1 Corinthians 6:9

9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men^[a]

1 Corinthians 6:9 in Other Translations

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

9 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,

9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,

9 Don't you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex,

9 Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit God's kingdom? Do not be deceived: no sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals,

1 Corinthians 6:9 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 6:9

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the
kingdom of God?
&c.] A way of speaking much like that in the Talmud, (Myqydul ala ywve wnya abh Mlwehv edwy ywh) "know thou, that the world to come is not made but for the righteous?" ^F8 Without a righteousness there will be no entrance into the world of bliss and happiness hereafter; and this must be a better righteousness than what a sinful creature is capable of working out, and no other than the righteousness of Christ. It was a loss and want of righteousness that cast the angels down from heaven, and turned Adam out of paradise; and whoever of his posterity: are destitute of one, will fall short of enjoying the glory of God; for it is not agreeable to the holy nature of God, to his infinite justice and righteous law, to admit any into heaven without a righteousness: hence a judgment seat is erected, before which all must stand; and those that will be found without a righteousness, will be for ever excluded the kingdom of heaven; and could any unrighteous persons be received there, it would spoil the pleasure and happiness of the saints. Now this is said, partly to dissuade the Corinthians from going to law with each other before unrighteous persons, who have no right to the kingdom of God, and living and dying as they are, will have no share in it; and therefore since they are not to be fellow heirs and companions with them in another world, they should not bring their causes before them in this; and partly to reprove them for their injurious and unrighteous actions among themselves, their tricking and defrauding of one another, with other sins they were guilty of; which, if not repented of, would show, that notwithstanding their profession, they were destitute of the grace of God, were unfit to be in the kingdom of God, in a Gospel church state here below, and would be shut out of the kingdom of heaven hereafter.

Be not deceived
imagining, that through your knowledge and profession you shall be saved, live as you will:

neither fornicators,
such as are guilty of uncleanness with persons in a single state:

nor idolaters;
who worship more gods than one, and not the true God; who do service to them that are not gods, and perform what the Jews call (hrz hdwbe) "strange service": and not only fall down to stocks and stones, but serve divers lusts and pleasures, the idols of their own hearts:

nor adulterers:
such as have criminal conversation with persons in a married state:

nor effeminate;
or "soft", or, as the Syriac renders it, (albxm) , "corrupters"; that is, of themselves, by voluntary pollution, such as are guilty of the sin of Onan, ( Genesis 38:8 Genesis 38:9 ) .

Nor abusers of themselves with mankind;
sodomites.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 T. Bab. Yebamot, fol 47. 1.

1 Corinthians 6:9 In-Context

7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?

8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.

9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men

10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

11 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.

Cross References

• 1. S Matthew 25:34; Galatians 5:21
• 2. Job 13:9; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Galatians 6:7; James 1:16
• 3. Leviticus 18:20; Deuteronomy 22:22
• 4. Leviticus 18:22

Footnotes

• [a]. The words "men who have sex with men" translate two Greek words that refer to the passive and active participants in homosexual acts.