1 Corinthians 6:1-7:9

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Lawsuits among Believers

6 If any of you has a legal dispute against another, do you dare go 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 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^[b] who have no standing^(B) in the church to judge? 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 his brothers?^{(D) 6} Instead, believer^[c] goes to court against believer, and that before unbelievers!^(E)

⁷ Therefore, to have legal disputes against one another is already a moral failure for you.^(F) Why not rather put up with injustice?^(G) Why not rather be cheated?^{(H) 8} Instead, you act unjustly and cheat—and you do this to believers! 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 anyone practicing homosexuality,^{[d](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,”^[e] but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be brought under the control of anything. ¹³ “Food^(U) for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will do away with both of them.^[f] The body is not for sexual immorality^(V) 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.^{(W) 15} Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body?^(X) 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.^{(Y)[g] 17} But anyone joined^(Z) to the Lord is one spirit^(AA) with Him.

¹⁸ Run^(AB) from sexual immorality! “Every sin a person can commit is outside the body.”^[h] On the contrary, the person who is sexually immoral^(AC) sins against his own body. ¹⁹ Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary^(AD) of the Holy Spirit^(AE) who is in you,^(AF) whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought^(AG) at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.^[i]

Principles of Marriage

7 Now in response to the matters you wrote^[j] about: “It is good for a man not to have relations with^[k] a woman.”^{[l] 2} But because sexual immorality is so common,^[m](AH) each man should have his own wife,^(AI) and each woman should have her own husband. ³ A husband should fulfill his marital responsibility^(AJ) to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband. ⁴ A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does. ⁵ Do not deprive^(AK) one another sexually—except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves to^[n] prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ I say the following^[o] as a concession, not as a command. ⁷ I wish that all people were just like me. But each has his own gift^(AL) from God, one person in this way and another in that way.

A Word to the Unmarried

⁸ I say to the unmarried and to widows:^(AM) It is good for them if they remain as I am. ⁹ But if they do not have self-control,^(AN) they should marry, for it is better to marry^(AO) than to burn with desire.