1 Corinthians 6
Christians should resolve disputes among themselves rather than taking them to secular courts, as they will one day judge the world and even angels. The Corinthian church is faulted for taking their brethren to court, and instead of seeking justice, they should be willing to suffer wrong. The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God, but the Corinthian believers have been washed, sanctified, and justified through Jesus Christ. They are reminded that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and members of Christ, and therefore they should flee fornication and glorify God in their bodies and spirits.
1Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?2Do 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?3Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?4If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.5I 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?6But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.7Now 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?8Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.9Know 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,10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.11And 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.12All 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.13Meats 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.14And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.15Know 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.16What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.17But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.18Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.19What? 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?20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
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