Lawsuits among Believers

6 If any of you has a legal dispute against another, do you dare go to court w before the unrighteous, x and not before the * saints? 2 Or 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 smallest cases? 3 Don’t you know that we will judge angels—not to mention ordinary matters? 4 So if you have cases pertaining to this life, do you select those y who have no standing z in the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame! a Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between his * brothers? b 6 Instead, believer c goes to court against believer, and that before unbelievers! d

7 Therefore, to have legal disputes against one another is already a moral failure for you. e Why not rather put up with injustice? f Why not rather be cheated? g 8 Instead, you act unjustly and cheat—and you do this to believers! 9 Don’t you know that the unrighteous h will not inherit God’s kingdom? i Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, j adulterers, k or anyone practicing homosexuality, l m 10 no thieves, n greedy o people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, p or swindlers q will inherit God’s kingdom. 11 And some of you used to be like this. r But you were washed, you were * sanctified, s 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 permissible t for me,” u but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be brought under the control of anything. 13 “Food v for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will do away with both of them. w The body is not for sexual immorality x but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. y 15 Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body? z So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not! 16 Don’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 17 But anyone joined c to the Lord is one spirit d with Him.

18 Run e from sexual immorality! “Every sin a person can commit is outside the body.” f On the contrary, the person who is sexually immoral g sins against his own body. 19 Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary h of the Holy Spirit i who is in you, j whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought k at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body. l