1 Corinthians: Chapter 6 (verses 1–20)

When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? (1 Corinthians 6:1)

Paul was shocked to hear that the Corinthian believers were taking other believers to court. It was inconceivable to him that a Christian would take a legal dispute with another believer before the unrighteous rather than before the saints. Of course, believers sometimes have legitimate disagreements with other believers that require legal judgment, but Paul was astounded that Christians would take these issues before unbelieving judges.

Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! (1 Corinthians 6:2–3)

Paul somewhat sarcastically asked if the Corinthians had forgotten that the saints will judge the world. Jesus taught that His followers would act as judges at the end of time (Matthew 19:28, Revelation 20:4). Paul believed that this indicated that the church should be capable of working out such matters amongst themselves.

He reminded the Corinthians that believers will judge angels. Many angels fell from their positions when they rebelled against God (2 Peter 2:4). Followers of Christ will pass judgment on these fallen angels when Christ returns. Therefore, the Corinthian believers should be able to pass judgment on minor cases.

So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? (1 Corinthians 6:4)

Paul can’t understand why the Corinthian believers, those with the status of “saints,” the holy people of God, should be seeking judgment from pagans or unbelievers. Paul expressed surprise that the Corinthians took their grievances to magistrates who were of little or no standing in the church, even unbelievers.

I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? (1 Corinthians 6:5–6)

Paul inferred that such wisdom existed among the believers, but the Corinthians had failed to identify such a person. Instead, they were doing the unthinkable—going to the law against one another, and doing this in front of unbelievers.

There existed two problems: First, the Christians were appealing to the law in civil disputes between themselves; and second, they sued one another in front of unbelievers. Paul made the point that the secular law of the land which was enacted by unbelievers was inferior to God’s wisdom for judging disputes between believers. Christians are brothers and sisters of one another; they are part of the same spiritual family, and that bond should outweigh their grievances when they are defrauded.

To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! (1 Corinthians 6:7–8)

Paul expressed his dismay about civil lawsuits that believers were bringing against one another. Public lawsuits between Christians damaged the church’s witness and its reputation. The Corinthian believers damaged themselves by hurting the church in this way more than they did by being wronged by other Christians. No matter the verdict of the court of law, the Christians would have been defeated by just engaging in the legal process.

Having lawsuits within the church showed that the Corinthians had lost sight of the principles they were to live by as Christians. Christ taught members of the church to love one another. If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well (James 2:8). Believers are to serve one another (Galatians 5:13). Every member should work in harmony with others (Ephesians 4:16). For these reasons, it would generally be better to be wronged or cheated than to fight with one another.

The Corinthians were not only wrong to demand justice and compensation, but they also failed to turn the other cheek. Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also (Matthew 5:39). If anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well (Matthew 5:40). They were wrongdoers who cheated and did wrong to one another.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9–10).

Paul reminds them of those who will not inherit God’s kingdom: the unrighteous, the wicked, and the wrongdoers. He gives examples of those who are unrighteous and identifies them by the sins they embrace. Most of these sins were common in the Greek and Roman culture of the day.

He mentions sexual sins: (1) those who are involved in premarital or extramarital sexual relations; (2) idolaters, who are included because of their close association between sexual immorality and many pagan religions; (3) adulterers, those who have sexual relations outside of marriage; (4) male prostitutes, those who served in pagan religious sexual rituals and practiced homosexual relations.

This list of sins is very similar to 1 Corinthians 5:10–11. Paul implied that believers who lived such lifestyles should be careful that they were truly in the faith. He also pointed out the folly of taking lawsuits before these kinds of people, as such wicked people could not rightly judge between Christians.

And such were some of you. 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 (1 Corinthians 6:11).

Many of the Corinthian believers had lived sinful lives, but they were washed, cleansed from their sins through faith in Christ and declared innocent before God. They were set apart from the world and entered into a relationship with God. This blessing comes to believers in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as they call upon Him and rely upon Him for their salvation. They also come by the Spirit of our God as the Spirit applies the work of Christ to believers.

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12).

The phrase “All things are lawful for me” is used by Paul elsewhere in this letter (10:23). Apparently, this saying, which was probably a commonly used slogan among the Corinthians of the time, was used to justify various illegitimate activities. In this case, it supported sexual immorality; later it refers to eating meat offered to idols.

Paul countered the slogan with two responses. On the one hand, he pointed out that not everything is beneficial. Whatever freedoms believers have, their choices must be carefully evaluated as to their spiritual benefit. Many practices, though lawful for Christians, would have a negative effect on the believer’s walk with Christ, the lives of others, or the church. This must be taken into account whenever believers consider a course of action.

Paul also stated that he would not be dominated by anything. Sexual appetites are good and wholesome in the context of marriage. However, the Corinthians had become victims of their own desires. They lost control of their bodies as they engaged in sexual immorality. Their sexual desires overtook them. Believers in Christ are to be free from worldly desires so that they can serve the Lord faithfully.

“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body (1 Corinthians 6:13).

This second slogan used to support sexual immorality was also probably a popular slogan of the day. From Paul’s response, it seems that the Corinthians appropriated this saying from the surrounding culture to rationalize the idea that sexual desires were meant to be satiated, just as food was meant to be eaten. According to this line of reasoning, they defended sexual immorality as the natural course of biology—a physical desire or craving that was natural and permissible to satisfy. Since God created man as a sexual creature, the reasoning was that sex is appropriate and good and a natural desire that should be satisfied. There is, of course, some truth in this saying. The enjoyment of sexuality is natural and part of God’s design, but this truth doesn’t legitimize every form of sexual pleasure.

Paul countered the application of this slogan by reminding the Corinthians that God has the authority to limit and guide the way we live. He declared that, despite the natural order of food for the stomach, God will destroy them both. In other words, the fact that God will one day destroy the natural order as it is now known shows that biological functions do not determine man’s moral obligations. God is the ultimate authority for determining how humans must behave. He is the ultimate master over all of nature, and His Word regulates how humans live.

In order to make the point more explicit, Paul replied with a proverb that resembled the Corinthians’ slogan. Sexual immorality cannot be justified as a natural biological practice because the human body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. The revelation of God in Christ makes it clear that the natural order of this is very different from what is evident from mere biological observation. A relationship exists between our bodies and Christ. We are to serve Him with our bodies (Romans 12:1), and Christ redeems our bodies.

God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power (1 Corinthians 6:14).

Paul reminds his readers of Christ’s resurrection. God didn’t simply raise the spirit of Christ from the dead. Through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 1:4), God raised Christ’s body. In the same way, on the final day of judgment, He will raise the bodies of all believers from the dead. Believers’ hope of future bodily resurrection from the dead demonstrates that the natural order of things is that Christians’ bodies belong to Christ and are to be used in His service.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! (1 Corinthians 6:15)

Paul reminded them that their bodies were members of Christ. His words make it clear that the believers aren’t merely spiritually joined with Christ. Rather they are also intimately joined to Christ on every level of their being, and even their physical bodies are united to Him, being parts of His body on earth. The Corinthians had dismissed the importance of sexual immorality on the basis that God would destroy the body, and therefore the body had no value (6:13).

Paul taught that believers’ bodies are valuable because they are already part of Christ. Their significance is not just eternal, but also temporal. In fact, because believers’ bodies are joined to Christ, when they engaged in sexual relations with prostitutes, they were involving Christ in their actions. This physical union with Christ means it is inconceivable that union with a prostitute is legitimate. Members of Christ must not unite themselves with a prostitute.

Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh” (1 Corinthians 6:16).

Paul pointed out what these believers already knew, that when a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one with her in body. Such relationships are not as casual as they may seem. For this reason, Paul supported his claim by referring to the Old Testament.

Genesis 2:24 describes Adam and Eve in sexual union becoming “one flesh.” From a biblical perspective, even sexual relations outside of the bonds of marriage create a union of flesh between the participants. Because a believer’s flesh is united to Christ, when a believer becomes one flesh with a prostitute, he sexually joins Christ to that prostitute. While this doesn’t compromise Christ’s holiness, it does highlight the impropriety of believers living like unbelievers.

But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17).

Having already said that believers’ bodies “are members of Christ” Himself (6:15), Paul added that their union with the Lord makes them one with Him in spirit.

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body (1 Corinthians 6:18).

Paul began his conclusion of this section with a command: Flee … immorality. It’s likely that he had in mind Joseph’s example of fleeing Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:7–12). Paul instructed the young pastor Timothy in a similar way (2 Timothy 2:22). Rather than weak resistance to immorality, Paul insisted on separation from the sin.

His advice rested on the uniqueness of sexual sin. In contrast with other sins, because sexual union has a spiritual component, sexual immorality is a unique sin both against Christ and against one’s own body. Many sins, like substance abuse, gluttony, and suicide, have detrimental effects on the body. Paul’s words do not refer to disease and/or other damage caused by sin. Instead, his words are linked to the preceding discussion of chapter 6:12–17. There Paul established that Christians’ bodies are joined with Christ so that they become members of Christ Himself.

Sexual immorality violates one’s body by bringing it into a wrongful “one flesh” union, and by flouting the mystical union with Christ. It is in this sense that sexual immorality is a unique sin against the body. It violates the most significant fact about believers’ physical existence: that their bodies belong to Christ.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

Paul appeals once again to the teaching he has given the Corinthians. The Christian’s body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit resides in believers, making their bodies a holy place for the dwelling of God’s presence. That the Holy Spirit resides in believers points to the new nature of believers’ bodies as sanctified and holy, being in union with Christ. When a person in Christ engages in sexual immorality, it runs contrary to the new nature and identity of their body. The Christian has been redeemed for good works (Ephesians 2:10), and therefore should use the body for good deeds and righteousness, not for sin.

Paul reminded the Corinthians that they do not have rights to their own bodies. They aren’t free to use their bodies in any way they wish. Paul insists that Christ bought them at a price—His own blood. He bought them, body and soul, through the price of His own suffering and death on the cross for their sins. Because they belong to Him, believers do not have the right to rebel against Him by using their bodies in ways the Lord has prohibited. Because this purchase results in redemption and salvation, it should inspire gratefulness and obedience, not rebellion.

Paul instructed the Corinthians to honor God with their bodies. Rather than merely resisting sin, believers should see themselves as temples of God, purchased by Christ. Because Christ died for and redeemed believers, we owe Him obedience and honor. We should look for ways to bring glory to God by using our bodies in ways that God has directed.

Note
Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.