6 ¹ IF ONE OF YOUR NUMBER has a dispute with another, has he the face to take it to pagan law-courts instead of to the community of God's people? 6 ² It is God's people who are to judge the world; surely you know that. And if the world is to come before you for judgement, are you incompetent to deal with these trifling cases? 6 ³ Are you not aware that we are to judge angels? How much more, mere matters of business! 6 ⁴ If therefore you have such business disputes, how can you entrust jurisdiction to outsiders, men who count 6 ⁵ for nothing in our community? I write this to shame you. Can it be that there is not a single wise man among you able to give a decision in a brother-Christian's cause? 6 ⁶ Must brother go to law with brother-and before unbelievers?

6 ⁷ Indeed, you already fall below your standard in going to law with one another at all. Why not rather suffer injury? Why not rather let yourself be robbed? 6 ⁸ So far from this, you actually injure and rob-injure and rob your brothers!

6 ⁹ Surely you know that the unjust will never come into possession of the kingdom of God. Make no mistake: no fornicator or idolater, none who are guilty either of adultery or of homosexual perversion, 6 ¹⁰ no thieves or grabbers or drunkards or slanderers or swindlers, will possess the kingdom of God. 6 ¹¹ Such were some of you. But you have been through the purifying waters; you have been dedicated to God and justified through the name of the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of our God.