1 Corinthians 6

Lawsuits Discouraged

1 Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and 1not before the saints?
2 Or 2do you not know that 3the saints will judge 4the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?
3 5Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?
4 So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?
5 6I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between * his 7brethren,
6 but brother goes to law with brother, and that before 8unbelievers?
7 Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. 9Why * not rather be wronged? Why * not rather be defrauded?
8 On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your 10brethren.
9 Or 11do you not know that the unrighteous will not 12inherit the kingdom of God? 13Do not be deceived; 14neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will 15inherit the kingdom of God.
11 16Such were some of you; but you were 17washed, but you were 18sanctified, but you were 19justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

The Body Is the Lord's

12 20All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
13 21Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will 22do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but 23for the Lord, and 24the Lord is for the body.
14 Now God has not only 25raised the Lord, but 26will also raise us up through His power.
15 27Do you not know that 28your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? 29May it never be!
16 Or 30do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "31THE TWO SHALL BECOME * ONE FLESH."
17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is 32one spirit with Him.
18 33Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.
19 Or 34do you not know that 35your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that 36you are not your own?
20 For 37you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in 38your body.

Images for 1 Corinthians 6

1 Corinthians 6 Commentary

Chapter 6

Cautions against going to law in heathen courts. (1-8) Sins which, if lived and died in, shut out from the kingdom of God. (9-11) Our bodies, which are the members of Christ, and temples of the Holy Ghost, must not be defiled. (12-20)

Verses 1-8 Christians should not contend with one another, for they are brethren. This, if duly attended to, would prevent many law-suits, and end many quarrels and disputes. In matters of great damage to ourselves or families, we may use lawful means to right ourselves, but Christians should be of a forgiving temper. Refer the matters in dispute, rather than go to law about them. They are trifles, and may easily be settled, if you first conquer your own spirits. Bear and forbear, and the men of least skill among you may end your quarrels. It is a shame that little quarrels should grow to such a head among Christians, that they cannot be determined by the brethren. The peace of a man's own mind, and the calm of his neighbourhood, are worth more than victory. Lawsuits could not take place among brethren, unless there were faults among them.

Verses 9-11 The Corinthians are warned against many great evils, of which they had formerly been guilty. There is much force in these inquiries, when we consider that they were addressed to a people puffed up with a fancy of their being above others in wisdom and knowledge. All unrighteousness is sin; all reigning sin, nay, every actual sin, committed with design, and not repented of, shuts out of the kingdom of heaven. Be not deceived. Men are very much inclined to flatter themselves that they may live in sin, yet die in Christ, and go to heaven. But we cannot hope to sow to the flesh, and reap everlasting life. They are reminded what a change the gospel and grace of God had made in them. The blood of Christ, and the washing of regeneration, can take away all guilt. Our justification is owing to the suffering and merit of Christ; our sanctification to the working of the Holy Spirit; but both go together. All who are made righteous in the sight of God, are made holy by the grace of God.

Verses 12-20 Some among the Corinthians seem to have been ready to say, All things are lawful for me. This dangerous conceit St. Paul opposes. There is a liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, in which we must stand fast. But surely a Christian would never put himself into the power of any bodily appetite. The body is for the Lord; is to be an instrument of righteousness to holiness, therefore is never to be made an instrument of sin. It is an honour to the body, that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead; and it will be an honour to our bodies, that they will be raised. The hope of a resurrection to glory, should keep Christians from dishonouring their bodies by fleshly lusts. And if the soul be united to Christ by faith, the whole man is become a member of his spiritual body. Other vices may be conquered in fight; that here cautioned against, only by flight. And vast multitudes are cut off by this vice in its various forms and consequences. Its effects fall not only directly upon the body, but often upon the mind. Our bodies have been redeemed from deserved condemnation and hopeless slavery by the atoning sacrifice of Christ. We are to be clean, as vessels fitted for our Master's use. Being united to Christ as one spirit, and bought with a price of unspeakable value, the believer should consider himself as wholly the Lord's, by the strongest ties. May we make it our business, to the latest day and hour of our lives, to glorify God with our bodies, and with our spirits which are his.

Cross References 38

  • 1. Matthew 18:17
  • 2. Romans 6:16
  • 3. Dan 7:18, 22, 27; Matthew 19:28
  • 4. 1 Corinthians 1:20
  • 5. Romans 6:16
  • 6. 1 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Corinthians 15:34
  • 7. Acts 1:15; Acts 9:13; 1 Corinthians 6:1
  • 8. 2 Corinthians 6:14; 1 Timothy 5:8
  • 9. Matthew 5:39
  • 10. 1 Thessalonians 4:6
  • 11. Romans 6:16
  • 12. Acts 20:32; 1 Corinthians 15:50; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:5
  • 13. Luke 21:8; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Galatians 6:7; James 1:16; 1 John 3:7
  • 14. Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 5:11; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:5; 1 Timothy 1:10; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22:15
  • 15. Acts 20:32; 1 Corinthians 15:50; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:5
  • 16. 1 Corinthians 12:2; Ephesians 2:2; Colossians 3:5-7; Titus 3:3-7
  • 17. Acts 22:16; Ephesians 5:26
  • 18. 1 Corinthians 1:2, 30
  • 19. Romans 8:30
  • 20. 1 Corinthians 10:23
  • 21. Matthew 15:17
  • 22. Colossians 2:22
  • 23. 1 Corinthians 6:15, 19
  • 24. Galatians 5:24; Ephesians 5:23
  • 25. Acts 2:24
  • 26. John 6:39; 1 Corinthians 15:23
  • 27. 1 Corinthians 6:3
  • 28. Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 6:13; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 5:30
  • 29. Luke 20:16
  • 30. 1 Corinthians 6:3
  • 31. Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:8; Ephesians 5:31
  • 32. John 17:21-23; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:15; Galatians 2:20
  • 33. 1 Corinthians 6:9; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; Hebrews 13:4
  • 34. 1 Corinthians 6:3
  • 35. John 2:21; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 6:16
  • 36. Romans 14:7
  • 37. Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 7:23; 1 Peter 1:18; 2 Peter 2:1; Revelation 5:9
  • 38. Romans 12:1; Philippians 1:20

Footnotes 12

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CORINTHIANS 6

The principal view of this chapter is to dissuade Christians from going to law with one another before Heathens, and also from fornication: the apostle begins with the first of these, and argues against it, from its being a daring, dangerous, and scandalous practice; and from the different characters of the persons, before whom controversies about civil things among Christians should and should not be brought; the one being saints, and so conscientious persons, and would do the right thing; the other unjust, and so justice could not be expected to be done by them, 1Co 6:1, and that the former, and not the latter, should be appointed judges in such cases, is argued from the greater to the lesser; that seeing these will judge the world, much more then should they be employed in matters of less consequence, 1Co 6:2 and by the same sort of argument it is further urged, that even angels themselves shall be judged by the saints; then much more might affairs appertaining to this life, be brought before them, and be decided by them, 1Co 6:3 yea, even the things that were litigated by them, and which they had power of judging in, were such as might be determined by the men of the least capacity among them, and therefore had no need to bring them before Heathen magistrates, 1Co 6:4 besides, it could not be spoken of, but to their shame, that after all their boast of their gifts, learning, and eloquence, there was not one man of wisdom and ability among them, to judge in matters of civil property, 1Co 6:5 and this evil of commencing law suits in Heathen courts of judicature, is aggravated by its being done, not between Christians and heathens, but between one Christian brother and another, and that before men that were infidels, 1Co 6:6 and which to do, showed a great deficiency of love, wisdom, and care; and much better it was to take and suffer wrong, than to be guilty of such criminal conduct, 1Co 6:7 yea, those, that drew their brethren before such judgment seats, did them wrong, both by bringing them thither, and by getting their cause in an unjust manner, 1Co 6:8 wherefore, to deter from such unrighteous procedures, the apostles declares, that all injurious persons, and wicked men in any way, and of any sort, should not inherit the kingdom of God, 1Co 6:9,10 and whereas some of those the apostle writes to had been such, but now through the grace of God were otherwise, this should be considered as an argument, why they should not contend with one another before persons destitute of the grace they were partakers of, 1Co 6:11 and now the apostle having mentioned fornication as a sin which excluded from the kingdom of God, and this being reckoned by the Gentiles an indifferent thing; he first observes of indifferent things in general, that are really so, that though they are lawful to be used, it is not expedient to use them at all times, and under all circumstances; and especially care should be taken, that by the use of them, we do not become slaves unto them, 1Co 6:12 and then particularly instances in meats, which without distinction might be lawfully eaten, they being made for the belly, and the belly for them; which was answering the original design of them, though hereafter both will be destroyed; yet fornication must not be put upon a level with them, and reckoned indifferent as they are; since the body was not made to be abused and defiled, or for fornication: but to be redeemed and sanctified by the Lord, and to serve him, and who was appointed for the redemption and sanctification of that, 1Co 6:13 moreover, the sin of fornication is dissuaded from, by the consideration of the resurrection of the body as a glorious one, by the power of God, of which Christ's resurrection is a pledge; and therefore should not be defiled with this sin, 1Co 6:14 as also from the bodies of the saints being the members of Christ; and therefore should not be made the members of an harlot by fornication, these things being utterly absurd and inconsistent, 1Co 6:15. Which is illustrated by observing, that he that is joined in unlawful copulation with an harlot, becomes one flesh with her, 1Co 6:16 which is confirmed by a passage cited out of Ge 2:24 which regards carnal copulation in general; but one that is in union with Christ, and is become a member of him, is one spirit with him; and therefore since there is such a spiritual union between them, fornication, which joins, unites, and makes a man one with an harlot, should be carefully avoided, 1Co 6:17 and in order the more to deter from this sin, the apostle observes, that it is not like some other sins, which are without the body, but this is by it, and with it, and against it; it is dishonourable, and may be hurtful to it, 1Co 6:18 to which he adds, that the bodies of the saints are the temples of the Holy Ghost, where he dwells, and therefore should not be polluted with fornication, 1Co 6:19 and closes all with an argument, taken from their bodies not being their own property, to use and abuse at pleasure, but the purchase of Christ's blood; and therefore it was incumbent upon them to glorify him with them, as well as with their spirits, and not defile them with fornication.

1 Corinthians 6 Commentaries

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