1 Corinthians 6

1 [Now another matter]: When any of you [believers] accuses another believer about some matter, he takes that matter to judges who are not believers, [for them to decide the case], instead of asking God’s people [to decide it]. (That is disgusting!/Why do you do that?) [RHQ]

Dare any of you, when he hath a controversy with his brother, litigate before the iniquitous, and not before the sanctified?

2 [I want] you to know that [we who are] God’s people will [some day] judge those who are unbelievers. [RHQ] So, since you will be judging unbelievers, you certainly are capable of judging between [believers who disagree on] small matters! [RHQ]

Or know ye not, that the sanctified will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are ye unfit to decide trivial causes?

3 (You should keep in mind that we will even judge angels!/Do you not know that we will even judge angels?) [RHQ] So we certainly should be able to judge about [matters that relate to how we] conduct our lives here on earth!

Know ye not, that we shall judge angels? How much more things that are of the world?

4 Therefore, when you [believers] have a dispute, you should certainly not choose as judges [to decide your case] people whom the congregation cannot respect [because those judges are not believers]! [RHQ]

But if ye have a controversy about a worldly matter, seat ye on the bench for you those who are contemned in the church!

5 I am saying this to make you ashamed. Surely there is someone among you who is wise enough to judge disputes between believers! [RHQ]

For shame to you I say it. So, there is not even one wise man among you, who is competent to do equity between a brother and his brother:

6 But instead, some believers [among you] accuse other believers in a legal court. And what is worse, you let the cases be judged by unbelievers {unbelievers judge the cases}!

but a brother litigateth with his brother, and also before them that believe not!

7 The fact that you have any lawsuits among you [shows that] you have completely failed [as Christians] (OR, [allowed Satan to] defeat you). You should [allow other believers] to wrong you [without taking them to court!]! [RHQ] You should not accuse them when [they] cheat you! [RHQ]

Now therefore ye condemn yourselves, in that ye have litigation one with another. For why do ye not rather suffer wrong? why not rather be defrauded?

8 But [what is happening is that] some of you are cheating others and doing wrong to them. [That is bad]. But you are doing that to fellow believers, [and that is worse]!

But ye yourselves commit wrong, and ye defraud even your brethren.

9 (You should keep in mind that wicked people will not become [members of] the group over whom God will rule./Do you not know that wicked people will not become [members of] the group over whom God will rule?) [RHQ] Do not be deceived {Do not deceive yourselves} [by thinking wrongly about these matters]. People who are sexually immoral, or who worship idols, or who (commit adultery/have sex with someone to whom they are not married), or who happily allow others to commit homosexual acts with them, or who take the initiative in committing homosexual acts,

Or do ye not know, that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not mistake; neither whoremongers, nor idol-worshippers, nor adulterers, nor debauchers, nor liers with males,

10 or who are thieves, or who desire and forcefully seize things that belong to others, or who are drunkards, or who slander others, or who are swindlers, will not enter the place where God rules.

nor the avaricious, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, will inherit the kingdom of God.

11 Some of you previously did things like that. But [God] has freed/cleansed you [MET] [from your sinful behavior]. [He] has set you apart for himself. [He] has erased the record of your sins [because you trusted] [MTY] in the Lord Jesus Christ and because of what the Spirit of our God [has done for you].

And these things have been in some of you: but ye are washed, and are sanctified, and made righteous, in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, and by the Spirit of our God.

12 [Some of you may say], “God allows us to do anything [that he does not forbid].” But [I would reply], “[That is true], but not everything that God permits us to do helps us.” [Yes, as some of you say], God permits us to do anything [that he does not forbid]. But as for me, I will not let anything make me [its slave; that is, I will not do anything that will gain control over me in such a way that I will not be able to stop doing it].

Every thing is in my power: but every thing is not profitable to me. Every thing is in my power; but none of them shall have dominion over me.

13 [Some of you may also say], “Food is just for [us to put in] the stomach, and the stomach is just for [us to put] food [in]. And since God will do away with food and stomachs [when he gives us our new bodies, what we do with our bodies sexually does not affect us any more than eating food does.” But what you have concluded is wrong, because] the Lord does not [want us to use] our bodies to do sexually immoral things. Instead, the Lord [wants us to use our bodies in ways that please him]. Also, the Lord [wants us to do what is good] for our bodies.

Food is for the belly; and the belly is for food; but God will bring them both to naught. But the body is not for whoredom, but for our Lord; and our Lord for the body.

14 God, by his power, caused the Lord [Jesus] to live again after he died, and he will cause us to live again after we die, [which shows that he is very concerned about our bodies].

And God hath raised up our Lord; and he will raise us up, by his power.

15 You should keep in mind that your bodies belong to Christ. [RHQ] So, should I [or any other believer] [RHQ] take our body, which belongs to Christ, and join it [sexually] to a prostitute? No, certainly not!

Know ye not, that your bodies are the members of the Messiah? Shall one take a member of the Messiah, and make it the member of a harlot? Far be it.

16 When a man has sexual relations [EUP] with a prostitute, [it is as though] their two bodies become one body. (You should never forget that!/Do you not know that?) [RHQ] What [Moses] wrote [about people who join together sexually is], “The two of them will become [as though they are] one body.”

Or know ye not, that whoever joineth himself to a harlot, is one body with her? For it is said, They twain shall be one body.

17 But anyone who is united {who joins himself} to the Lord becomes one with him spiritually.

But he that joineth himself to our Lord, is with him one spirit.

18 Always (run away from/avoid) committing sexually immoral acts. Other sins that people commit do not affect their bodies, but those who commit sexually immoral acts sin against their own bodies.

Flee whoredom. For every other sin which a man committeth, is external to his body; but he that committeth whoredom, sinneth against his own body.

19 (Keep in mind that your bodies are [like] [MET] temples of the Holy Spirit./Do you not know that your bodies are [like] [MET] temples of the Holy Spirit?) [RHQ] The Spirit, whom God gave you, lives within you. You do not belong to yourselves. You belong to God,

Or know ye not, that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who abideth in you, whom ye have received from God? And ye are not your own.

20 [because when his Son died for you it was as though] [MET] [God] paid a price for you. So honor God by [how you use] your bodies!

For ye are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify ye God, with your body, and with your spirit, which are God's.