1 Cor 6.1-20 tells us about lawsuits among the believers and instructions concerning sexual purity and to flee immorality.
v 1…Does any one of you (presume), when he has a case against his neighbor (a brother in the faith concerning a business matter), dare to go to law before the unrighteous (to be decided by their civil courts), and not before the righteous (a congregation should have courts called a “Beit Din” or “house of judgment” in their assembly)?
v 2…Or do you not know that the righteous will judge the world (in the Messianic Kingdom)? And if the world (order) is judged by you, are you not competent (worthy) to judge the smallest law courts (using the Torah as a guide)?
v 3…Do you not know that we will judge angels (evil angels, not the faithful ones)? How much more things that pertain to this life (using HIllel Rule # 1-light to heavy)?
v 4…If then you have law courts (a Beit Din) dealing with matters of this life (and confronted with differences and conflicts in civil matters), set them to judge who are least esteemed (most impartial, not in any office in the assembly) in the assembly.
v 5…I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man (“Chachamim”-one versed in the Torah for judgment) among you who will be able to decide between his brethren,
v 6…but brother goes to law (judgment) with brother, and this before unbelievers.
v 7…Indeed, then, there is already a failure with you all, that you have lawsuits with one another (in the first place). Why not rather be wronged (take a wrong)? Why not rather be defrauded Yeshua said the same thing about taking a wrong in Matt 5.40)?
v 8…On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud, and that your brethren.
v 9…Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit (experience the right of judgment and ruling) the kingdom of God (his rule and movement in Power and action)? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (act like a woman), nor homosexuals,
v 10…nor thieves, nor covetous (selfish), nor drunkards, nor revilers (scorners), nor swindlers, shall inherit (experience the right to rule) the kingdom of God.
v 11…And such were some of you, but you were washed (cleansed), but you were sanctified (set apart with a kedusha), but you were justified (brought into a right standing) in the name of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and in the Spirit of our God (regenerated to be children of God).
v 12…All things are lawful for me (he is free to use a civil court; he had liberties and civil rights), but not all things are profitable (advantageous; expedient). All things are lawful for me (had civil rights to resort to civil law, but Paul wouldn’t pursue that which would bring harm to the assembly), but I will not be mastered by anything (he would not be ruled by anything that would hurt his influence).
v 13…Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food (bodily desires), but God will do away with both of them (they are temporary). Yet the body is not for immorality (in fleshly desires), but for the Lord; and the Lord is for the body (in providing for the needs of his people).
v 14…Now God has not only raised the Lord, but he will also raise us up through his power.
v 15…Do you not know that your bodies are members of Messiah (he is like a Temple and we make up the individual stones of that Temple-1 Pet 2.5; 1 Cor 3.16, 6.19 notes). Shall I then take away the members (stones) of Messiah (the Temple) and make them members of a harlot (an idolatrous temple, used in a perverted way)?
v 16…Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body (building an idolatrous temple with her? For he says, “The two shall become one flesh (Gen 2.24).”
v 17…But the one who joins himself to the Lord (a stone in his Temple) is one spirit (in desire, intention, thoughts, mind, heart).
v 18…Flee (run) from immorality. Every sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body (morally and spiritually).
v 19…Or do you not know that your (Greek second person plural meaning the collective body of Messiah-Eph 1.22, 2.19-20; 1 Cor 12.27; Jer 7.4; Mal 3.1; 1 Cor 3.16) body is the Temple (singular in Greek, not “Temples”) of the Ruach Ha Kodesh (the one body of believers, not individuals; all of them together are a singular Temple; collectively as a singular Temple-Eph 2.21-22; Israel was seen as the house of God/Temple in Josh 9.23), who is in you (collectively as the Temple), whom you have from God, that you are not your own (individually; we must value the place every believer has in this Temple).
v 20…For you have been bought with a price (redeemed from the slave market); therefore glorify God in your body.
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