The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 6 -

How is it that anyone of you, having a dispute against another, would dare to be judged before the iniquitous, and not before the saints?

Or do you not know that the saints from this age shall judge it? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you unworthy, then, to judge even the smallest matters?

Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more the things of this age?

Therefore, if you have matters to judge concerning this age, why not appoint those who are most contemptible in the Church to judge these things!

But I am speaking so as to shame you. Is there no one among you wise enough, so that he might be able to judge between his brothers?

Instead, brother contends against brother in court, and this before the unfaithful!

Now there is certainly an offense among you, beyond everything else, when you have court cases against one another. Should you not accept injury instead? Should you not endure being cheated instead?(a)

But you are doing the injuring and the cheating, and this toward brothers!

Members of Christ

Do you not know that the iniquitous will not possess the kingdom of God? Do not choose to wander astray. For neither fornicators, nor servants of idolatry, nor adulterers,

nor the effeminate, nor males who sleep with males, nor thieves, nor the avaricious, nor the inebriated, nor slanderers, nor the rapacious shall possess the kingdom of God.

And some of you were like this. But you have been absolved, but you have been sanctified, but you have been justified: all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

All is lawful to me, but not all is expedient. All is lawful to me, but I will not be driven back by the authority of anyone.(b)

Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food. But God shall destroy both the stomach and food. And the body is not for fornication, but rather for the Lord; and the Lord is for the body.

Truly, God has raised up the Lord, and he will raise us up by his power.

Do you not know that your bodies are a part of Christ? So then, should I take a part of Christ and make it a part of a harlot? Let it not be so!

And do you not know that whoever is joined to a harlot becomes one body? “For the two,” he said, “shall be as one flesh.”

But whoever is joined to the Lord is one spirit.

The Temple of the Holy Spirit

(Romans 12:1–8; 1 Corinthians 3:16–23)

Flee from fornication. Every sin whatsoever that a man commits is outside of the body, but whoever fornicates, sins against his own body.

Or do you not know that your bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

For you have been bought at a great price. Glorify and carry God in your body.

Footnotes

(a)6:7 A fault:Lawsuits can hardly ever be without a fault, on the one side or the other; and oftentimes on both sides.(Challoner)

(b)6:12 All things are lawful, etc:That is, all indifferent things are indeed lawful, inasmuch as they are not prohibited; but oftentimes they are not expedient; as in the case of lawsuits, etc. And much less would it be expedient to be enslaved by an irregular affection to any thing, how indifferent soever.(Challoner)

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

Don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Don’t you know that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?

If then you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly?

I say this to move you to shame. Isn’t there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers?

But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers!

Therefore it is already altogether a defect in you that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

No, but you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and that against your brothers.

Members of Christ

Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals,

nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom.

Some of you were such, but you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

“All 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 anything.

“Foods for the belly, and the belly for foods,” but God will bring to nothing both it and them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Now God raised up the Lord, and will also raise us up by his power.

Don’t you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!

Or don’t you know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For, “The two”, he says, “will become one flesh.”(a)

But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.

The Temple of the Holy Spirit

(Romans 12:1–8; 1 Corinthians 3:16–23)

Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Footnotes

(a)6:16 ℘ Genesis 2:24