Do Not Take Believers to Court
1Suppose one of you wants to bring a charge against another believer. Should you take it to ungodly people to be judged? Why not take it to the Lord’s people? 2Or don’t you know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? Since this is true, aren’t you able to judge small cases? 3Don’t you know that we will judge angels? Then we should be able to judge the things of this life even more! 4So suppose you disagree with one another in matters like this. Who do you ask to decide which of you is right? Do you ask people who live in a way the church disapproves of? Of course not! 5I say this to shame you. Is it possible that no one among you is wise enough to judge matters between believers? 6Instead, one believer goes to court against another. And this happens in front of unbelievers!
7When you take another believer to court, you have lost the battle already. Why not be treated wrongly? Why not be cheated? 8Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong. And you do it to your brothers and sisters. 9Don’t you know that people who do wrong will not receive God’s kingdom? Don’t be fooled. Those who commit sexual sins will not receive the kingdom. Neither will those who worship statues of gods or commit adultery. Neither will men who sleep with other men. 10Neither will thieves or those who always want more and more. Neither will those who are often drunk or tell lies or cheat. People who live like that will not receive God’s kingdom. 11Some of you used to do those things. But your sins were washed away. You were made holy. You were made right with God. All of this was done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was also done by the Spirit of our God.
Sexual Sins
12Some of you say, “I have the right to do anything.” But not everything is helpful. Again some of you say, “I have the right to do anything.” But I will not be controlled by anything. 13Some of you say, “Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food. And God will destroy both of them.” But the body is not meant for sexual sins. The body is meant for the Lord. And the Lord is meant for the body. 14By his power God raised the Lord from the dead. He will also raise us up. 15Don’t you know that your bodies belong to the body of Christ? Should I take what belongs to Christ and join it to a prostitute? Never! 16When you join yourself to a prostitute, you become one with her in body. Don’t you know this? Scripture says, “The two will become one.” (Genesis 2:24) 17But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one with him in spirit.
18Keep far away from sexual sins. All the other sins a person commits are outside the body. But sexual sins are sins against their own body. 19Don’t you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you, and you have received the Spirit from God. You do not belong to yourselves. 20Christ has paid the price for you. So use your bodies in a way that honors God.
處理信徒之間的爭執
1你們中間發生了糾紛，不找聖徒審理，竟敢告到不義的人面前嗎？ 2難道你們不知道聖徒將來要審判這世界嗎？既然這世界也要由你們審判，難道你們不能審理這些小事嗎？ 3豈不知我們將來要審判天使嗎？何況今世的事呢？ 4如果你們有什麼糾紛，你們會指派不受教會敬重的人來審理嗎？ 5我說這些是要叫你們羞愧。難道你們當中沒有一個有智慧的人可以審理弟兄姊妹之間的事嗎？ 6你們居然弟兄告弟兄，還告到非信徒面前！
7你們互相指控，已經是很大的失敗，為什麼不能甘願受欺負、吃點虧呢？ 8你們反而欺負人、虧待人，而且欺負、虧待的是自己的弟兄姊妹。 9你們豈不知道不義的人不能承受上帝的國嗎？不要自欺，一切淫亂的、拜偶像的、通姦的、變態的、同性戀的、 10偷竊的、貪婪的、酗酒的、毀謗的、欺詐的，都不能承受上帝的國。 11你們當中有些以前就是這樣的人，但靠著主耶穌基督的名和我們上帝的靈，你們已經被洗淨，成為聖潔的義人了。
遠離淫亂的行為
12凡事我都可以做，但並非事事都有益處；凡事我都可以做，但我不受任何事的轄制。 13食物是為了肚腹，肚腹也是為了食物，但將來上帝要把這兩樣都廢棄。身體不是用來行淫的，而是為了主，主也是為了身體。 14上帝已經使主復活了，將來也會用祂的大能使我們復活。
15難道你們不知道你們的身體就是基督的肢體嗎？我能將基督的肢體與妓女的肢體聯合嗎？絕對不能！ 16你們不知道與妓女苟合，就是和她成為一體嗎？因為主說：「二人要成為一體」。 17然而，與主聯合就是與祂合為一靈。
18你們務要遠離淫亂的行為。人無論犯什麼樣的罪，都是在身體以外，唯獨淫亂的，是得罪自己的身體。 19豈不知你們的身體就是聖靈的殿嗎？你們裡面住著上帝所賜的聖靈。你們不再屬於自己， 20因為你們是上帝用重價買來的，所以你們要用自己的身體使祂得榮耀。
