Lawsuits Discouraged

1Does any one of you, when he has a [a]case against [b]his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the [c]saints? 2Or do you not know that the [d]saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to form the smallest [e]law courts? 3Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? 4So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, [f]do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? 5I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you anyone wise who will be able to decide between his brothers and sisters, 6but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?

7Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather suffer the wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8On the contrary, you yourselves do wrong and defraud. And this to your brothers and sisters!

9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [g]homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and [h]in the Spirit of our God.

The Body Is the Lord’s

12All things are permitted for me, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, however God will do away with both [i]of them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. 15Do you not know that your bodies are parts of Christ? Shall I then take away the parts of Christ and make them parts of a prostitute? [j]Far from it! 16Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.” 17But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the [k]sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19Or do you not know that your body is a [l]temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from [m]God, and that you are not your own? 20For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

[a] 1 Lit matter
[b] 1 Lit the other
[c] 1 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
[d] 2 See note 2 v 1
[e] 2 I.e., to try trivial cases
[f] 4 Or appoint them...church!
[g] 9 Two Gr words in the text, prob. submissive and dominant male homosexuals
[h] 11 Or by
[i] 13 Lit this and these
[j] 15 Lit May it never happen!
[k] 18 Or one who practices sexual immorality
[l] 19 Or sanctuary
[m] 19 Or God? And you...own