1 Corinthians 6:1-7:24

New King James Version

Do Not Sue the Brethren

6 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the ^(A)saints? ² Do you not know that ^(B)the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? ³ Do you not know that we shall ^(C)judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? ⁴ If then you have ^[a]judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? ⁵ I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? ⁶ But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!

⁷ Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. ^(D)Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? ⁸ No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! ⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. ^(E)Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ^[b]homosexuals, nor ^[c]sodomites, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And such were ^(F)some of you. ^(G)But you were washed, but you were ^[d]sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Glorify God in Body and Spirit

^12 (H)All things are lawful for me, but all things are not ^[e]helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of ^[f]any. ^13 (I)Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for ^(J)sexual immorality but ^(K)for the Lord, ^(L)and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴ And ^(M)God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up ^(N)by His power.

¹⁵ Do you not know that ^(O)your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! ¹⁶ Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For ^(P)“the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” ^17 (Q)But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

^18 (R)Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins ^(S)against his own body. ¹⁹ Or ^(T)do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, ^(U)and you are not your own? ²⁰ For ^(V)you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body ^[g]and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Principles of Marriage

7 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:

^(W)It is good for a man not to touch a woman. ² Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ^3 (X)Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴ The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. ^5 (Y)Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that ^(Z)Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ But I say this as a concession, ^(AA)not as a commandment. ⁷ For ^(AB)I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

⁸ But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: ^(AC)It is good for them if they remain even as I am; ⁹ but ^(AD)if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Keep Your Marriage Vows

¹⁰ Now to the married I command, yet not I but the ^(AE)Lord: ^(AF)A wife is not to depart from her husband. ¹¹ But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

¹² But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. ¹³ And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise ^(AG)your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us ^(AH)to peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, O wife, whether you will ^(AI)save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

Live as You Are Called

¹⁷ But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And ^(AJ)so I ^[h]ordain in all the churches. ¹⁸ Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? ^(AK)Let him not be circumcised. ^19 (AL)Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but ^(AM)keeping the commandments of God is what matters. ²⁰ Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. ²¹ Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. ²² For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is ^(AN)the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is ^(AO)Christ’s slave. ^23 (AP)You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. ²⁴ Brethren, let each one remain with ^(AQ)God in that state in which he was called.