1 D are any of you, having a matter against his neighbor, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?

Why do you go to court when you have something against another Christian? You are asking people who are not Christians to judge who is guilty. You should go to those who belong to Christ and ask them.

2 O r know ye not that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world is judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Did you not know that those who belong to Christ will someday judge this world? If you judge the people of the world as guilty, are you not able to do this in small things?

3 K now ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more, things that pertain to this life?

Did you not know that we are to judge angels? So you should be able to take care of your problem here in this world without any trouble.

4 I f then ye have to judge things pertaining to this life, do ye set them to judge who are of no account in the church?

When you have things to decide about this life, why do you go to men in courts who are not even Christians?

5 I say this to move you to shame. What, cannot there be found among you one wise man who shall be able to decide between his brethren,

You should be ashamed! Is it true that there is not one person wise enough in your church to decide who is right when people argue?

6 b ut brother goeth to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?

Instead, one Christian takes another Christian to court. And that court is made up of people who are not Christians!

7 N ay, already it is altogether a defect in you, that ye have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather take wrong? why not rather be defrauded?

This shows you are wrong when you have to go to court against each other. Would it not be better to let someone do something against you that is wrong? Would it not be better to let them rob you?

8 N ay, but ye yourselves do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

Instead, you rob and do wrong to other Christians. The Body Is to Be Holy

9 O r know 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 men,

Do you not know that sinful men will have no place in the holy nation of God? Do not be fooled. A person who does sex sins, or who worships false gods, or who is not faithful in marriage, or men who act like women, or people who do sex sins with their own sex, will have no place in the holy nation of God.

10 n or thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Also those who steal, or those who always want to get more of everything, or who get drunk, or who say bad things about others, or take things that are not theirs, will have no place in the holy nation of God.

11 A nd such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.

Some of you were like that. But now your sins are washed away. You were set apart for God-like living to do His work. You were made right with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of our God.

12 A ll things are lawful for me; but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful for me; but I will not be brought under the power of any.

I am allowed to do all things, but not everything is good for me to do! Even if I am free to do all things, I will not do them if I think it would be hard for me to stop when I know I should.

13 M eats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall bring to nought both it and them. But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body:

Food was meant for the stomach. The stomach needs food, but God will bring to an end both food and the stomach. The body was not meant for sex sins. It was meant to work for the Lord. The Lord is for our body.

14 a nd God both raised the Lord, and will raise up as through his power.

God raised the Lord from death. He will raise us from death by His power also. The Body Belongs to the Lord

15 K now ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? shall I then take away the members of Christ, and make them members of a harlot? God forbid.

Do you not know that your bodies are a part of Christ Himself? Am I to take a part of Christ and make it a part of a woman who sells the use of her body? No! Never!

16 O r know ye not that he that is joined to a harlot is one body? for, The twain, saith he, shall become one flesh.

Do you not know that a man who joins himself to a woman who sells the use of her body becomes a part of her? The Holy Writings say, “The two will become one.”

17 B ut he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

But if you join yourself to the Lord, you are one with Him in spirit.

18 F lee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

Have nothing to do with sex sins! Any other sin that a man does, does not hurt his own body. But the man who does a sex sin sins against his own body.

19 O r know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own;

Do you not know that your body is a house of God where the Holy Spirit lives? God gave you His Holy Spirit. Now you belong to God. You do not belong to yourselves.

20 f or ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.

God bought you with a great price. So honor God with your body. You belong to Him.