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Judging Problems Among Christians

When you have ·something against [a legal dispute with; a grievance against] another Christian, how can you ·bring yourself [dare] to go before ·judges who are not right with God [or the pagan courts; L the unrighteous] instead of before ·God’s people [T the saints]? ·Surely [L Don’t…?] you know that ·God’s people [T the saints] will judge the world. So if you are to judge the world, are you not able to judge ·small [trivial; the smallest of] cases as well? ·You [L Don’t you…?] know that we will judge angels, so surely we can judge the ·ordinary things of [or matters pertaining to] this life. If you have ·ordinary cases [cases/legal disputes of this life] that must be judged, ·are you going to appoint people as judges who mean nothing to the church? [will you appoint judges with no standing in/whose lifestyle is rejected by the church?; or go ahead and appoint the least members of the church to judge them! C in the latter interpretation, Paul speaks sarcastically.] I say this to shame you. ·Surely there is someone [L Is there no one…?] among you wise enough to judge a ·complaint [dispute; conflict] between ·believers [L a brother]. But now one ·believer [brother] goes to court against another ·believer [L brother]—and you do this in front of unbelievers!

The fact that you have lawsuits against each other shows that you are already defeated. Why not ·let yourselves be wronged [suffer the injustice]? Why not let yourselves be cheated? But you yourselves ·do wrong [act unjustly] and cheat, and you do this to ·other believers [L brothers]!

·Surely [L Don’t…?] you know that the ·people who do wrong [unrighteous; wicked; unjust] will not inherit God’s kingdom. Do not be ·fooled [deceived]. Those who sin sexually, worship idols, take part in adultery, those who are ·male prostitutes [or passive homosexual partners], or ·men who have sexual relations with other men [or active homosexual partners], those who steal, are greedy, get drunk, ·lie about others [slander others; use abusive language], or ·rob [swindle]—these people will not inherit God’s kingdom. 11 In the past, some of you were like that, but you were washed clean. You were ·made holy [sanctified], and you were ·made right with God [justified; declared righteous] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and ·in [or by; through] the Spirit of our God.

Use Your Bodies for God’s Glory

12 “·I am allowed to do all things [L All things are lawful/permissible for me; C probably a slogan the Corinthians were using; see also 7:1; 8:1, 4; 10:23],” but not all things are ·good for me to do [profitable; beneficial]. “·I am allowed to do all things [L All things are lawful/permissible for me],” but I will not let anything make me its slave. 13 “Food is for the stomach, and the stomach for food, but God will ·destroy [do away with] them both [C probably another Corinthian slogan (v. 12), meaning only the spirit matters, not what we do with our physical bodies; Paul disagrees].” The body is not for sexual sin but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14 By his power God has raised the Lord from the dead and will also raise us from the dead. 15 ·Surely [Don’t…?] you know that your bodies are ·parts [members] of Christ himself. Should I take the ·parts [members] of Christ and join them to a prostitute? ·Never [Absolutely not; May it never be]! 16 Don’t you know that anyone who joins with a prostitute [C in a sexual relationship] becomes one body with the prostitute? For it is written in the Scriptures, “The two will become one ·body [flesh; Gen. 2:24].” 17 But the one who joins with the Lord [C in spiritual union] is one spirit with the Lord.

18 So ·run away from [flee; stay away from] sexual sin. Every other sin people do is outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin against their own bodies. 19 ·You should [L Don’t you…?] know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you and was given to you by God. So you do not belong to yourselves, 20 because you were ·bought by God [L bought] for a price. So honor God with your bodies.

Lawsuits Among Believers

If 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?(A) Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world?(B) And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you.(C) Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?(D) But instead, one brother(E) takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!(F)

The 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?(G) Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.(H) Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?(I) Do not be deceived:(J) Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers(K) nor men who have sex with men[a](L) 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers(M) will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were.(N) But you were washed,(O) you were sanctified,(P) you were justified(Q) 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.(R) “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”(S) The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord,(T) and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead,(U) and he will raise us also.(V) 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?(W) Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do 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.”[b](X) 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.[c](Y)

18 Flee from sexual immorality.(Z) All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.(AA) 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples(AB) of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;(AC) 20 you were bought at a price.(AD) Therefore honor God with your bodies.(AE)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 6:9 The words men who have sex with men translate two Greek words that refer to the passive and active participants in homosexual acts.
  2. 1 Corinthians 6:16 Gen. 2:24
  3. 1 Corinthians 6:17 Or in the Spirit

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.

Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.

17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.