1 Corinthians 6

1 Dare any of you, having a matter against his neighbour, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?

Can it be that, when one of you has a dispute with another, they dare to have their case tried before the heathen, instead of before Christ’s people?

2 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 matters?

Don’t you know that Christ’s people will try the world? And if the world is to be tried by you, are you unfit to try the most trivial cases?

3 Don’t you know that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?

Don’t you know that we are to try angels – to say nothing of the affairs of this life?

4 If then you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly?

Why, then, if you have cases relating to the affairs of this life, do you set to try them those who carry no weight with the church? To your shame I ask it.

5 I say this to move you to shame. Isn’t there even one wise man amongst you who would be able to decide between his brothers?

Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough to decide between two of their fellow followers?

6 But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers!

Must a follower sue a fellow follower? In front of unbelievers?

7 Therefore it is already altogether a defect in you that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

To begin with, it is undoubtedly a loss to you to have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather let yourselves be wronged? Why not rather let yourselves be cheated?

8 No, but you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and that against your brothers.

Instead of this, you wrong and cheat others yourselves – yes, even other followers!

9 Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals,

Don’t you know that wrongdoers will have no share in God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived. No one who is immoral, or an idolater, or an adulterer, or licentious, or a sexual pervert,

10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom.

or a thief, or covetous, or a drunkard, or abusive, or grasping, will have any share in God’s kingdom.

11 Some of you were such, but you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

Such some of you used to be; but you washed yourselves clean. You became Christ’s people! You were pronounced righteous through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the Spirit of our God!

12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are expedient. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be brought under the power of anything.

Everything is allowable for me! Yes, but everything is not profitable. Everything is allowable for me! Yes, but for my part, I will not let myself be enslaved by anything.

13 “Foods for the belly, and the belly for foods,” but God will bring to nothing both it and them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Food exists for the stomach, and the stomach for food; but God will put an end to both the one and the other. The body, however, exists, not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body;

14 Now God raised up the Lord, and will also raise us up by his power.

and, as God has raised the Lord, so he will raise us up also by the exercise of his power.

15 Don’t you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!

Don’t you know that your bodies are Christ’s members? Am I, then, to take the members that belong to the Christ and make them the members of a prostitute? Heaven forbid!

16 Or don’t you know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For, “The two”, he says, “will become one flesh.”

Or don’t you know that a man who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body (for “the two,” it is said, “will become one”);

17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.

while a man who is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit?

18 Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

Shun all immorality. Every other sin that people commit is something outside the body; but an immoral person sins against their own body.

19 Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

Again, don’t you know that your body is a shrine of the Holy Spirit that is within you – the Spirit which you have from God?

20 for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Moreover, you are not your own masters; you were bought, and the price was paid. Therefore, honour God in your bodies.