Going to Law Before Unbelievers

6 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to the law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? ² Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? ³ Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more the things that pertain to this life? ⁴ If then you have judgments dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint as judges those who are least esteemed in the church? ⁵ I speak to your shame. Is it true that there is not even one wise man among you who shall be able to judge between his brothers? ⁶ But brother goes to the law against brother, and before unbelievers, at that.

⁷ Now therefore it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? ⁸ But you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and do this to your brothers. ⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our God.

Glorify God in Your Body

¹² “All things are lawful to me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be brought under the power of anything. ¹³ “Food is for the belly, and the belly is for food,” but God will destroy both of them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. ¹⁴ God has raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His own power. ¹⁵ Do you not know that your bodies are the parts of Christ? Shall I then take the parts of Christ and make them the parts of a harlot? God forbid! ¹⁶ What? Do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”^{[a] 17} But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.

¹⁸ Escape from sexual immorality. Every sin that a man commits is outside the body. But he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. ¹⁹ What? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God, and that you are not your own? ²⁰ You were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Spiritual Gifts

12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. ² You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. ³ Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed!” And no one can say, “Jesus is the Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are various gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are various operations, but it is the same God who operates all of them in all people.

⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for the common good. ⁸ To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But that one and very same Spirit works all these, dividing to each one individually as He will.

One Body With Many Members

¹² For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the many parts of that one body are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, whether we are slaves or free, and we have all been made to drink of one Spirit. ¹⁴ The body is not one part, but many.

¹⁵ If the foot says, “Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But now God has established the parts, every one of them, in the body as it has pleased Him. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ So there are many parts, yet one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² No, those parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. ²³ And those parts of the body which we think are less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor. And our less respectable parts are treated with much more respect, ²⁴ whereas our more respectable parts have no need of this. But God has composed the body, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacks it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that the parts should have the same care for one another. ²⁶ If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ and members individually. ²⁸ God has put these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? ³⁰ Do all have the gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But earnestly covet the greater gifts.

Love

Yet I show you a more excellent way.