Lawsuits among Believers

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? 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? Don’t you know that we will judge angels—not to mention ordinary matters? So if you have cases pertaining to this life, do you select those[b] who have no standing(B) in the church to judge? 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) Instead, believer[c] goes to court against believer, and that before unbelievers!(E)

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) Instead, you act unjustly and cheat—and you do this to believers! 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 6:1 Unbelievers; v. 6
  2. 1 Corinthians 6:4 Or life, appoint those (as a command)
  3. 1 Corinthians 6:6 Lit brothers
  4. 1 Corinthians 6:9 Lit adulterers, passive homosexual partners, active homosexual partners

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