1 Corinthians 6
AI Bible study · KJV · Grammatical-historical hermeneutics
Summary
Paul confronts the Corinthian church regarding internal lawsuits before secular courts and the misuse of their bodies, emphasizing their transformation in Christ and their identity as temples of the Holy Spirit. Matthew Henry observes that lawsuits among brethren suggest a failure of the church to mediate disputes effectively, contrasting the believer's future role as judges with their current inability to resolve minor grievances.
- Paul rebukes the practice of taking legal grievances (πρᾶγμα, G4229) before unbelievers (ἄπιστος, G571) rather than handling them within the church.
- He corrects the Corinthians' misuse of liberty by detailing the incompatibility of unrighteous behavior with the kingdom of God.
- He reminds them of their past, confirming they are now washed, sanctified, and justified.
- He addresses the abuse of physical freedom regarding the body, arguing that the body is for the Lord and not for sexual immorality (fornication).
- He concludes that because believers are bought with a price, they must glorify God in their bodies, which are temples of the Holy Ghost.
- Litigation before the 'unjust' (ἄδικος, G94) vs. the 'saints' (ἅγιος, G40).
- The rhetorical question 'Know ye not' (εἴδω, G1492) used repeatedly to emphasize foundational knowledge.
- The lists of sins that exclude one from the inheritance of the kingdom.
- The declaration that the body is a temple of the Holy Ghost.
- The concept of being 'bought with a price' (v. 20).
This passage establishes the high ethical standard for the Christian community and the sanctity of the human body, grounding these practical commands in the believer's union with the risen Christ. It serves as a canonical warning against separating one's theological knowledge from one's physical and moral conduct.
Believers are uniquely united to Christ and purchased by God; therefore, they must resolve conflicts internally and honor God with their physical bodies, which belong to Him.
Themes
Paul employs a series of rhetorical challenges to expose the contradiction between the Corinthians' claim of wisdom and their actual behavior. He shifts from interpersonal conduct (lawsuits) to individual sexual conduct, showing how both are expressions of the same failure to understand their status in Christ.
The recurring question 'Know ye not' (οὐκ οἴδατε, G3756 + G1492) forces the reader to confront their own theological hypocrisy.
Paul contrasts the 'unrighteous' (ἄδικος, G94) lifestyle with the new state of the believer: washed, sanctified, and justified.
Because the saints (ἅγιος, G40) will judge the world and angels, they should be capable of judging trivial cases (ἐλάχιστος, G1646) among themselves without resorting to unbelieving courts.
- Contrast between the saints and unbelievers (ἄπιστος, G571).
- The use of 'brother' (ἀδελφός, G80) to emphasize the familial bond being violated by litigation.
The body (σῶμα) is not intended for fornication but is a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Ghost, meaning the believer does not have autonomous ownership over their own physicality.
- Contrast between the belly/food and the eternal purpose of the body.
- The identification of the believer's body as the temple (ναός) of the Spirit.
The believer's life is defined by being bought with a price (G59, G5092, G584), which fundamentally changes the possessor of their body and spirit.
- Implies an exclusive authority of God over the believer.
- The command to glorify God follows directly from this ownership.
- The saints shall judge the world (v. 2).
- The saints shall judge angels (v. 3).
- God will raise up believers by his own power (v. 14).
- Set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church (v. 4).
- Flee fornication (v. 18).
- Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit (v. 20).
- The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God (v. 9-10).
- Do not be deceived (v. 9).
- Do not be brought under the power of any thing (v. 12).
Context
- Corinth was a cosmopolitan city known for its Roman legal system, where litigation was common and often used as a tool for public status.
- The city was notoriously associated with immorality, specifically connected to the worship of Aphrodite, which directly informs Paul's stern warning against fornication.
- Greco-Roman culture often viewed the body as a shell, leading to two extremes: asceticism or hedonism. Paul rejects both, asserting the value of the body as Christ's property.
- The phrase 'shall be one flesh' (v. 16) invokes the creation order of Genesis, highlighting the violation of covenantal union in immoral acts.
- This passage follows the discussion of church discipline in chapter 5 and establishes the principles for the following questions regarding marriage in chapter 7.
- It marks a transition from communal issues (lawsuits) to individual holiness (sexual purity).
- The passage alludes to the creation of marriage in Genesis 2:24 regarding 'one flesh'.
- It reflects the later theology of 1 Peter 1:18-19 regarding being bought with the precious blood of Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 6:16 quotes Genesis 2:24 directly to establish the spiritual reality of the union involved in sexual acts.
- Grievance (πρᾶγμα, G4229): Refers to a business affair or matter of dispute.
- Incompetent (ἀνάξιος, G370): Literally means unworthy or unfit; Paul uses this to shame their claim to superior wisdom.
- Brother (ἀδελφός, G80): Used frequently to highlight the relational, familial tie that makes litigation inherently shameful.
- Lawsuits (κρίμα, G2917): Refers to the judicial decision/case itself; Paul uses this term to imply that taking such matters to court is already a failure (an utter fault).
- The emphatic shift in verse 12 from the Corinthians' slogan ('All things are lawful') to Paul's qualifier ('but not all things are expedient').
- The use of 'you' (ὑμῶν, G5216) in the plural, emphasizing that the church as a collective is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
- There is an interpretive tension regarding the list of sins in verses 9-10: whether these identify a 'lifestyle of unrepentant sin' versus 'isolated acts'. The Reformed tradition (following Matthew Henry) often stresses that those who 'live in' these sins and 'die in them' do not inherit the kingdom, whereas other traditions emphasize the need for ongoing sanctification to avoid these traps.
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