Take Up Your Cross

³⁴ Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself,^(A) take up his cross,^(B) and follow me.^(C)

Lawsuits among Believers

6 If any of you has a dispute against another, how dare you take it to court^(A) before the unrighteous,^[a] 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 trivial cases? ³ Don’t you know that we will judge angels—how much more matters of this life? ⁴ So if you have such matters, do you appoint as your judges those who have no standing^(B) in the church? ⁵ I say this to your shame!^(C) Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between fellow believers?^{(D) 6} Instead, brother goes to court against brother, and that before unbelievers!^(E)

⁷ As it is, to have legal disputes against one another is already a defeat for you.^(F) Why not rather be wronged?^(G) Why not rather be cheated?^{(H) 8} Instead, you yourselves do wrong and cheat—and you do this to brothers and sisters! ⁹ Don’t you know that the unrighteous^(I) will not inherit God’s kingdom?^(J) Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters,^(K) adulterers,^(L) or males who have sex with males,^{[b](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.

²¹ For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered^(A) for you, leaving you an example,^(B) that you should follow^(C) in his steps. ²² He did not commit sin,^(D) and no deceit^(E) was found in his mouth;^{[a](F) 23} when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges^(G) justly. ²⁴ He himself bore our sins^(H) in his body^(I) on the tree;^(J) so that, having died to sins,^(K) we might live for righteousness.^(L) By his wounds^[b](M) you have been healed. ²⁵ For you were like sheep going astray,^[c](N) but you have now returned to the Shepherd^(O) and Overseer^[d] of your souls.