1 Corinthians 6
Chapter 6
Avoiding Lawsuits with Christians
1 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 believerst!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 the church who is wise enough to decide these issues?
6 But instead, one believert sues another—right in front of unbelievers!
7 Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated?
8 Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers.t
9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Avoiding Sexual Sin
12 You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.13 You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies.
14 And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.
15 Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never!16 And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.”t
17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,
20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
1 CORINTHIANS 6
Taking Each Other to Court
1 When one of you has a complaint against another, do you take your complaint to a court of sinners? Or do you take it to God's people? 2 Don't you know that God's people will judge the world? And if you are going to judge the world, can't you settle small problems? 3 Don't you know we will judge angels? And if this is so, we can surely judge everyday matters. 4 Why do you take everyday complaints to judges who are not respected by the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Aren't any of you wise enough to act as a judge between one follower and another?
6 Why should one of you take another to be tried by unbelievers?
7 When one of you takes another to court, all of you lose. It would be better to let yourselves be cheated and robbed.
8 But instead, you cheat and rob other followers.
9 Don't you know that evil people won't have a share in the blessings of God's kingdom? Don't fool yourselves! No one who is immoral or worships idols or is unfaithful in marriage or is a pervert or behaves like a homosexual 10 will share in God's kingdom. Neither will any thief or greedy person or drunkard or anyone who curses and cheats others.
11 Some of you used to be like that. But now the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of God's Spirit have washed you and made you holy and acceptable to God.Honor God with Your Body
12 t Some of you say, “We can do anything we want to.” But I tell you not everything is good for us. So I refuse to let anything have power over me. 13 You also say, “Food is meant for our bodies, and our bodies are meant for food.” But I tell you that God will destroy them both. We are not supposed to do indecent things with our bodies. We are to use them for the Lord who is in charge of our bodies.
14 God will raise us from death by the same power he used when he raised our Lord to life.
15 Don't you know that your bodies are part of the body of Christ? Is it right for me to join part of the body of Christ to a prostitute? No, it isn't! 16 t Don't you know that a man who does that becomes part of her body? The Scriptures say, “The two of them will be like one person.”
17 But anyone who is joined to the Lord is one in spirit with him.
18 Don't be immoral in matters of sex. That is a sin against your own body in a way no other sin is. 19 t You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. 20 God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God.
