In this passage, Paul deals with the issue of Christians going to court with each other. He begins by asking the Corinthians how they could dare to go to an unbelieving court to settle their disputes. Then, he implies that Christians will judge the same people to whom the Corinthians are going to settle their disputes. Therefore, he implies, Christians are able to settle their own disputes. Furthermore, Christians will also judge angels, which presumably will be more difficult than settling Christian disputes. Therefore, Christians should be able to determine how to settle their disputes. Finally, Paul concludes, there is no reason for the Corinthians to force those who have nothing to do with the church to settle their disputes, while they already have the ability to settle them themselves. In verses 5 and 6, Paul implies that they should be ashamed, and that it is doubtful that they have no one who can settle their disputes among them.

In verse 7, Paul says that the very fact that they go to law in non-Christian courts is a defeat for the cases that they bring against each other. Then, he implies that they should be willing to suffer wrong and defrauding. However, by doing what they are doing, they wrong and defraud each other.