1 When one of you has some complaint against a Christian brother, why does he take him to be judged by those who are not Christians? Why does he not take him to Gods people?
2 Do you not know that some day Gods people will judge the world? If you are going to judge the world, can you not judge small things now?
3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? Then we should surely be able to judge things in this life!
4 So if you have complaints about things in this life, why do you take them to those who are not church people?
5 Shame on you! Are none of you wise enough to judge between two Christian brothers?
6 But now one Christian brother takes another Christian brother to be judged by people who are not Christians.
7 It is wrong for you to take each other to court at all. You should be willing to take wrong. It would be better to lose.
8 Instead, you are doing wrong to your own Christian brothers.
9 Do you not know that bad people will have no part in the kingdom where God rules? Do not be fooled. There are some people who will not have part in that place. They are those who commit adultery of any kind, those who have idols, or steal, or are always wanting more, or talk wrong things about people, or drink plenty of strong drink, or take things by force, or curse.
11 Some of you were like that. But now you have been washed and made holy. The Spirit of our God has made you right by the name of the Lord Jesus.
12 I am free to do anything I want, but some things are not good for me to do. I am free to do anything, but I will not become a slave of anything.
13 Food is for the body, and the body is for food. But God will bring both to an end. The body is not made to be used for wrong sex behaviour, but for the Lord. And the Lord is for the body.
14 God raised up the Lord and he will also raise us up by his power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies belong to Christ? Shall I take parts of Christ and join them to a bad woman? No, never!
16 Do you not know that the person who joins himself to a bad woman becomes one person with her? The holy writings say, The two people shall be like one body.
17 But the one who joins himself with the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
18 Run away from every kind of wrong sex! Every other wrong thing which a person does is done outside of his body. But the person who uses sex the wrong way does a wrong thing to his own body.
19 Do you not know that your body is the house of the Holy Spirit who lives in you? God gave the Holy Spirit to you. Remember, you do not belong to yourself.
20 But you were bought and paid for. So then, bring glory to God with your bodies.