Lawsuits among Believers

1If any of you has a dispute against another, how dare you take it to courta before the unrighteous,A and not before the saints? 2Or don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the trivial cases? 3Don’t you know that we will judge angels — how much more matters of this life? 4So if you have such matters, do you appoint as your judges those who have no standinga in the church? 5I say this to your shame!a Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between fellow believers?b 6Instead, brother goes to court against brother, and that before unbelievers!a

7As it is, to have legal disputes against one another is already a defeat for you.a Why not rather be wronged?b Why not rather be cheated?c 8Instead, you yourselves do wrong and cheat — and you do this to brothers and sisters! 9Don’t you know that the unrighteousa will not inherit God’s kingdom?b Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters,c adulterers,d or males who have sex with males,a e 10no thieves,a greedyb people, drunkards, verbally abusive people,c or swindlersd will inherit God’s kingdom. 11And some of you used to be like this.a But you were washed, you were sanctified,b you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Glorifying God in Body and Spirit

12“Everything is permissiblea for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. 13“Fooda is for the stomach and the stomach for food,” and God will do away with both of them. However, the body is not for sexual immoralityb but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.a 15Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body?a So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not! 16Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh.a b 17But anyone joineda to the Lord is one spiritb with him.

18Fleea sexual immorality! Every other sinA a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoralb sins against his own body. 19Don’t you know that your body is a templea of the Holy Spiritb who is in you,c whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20for you were boughta at a price. So glorify God with your body.A