Lawsuits among Believers 1 UDB When you have a dispute with another believer, you should not have the audacity to take that matter before a civil judge who is not a believer. Take the matter to fellow believers, whom God has set apart for himself. BSB BSB: If any of you has a grievance against another, how dare he go to law before the unrighteous instead of before the saints!
2 UDB You should know that we who belong to God will judge the world. If you will judge the world one day, you should be able to settle matters that are less important. BSB BSB: Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
3 UDB You should know that you will judge angels! Certainly you are able to judge matters in this life. BSB BSB: Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
4 UDB And if you can settle matters that are important in this life, you should not find it necessary to hand off disputes between Christians to be settled by unbelievers. BSB BSB: So if you need to settle everyday matters, do you appoint as judges those of no standing in the church?
5 UDB I say this to show how you have disgraced yourselves. There certainly must be someone in the church who is sensible enough to settle these disputes when these sorts of cases come up between Christian brothers and sisters. BSB BSB: I say this to your shame. Is there really no one among you wise enough to arbitrate between his brothers?
6 UDB But instead, some believers among you accuse other believers in a civil court. But when you do, unbelievers will see your failure to settle the matter within the church. BSB BSB: Instead, one brother goes to law against another, and this in front of unbelievers!
7 UDB The fact that you are taking one another to court means that you have not done what you should have done. You should have worked out the conflict within the church. You should not have gone to court at all. Rather, you should allow a brother or sister to take advantage of you, and if they have stolen anything from you, let them keep what they stole. BSB BSB: The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means that you are thoroughly defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
8 UDB Instead, you have wronged and cheated others, and the ones you cheated are your own brothers and sisters. BSB BSB: Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, even against your own brothers!
Members of Christ 9 UDB Surely you understand that the wicked will not come under God's rule. Do not believe them when they tell you otherwise. The truth is that the sexually immoral, those who worship anything or anyone other than God, those who break their marriage vows, those who engage in perverse acts of so-called worship involving sex, and those who engage in the practice of homosexuality, BSB BSB: Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,
10 UDB those who steal, the ones who are greedy for more, those who get drunk, those who tell lies about others, and those who trick and cheat to steal from others—these will never come under God's rule. BSB BSB: nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 UDB Some of you used to do these things. But God has made you clean from your sins, he has set you apart for himself, and he has made you right with himself. He has done all this through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God. BSB BSB: And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
12 UDB Some say this: "I am free to do anything I want because I am joined to Christ." Yes, but because something is permitted does not mean it is good for me. "I am free to do anything I want"—but I will not allow anything to become my master. BSB BSB: “Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything.
13 UDB People also say, "Food is made for a person's body to digest, and a person's body is made to digest food"—but God will soon do away with both food and the body's normal functions. Of course, they are really talking about sleeping with people. However, God did not make our bodies so we could be sexually immoral. But the body is to serve the Lord, and the Lord will provide for the body. BSB BSB: “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will destroy them both. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 UDB God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will also raise us up by his power to live again. BSB BSB: By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and He will raise us also.
15 UDB You should know that your bodies are joined to Christ. Should you take away that which is a part of Christ and join it together with a prostitute? Never! BSB BSB: Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!
16 UDB You understand that anyone who sleeps with a prostitute becomes united with her. It is like the scriptures say about marriage: "The two will become one." BSB BSB: Or don’t you know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”
17 UDB And those who are joined to the Lord become one spirit with him. BSB BSB: But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit.
The Temple of the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:1–8; 1 Corinthians 3:16–23)
18 UDB So when you want to commit a sexual sin, run away from it as quickly as you can! Every sin that a person commits is committed outside the body, but when a person sins sexually, he sins against his own body. BSB BSB: Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
20 UDB God purchased you with the price of his Son's life. Therefore honor God in all you do in your human body. BSB BSB: you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.