1 Corinthians 6:1–20

Lawsuits Among Believers

6If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people?^{g 2}Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world?^h And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? ³Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! ⁴Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? ⁵I say this to shame you.ⁱ Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?^{j 6}But instead, one brother^k takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!^l

⁷The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?^{m 8}Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.^{n 9}Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?^o Do not be deceived:^p Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers^q nor men who have sex with men^{ar 10}nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers^s will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹And that is what some of you were.^t But you were washed,^u you were sanctified,^v you were justified^w in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Sexual Immorality

¹²“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.^x “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. ¹³You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”^y The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord,^z and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴By his power God raised the Lord from the dead,^a and he will raise us also.^{b 15}Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?^c Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”^{bd 17}But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.^ce

¹⁸Flee from sexual immorality.^f All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.^{g 19}Do you not know that your bodies are temples^h of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;^{i 20}you were bought at a price.^j Therefore honor God with your bodies.^k