12 “All things are
lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful for
me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the
stomach for food,”e
and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for
fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 And God raised the Lord
and will also raise us by his power. 15
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a
prostitute? Never! 16
Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute
becomes one body with her? For it is said, “The two shall be one flesh.”
17 But anyone united
to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18
Shun fornication! Every sin that a person
commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself.
19 Or do you
not know that your body is a templef
of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not
your own? 20
For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.
The
Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1996, c1989 . Thomas
Nelson: Nashville