1 Corinthians6

Paul rebukes the Corinthian believers for taking their disputes to secular courts, reminding them that saints will judge the world and should be able to resolve their own matters. He warns that the unrighteous, including fornicators and idolaters, will not inherit the kingdom of God, but reminds them of their cleansing in Christ. The apostle then emphasizes that believers' bodies are members of Christ and temples of the Holy Ghost, urging them to flee fornication and glorify God with their bodies, for they are bought with a price.
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Believers Should Not Sue One Another

1
If any of you has a grievance against another, how dare he go to law before the unrighteous instead of before the saints! ​
2
Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? ​
3
Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! ​
4
So if you need to settle everyday matters, do you appoint as judges those of no standing in the church? ​
5
I say this to your shame. Is there really no one among you wise enough to arbitrate between his brothers?
6
Instead, one brother goes to law against another, and this in front of unbelievers!
7
The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means that you are thoroughly defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? ​
8
Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, even against your own brothers!

The Unrighteous Will Not Inherit the Kingdom

9
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, ​
10
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, 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. ​

Sexual Immorality Defiles the Body

12
“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. ​
13
“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will destroy them both. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ​
14
By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and He will raise us also. ​
15
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! ​
16
Or don’t you know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” ​
17
But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit. ​
18
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. ​
19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ​
20
you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body. ​

Study Notes for 1 Corinthians 6

Verse 1

Paul addresses the scandal of Christians using pagan Roman courts ('the unjust') to settle financial and personal disputes, rather than seeking resolution within the community of believers ('the saints').

Verse 2

The idea that believers will 'judge the world' (perhaps participating in the final judgment alongside Christ) establishes the spiritual competence and authority of the church to handle internal conflicts.

Verse 3

Judging angels is an even higher spiritual task, further emphasizing the shamefulness (v. 5) of the Corinthians’ inability to resolve simple earthly matters.

Verse 4

This verse is likely sarcastic. Paul is highlighting the absurdity that they are taking their disputes to those 'least esteemed' (unbelieving judges) rather than appointing even the least experienced believer to mediate.

Verse 7

Paul introduces the higher ethical standard of self-sacrifice. It is a fundamental 'fault' (moral failure) to sue a fellow believer; it is better to suffer financial loss or injustice than to damage the reputation of the church.

Verse 9

Paul transitions from relational ethics (lawsuits) to personal ethics (sexual sin) by providing a vice list, characteristic of Hellenistic ethical teaching, defining those who stand outside the realm of God’s redemptive grace.

Verse 10

The list includes various forms of sin—sexual, idolatrous, and economic—demonstrating that persistent patterns of unrighteousness in any area disqualify one from inheriting God’s kingdom.

Verse 11

This powerful statement contrasts the Corinthians’ sinful past ('such were some of you') with their present status achieved through Christ: they are 'washed' (cleansed), 'sanctified' (set apart), and 'justified' (declared righteous).

Verse 12

Paul addresses a Corinthian slogan used to justify license: 'All things are lawful unto me.' He accepts the premise of freedom but limits it with two criteria: spiritual profitability ('expedient') and avoiding enslavement ('brought under the power of any').

Verse 13

The Corinthians tried to equate sex with food, arguing both are temporary and morally neutral. Paul rejects this, asserting that the body is not temporary but destined for the Lord and resurrection, giving it profound moral significance.

Verse 14

The bodily resurrection of Christ serves as the guarantee and pattern for the future resurrection of believers, reinforcing the importance of bodily sanctity in the present life.

Verse 15

Because believers’ bodies are intrinsically linked to Christ ('members of Christ'), sexual union with a prostitute is a profound spiritual desecration, treating Christ’s body parts as common or unholy.

Verse 16

Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 ('two shall be one flesh') to show that sexual union is never merely physical; it creates a deep, binding, and relational unity, making fornication a serious violation of self and God.

Verse 17

In contrast to the physical union with a prostitute, the believer is joined to the Lord in a spiritual union, underscoring the incompatibility of engaging in both relationships.

Verse 18

Paul uniquely isolates sexual sin ('flee fornication'). While other sins are often external actions (e.g., theft, slander), fornication is described as a sin committed 'against his own body,' violating the sacred trust of the Spirit’s indwelling (v. 19).

Verse 19

This verse provides the ultimate theological basis for purity: the body is not personal property but the sacred dwelling place ('temple') of the Holy Spirit, placed there by God.

Verse 20

The phrase 'bought with a price' refers to the redemption secured by Christ’s death. Since believers are owned by God, their bodies and spirits must be used to glorify Him, fulfilling the purpose of their salvation.

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