1 Corinthians 6

-8 1 3 2 -9 1 0 0 0 0 13 96 -9 2 0 0 2 0 1 RVStyle2 7 StyleNameNormal textFontNameArialUnicode Size Standard StyleNameDefaultFontNameTahomaUnicode Size Standard StyleNameJumpFontNameTahomaStylefsUnderlineColorclBlue HoverColorclMaroonHoverEffects rvheUnderlineUnicode Jump Size Standard StyleNameHeading - Module name SizeDoubleFontNameTahomaColorclMaroonUnicode SizeStandard StyleName"Heading small - Module descriptionFontNameTahomaColorclMaroonUnicode Size Standard StyleNameHeading - LinkFontNameTahomaColorclNavy HoverColorclPurpleUnicode Jump Size Standard StyleNameDefaultFontNameTahomaStylefsUnderlineColorclBlueUnicode Jump Size Standard StyleNameDefaultFontNameTahomaColorclBlue HoverColorclMaroonNextStyleNoUnicode Jump Size -9 2 0 0 2 0 2 RVStyle2 jBiDiModervbdLeftToRightTabs StyleNameCentered Alignment rvaCenterTabsStandardTabs-9 2 0 0 2 0 4 RVStyle2 -9 0 0 0 0 0 7 1 29 2 8 0 0 6. Immorality and Lawsuits, part 2) (6:1 20)) ) Outline (continued)) 6:1 11 3. Litigations ) 6:1 3 a. The Saints Will Judge ) 6:4 6 b. The Wise Will Speak ) 6:7 8 c. The Humble Will Endure ) 6:9 11 d.

The Ungodly Will Forfeit ) 6:12 20 4. Immorality ) 6:12 14 a. Permission ) 6:15 17 b. Prostitute ) 6:18 20 c. Purchased ) ) ) ) 3. Litigations) 6:1 11) 6 1 Does any one of you, when he has a lawsuit against someone, dare to go to law before the ungodly instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?

And if the world is judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more ordinary matters? 4 If then you have cases of ordinary matters, do you appoint men who are of no account in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it actually possible that there is no wise man among you who is able to be an arbitrator between his brothers? 6 However, a brother goes to law against a brother and that before unbelievers?) 7 It is, then, already an utter defeat for you that you have lawsuits against yourselves. Why not rather be treated unjustly? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you treat unjustly and defraud, yes, even your brothers.) 9 Or do you not know that the ungodly will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, 10 thieves, greedy persons, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers none of them will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were.

However, you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.) ) For Paul, the purpose of Christianity is to permeate the world, to influence and change it according to the norms of the gospel. But Paul notices that in Corinth the opposite is taking place. The world is entering the Christian community to conform it to worldly standards. Evidence of this is the matter of court cases that are not settled within the confines of the Christian community but are taken to worldly judges. The Christian brothers who take their cases to non-Christians are causing the church to be a laughingstock in the Gentile world.) Paul interrupts his discussion on immorality to instruct the Corinthians on the course they ought to take in regard to lawsuits. The Greeks had a penchant for listening to lawyers debate cases at a court held near the marketplace in every city.

The Jews in Israel and in the Dispersion had their own courts, for they were forbidden in the Talmud to go to Gentile judges.��1�� Lawsuits that involved two Jews were settled in a Jewish court.) In Paul s opinion, Christians also ought to settle disputes within the confines of their own fellowship. The developing church in a Gentile world should take a leaf from the Jewish notebook on conducting lawsuits in their own circles.) a. The Saints Will Judge) 6:1 3) 1. Does any one of you, when he has a lawsuit against someone, dare to go to law before the ungodly instead of the saints?) As with the report concerning the incestuous man (5:1), we are unable to determine how Paul learned about Christians bringing lawsuits against fellow Christians to a non-Christian judge. Nor are we able to know what kind of a lawsuit Paul has in mind. We assume that Paul s discussion on judging (5:12 13) reminded him of another problem in the Corinthian church.��2�� In the context of a relatively few verses, he discusses the problem in terms not of details but of principles.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.6.27|AUTODETECT|” a. When [any one of you] has a lawsuit against someone. The phrase any one of you is purposely general, for Paul does not isolate any specific case. If even one Christian initiates a lawsuit, he has already violated a principle that Christ taught his followers, namely, to seek the good of one s fellow man even if he is an enemy 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.6.27|AUTODETECT|” Luke 6:27) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=59.2.8|AUTODETECT|” Should a Christian ever contemplate bringing a lawsuit against anyone? Yes, if he observes and fulfills the royal law, Love your neighbor as yourself 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=59.2.8|AUTODETECT|” James 2:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Also note the following points: First, Paul makes no distinction between a believer and an unbeliever but merely writes against someone. Next, he is not interested in detail but in principles. He knows that a court case often is a fight unto death in which irreparable harm (economic, psychological, and spiritual) is done to parties. ��3�� The person who sues another person is bent on obtaining, under cover of law, this party s financial resources. He is intent on winning the case regardless of the damaging effect the trial may have on the defendant.) 1 3 2 8 0 0 John Calvin, who studied law at two French universities before he became a theologian, keenly observed that the parties involved in lawsuits were motivated by greed, impatience, revenge, hostility, and obstinacy. He writes:) Indeed wherever law-suits occur frequently, or the parties are obstinate in joining issue with each other with the utmost rigour of the law, it is perfectly obvious that their minds are inflamed far too much by wrongful, greedy desires, and that they are not prepared for calmness of mind and endurance of wrongs, according to the commandment of Christ.��4��) The underlying motive for civil lawsuits is often incompatible with one s Christian profession.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.4.6|AUTODETECT|” b. Does any one of you & dare to go to law before the ungodly instead of the saints? Today s secular world urges people to demand their rights and, if denied, to take a person or an agency to court. But the Bible teaches love which, when put to practice, translates into conciliation. Disputes should be settled through mediation in a spirit of promoting each other s interests. Elsewhere Paul gives additional instruction when he says, No one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.4.6|AUTODETECT|” I Thess. 4:6) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.6.31|AUTODETECT|” Paul frankly asks the Corinthians whether anyone can bring himself to go to law. ��5�� He actually queries whether any Corinthian has the audacity to take a fellow Christian to court for the purpose of returning evil for evil instead of applying the Golden Rule 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.6.31|AUTODETECT|” Luke 6:31) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). He wants to know if anyone is so brazen as to seek judgement from sinners and not from God s holy people (NJB). The Greek word adikoi, which I have translated ungodly, means unbelievers; the other side of the proverbial coin is the word hagioi, which signifies holy ones.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.18.17|AUTODETECT|” The point Paul is making is that the Corinthians ought not to give the world an opportunity to ridicule Christ and to divide his church. By going to a Gentile judge, the Corinthians are washing their dirty linen in public! ��6�� If the Christians have a disagreement, let them settle it in the presence of God s own people 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.18.17|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 18:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). They should fulfill the command to love their neighbor as themselves.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 2. Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial cases?) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.19.28|AUTODETECT|” a. Knowledge. Do you not know? At least six times in this chapter,��7�� Paul reminds the readers of lessons about the end of time and morality that he taught them on earlier occasions. He engages them in a dialogue and they must respond positively to the rhetorical questions he poses. Here the question is whether the saints know that they will sit in judgment on the world 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.19.28|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 19:28) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.22.30|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.22.30|AUTODETECT|” Luke 22:30) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.20.4|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.20.4|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 20:4) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Of course, the Corinthians remember the lesson Paul taught them about the judgment day, when the books will be opened and everyone appears before God s throne.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.2.12|AUTODETECT|” b. Authority. The saints will judge the world. We are confident that Paul was acquainted with the teaching of intertestamental literature that speaks of the saints judging and ruling the nations and the peoples of the world (see, e.g., Wis. 3:8). He applies this teaching to the day of judgment. At that time, the roles will be reversed, for believers will be judging the sinful world including their earthly judges. The saints not only will judge, but also will reign with Christ in the age to come 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.2.12|AUTODETECT|” II Tim. 2:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Incidentally, Polycarp, who quotes the words the saints will judge the world, comments that Paul teaches this doctrine (Epistle to the Philippians 11.3).) 1 3 2 8 0 0 Paul has a follow-up question: And if the world is judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial cases? He employs the literary device of going from the greatest to the smallest.��8�� If the believers will judge the world on the judgment day, they ought to be able to take care of common matters among themselves today. They should be able to mediate problems in the congregation and settle the matters to the satisfaction of everyone involved. Compared with their momentous duties in the life to come, they certainly are competent to take care of trivial court cases in this life. To their shame, however, they fail to do so.) Paul makes another comparison, albeit implicit: If the Corinthians receive the singular honor of judging the world, how much more do they dishonor God s name and cause when they bring insignificant court cases before a Gentile judge. By contrast, Paul teaches his readers to love (that is, to honor) God and to love their neighbor.) 3.

Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more ordinary matters?) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.24.21-23.24.22|AUTODETECT|” Note that Paul includes himself when he writes the first person plural. He probably had earlier spoken about the fall of the angels and that God would judge them 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.24.21-23.24.22|AUTODETECT|” Isa. 24:21 22) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.2.4|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.2.4|AUTODETECT|” II Peter 2:4) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.6|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.6|AUTODETECT|” Jude 6) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.20.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.20.10|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 20:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.16|AUTODETECT|” ). We presume, however, that Paul is speaking about both the angels who left their former positions of authority and those who in purity and faithfulness continue to serve God. God s children are greater and higher in rank than the angels, for these reasons: First, man is created in God s image and has been redeemed by Christ. Next, because angels lack a physical body, they are not created in God s image and are not helped by Christ 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.16|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 2:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.1.14|AUTODETECT|” ). Third, God sends angels forth to serve man, who is about to inherit salvation 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.1.14|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 1:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). While fallen angels receive their just punishment, holy angels continue in their glorious service.) 1 21 2 8 0 0 Once again, Paul uses the familiar literary device of reasoning from the greatest to the smallest. Holy angels surround God s throne and as such are far above earthly woes and cares, while we mortals cope with ordinary matters on a daily basis. The comparison is unique, because this comparison occurs only here in Scripture. How much more, therefore, should we be able to settle commonplace concerns?) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 6:1 3) Verse 1) ������ ��� ��x� �x� ����� this is a technical phrase current in legal circles: having a suit against his neighbour. ��9�� The preposition ���� means against. And in context, the term ����� refers not to a Jew or a Gentile but to a fellow Christian with whom the plaintiff has an adversarial relation.) ��������� the middle voice of this present infinitive conveys a reciprocal idea, as if the pronoun ������ appeared in the context: to judge one another. ��10��) �� when this preposition is followed by the genitive case, it denotes in the presence of. ) Verses 2 3) ��������� although ancient manuscripts lacked accent marks, the context demands not the present ��������� (they judge) but the future tense. The passive form �������� with the prepositional phrase � Q��� features an instrumental dative, judged by you. ) ��������� �������� the noun signifies lawsuits and the adjective is an elative superlative that means very small. ) ���� �� here is an elliptical expression that is similar to ���� �� ������ and means not to speak of. ��11��) ) ) b.

The Wise Will Speak) 6:4 6) 4. If then you have cases of ordinary matters, do you appoint men who are of no account in the church?) a. Versions. The translations of this particular verse vary with respect to punctuation and interpretation. Is the second part of the verse a command, a statement of fact, or a question? The script in the ancient Greek manuscript was written without punctuation.

Hence, editors and translators of the Greek text must determine the meaning of the text, usually by studying the context. Here are three representative versions:) Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church. (NIV)) But when you have matters of this life to be judged, you bring them before those who are of no account in the Church. (NJB)) If you then have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? (NKJV)) The first six verses of this chapter contain a number of questions. Within this sequence, the position of an imperative at the end of a sentence is uncommon (see NIV). Even a statement of fact (NJB) disrupts the flow of the interrogative sentences. It then appears logical to take verse 4 as an interrogative statement rather than a declarative or an imperatival statement. If we understand the verse to be interrogative, how should we interpret it?) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.2.1-54.2.2|AUTODETECT|” b. Interpretation. From the preceding verse (v. 3), the expression ordinary matters is repeated, as is the term cases from verse 2. On the basis of these two verses, Paul comes to a conclusion with a conditional clause: If then you have cases of ordinary matters. He completes the sentence with a second clause, which is open to various interpretations. For instance, some translators consider the subject of the clause to be Gentile judges: those who are of no account in the church (NJB). Such an interpretation infers that these judges were held in contempt by the members of the Christian church 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.2.1-54.2.2|AUTODETECT|” I Tim. 2:1 2) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ), which seems unlikely. It also seem unlikely that the Corinthian Christians appointed Gentile judges, for these judges had already been appointed by the state.��12��) 1 2 2 8 0 0 Other translators, however, understand the judges to come from the Christian community itself. But would the community appoint judges who were considered to be of little significance or who were not respected? If Paul is asking a rhetorical question, he expects a negative answer. Moreover, he indirectly rebukes the Corinthians for their arrogance in looking down on fellow Christians. A Christian of little significance, according to Paul, is at least as competent as a non-Christian judge. Thus Paul applies the principle of contrast.) c.

Conclusion. No translation or interpretation is free from difficulties. The flow of the passage clearly depicts Paul s condemnation of the practice of Christians bringing lawsuits before Gentile judges. It seems that he prefers instead a principle used in biblical history. When Moses served God s people as judge in the Sinai desert, his father-in-law Jethro advised him to appoint assistant judges. He said,) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.18.21-2.18.22|AUTODETECT|” Select capable men from all the people men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. [) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.18.21-2.18.22|AUTODETECT|” Exod. 18:21 22) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ]) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=14.19.5|AUTODETECT|” Moses listened to Jethro and appointed capable and honorable men to serve the people as judges; these men took care of the trivial cases while Moses decided the difficult ones. Likewise, King Jehosaphat of Judah appointed judges in all the fortified cities of the land 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=14.19.5|AUTODETECT|” II Chron. 19:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). When the Jews returned to Israel from Babylon, they adopted this system, which was still current in apostolic times. Indeed, in every Jewish community throughout the Dispersion, the Jews had their own court of justice, their b�t d�n.��13�� Paul is now asking the Christians that they, too, appoint respectable and wise men from their own community to serve as judges.) 1 7 2 8 0 0 5. I say this to your shame. Is it actually possible that there is no wise man among you who is able to be an arbitrator between his brothers?) The Corinthian Christians long ago should have extended the principles of Christian faith to legal matters. They should have appointed wise and capable men from their own community to settle trivial cases for fellow Christians. Accordingly, Paul rebukes his readers for their neglect and apathy. Although he earlier wrote that he would not put them to shame (4:14), now he openly tells them that his words are meant to shame them.

He hopes that his rebuke will induce the readers to take immediate action to remedy the situation.) a. Is it actually possible that there is no wise man among you? Here is one more rhetorical question to which the Corinthians are expected to respond: Of course there is a wise man in our community. Paul wants them to appoint a man who is able to act as mediator, that is, a person who arbitrates between two people to bring about harmony. This wise man was comparable to a Jewish rabbi who settled problems in a Jewish community either in Israel or abroad.��14��) b. [A wise man] who is able to be an arbitrator. Paul is not suggesting that the Corinthians appoint judges to hold permanent office (see v. 7).

On the contrary, this passage breathes a spirit of mediation rather than revenge. The wise man acts not as a judge who delivers a verdict, but rather as a mediator who seeks to bring two parties together for mutual understanding and agreement.) c. Between his brothers. The Greek sentence is extremely terse in the last part of this verse: between his brothers, which we must understand to mean two Christian brothers. I have combined the reference to the two men in the expression brothers.) 6. However, a brother goes to law against a brother and that before unbelievers?) This verse can be understood as either an exclamation or a question.

In light of the near repetition (see v. 1), we favor an interrogative which, in the last part of this verse, emphatically expresses Paul s feelings.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=59.2.8|AUTODETECT|” The fact that a Christian brother is taking a fellow Christian to court is sufficient proof that he has set aside the command to love his neighbor. Within the Christian community this royal law 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=59.2.8|AUTODETECT|” James 2:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ) must function without restrictions. For Paul, this is an incredible situation that denies the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Can a plaintiff who goes to court have the spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial well-being of the Christian brother in mind? Writes Calvin,) 1 1 2 8 0 0 If a Christian therefore wants to prosecute his rights in a court of law, without going against God, he must take special care not to come into court with any desire for revenge, any bad feeling, any anger, or in a word any poisonous thing. In all this love will be the best guide.��15��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.6.15|AUTODETECT|” Even though the ideal is difficult to attain, the command to love one another is a fundamental precept for the Christian. Paul returns to this point in the next few verses. But now he queries whether the Corinthians are taking fellow believers to law before a non-Christian judge. In another place 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.6.15|AUTODETECT|” II Cor. 6:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ) Paul asks: What do believers and unbelievers have in common? The reply is emphatically negative. Moreover, the response implies that when these two categories of people come together, the believer garners detrimental results.) 1 21 2 8 0 0 ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 6:4 6) Verse 4) �r� �V� these inferential particles may be translated in colloquial English as Why, I myself thought.& ��16��) p� ���� the particle with the verb in the present subjunctive introduces the protasis of a conditional sentence that expresses probability. The apodosis has the verb �������� as the present indicative in interrogative form: Are you appointing? ) Verses 5 6) ���� manuscript evidence favors this reading instead of ���� (compare 15:34 and variant). The preferred reading denotes the content of speaking; the variant signifies the act of speaking.) �� this is a contraction of the form ������ (there is), which with the negative �P� means there is no. The duplication of �P in �P���� (no one) emphasizes the negative.) ��������� the compound verb differs in meaning from the simple verb �������� (v. 6). The compound means to arbitrate, the simple connotes to judge.��17��) ������ the singular noun fails to complete the sentence. It should have been either in the plural or repeated in the singular. & N[ew] T[estament] writers merely follow in the beaten track of Greek usage with proper freedom and individuality. ��18��) ���� in context, this preposition is used in an adversarial sense as against. ) ) ) c.

The Humble Will Endure) 6:7 8) 7. It is, then, already an utter defeat for you that you have lawsuits against yourselves. Why not rather be treated unjustly? Why not rather be defrauded?) a. Defeat. From a worldly perspective, Paul turns everything upside down when he says that winning a lawsuit is a defeat for the Corinthians.

Instead of telling them that they should demand their rights, he rebukes the Corinthians for degrading fellow Christians by taking them to court.) In the preceding verse (v. 6), Paul notes a single incident of a Christian who files a lawsuit against a fellow Christian. But in this verse he addresses all the Corinthians. In other words, the practice of suing one another appeared to be not uncommon in the Christian community. Paul states that this custom is unacceptable for believers; for them a lawsuit is an utter defeat. ��19��) Usually, before a person takes someone to court, he has already spent many hours discussing his grievances in the presence of the defendant and others. Paul s use of the word already points to this preliminary activity during which, in his opinion, the controversy should have been settled. If the plaintiff wants to proceed and initiate a lawsuit, he faces already an utter defeat, not only for himself but for the entire Christian community.) What is Paul trying to tell the Corinthians?

Simply this: Even if a judge should rule in favor of the plaintiff, the court case already has had a detrimental effect on both the defendant and the entire Christian community. The church demonstrates a lack of love in an atmosphere of hostility and is unable to be an effective witness to the world. The plaintiff should not receive any praise for winning a lawsuit, because he does so at the expense of the Christian community. Comments John Albert Bengel, Praise is not expressly mentioned here, but some such antithesis is intended. ��20��) The word choice in the first part of this verse is unique. Paul does not say that the Corinthians had lawsuits against one another, but against themselves. The entire Christian community, so to speak, becomes a defendant before Gentile judges.

The result is that these lawsuits are devastating to the morale of the Christian fellowship.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.5.40|AUTODETECT|” b. Injustice. Why not rather be treated unjustly? As if Paul anticipates objections to his words, he poses a question that implies a command for the Corinthians. In a subtle way, he reminds his readers of Jesus word, If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.5.40|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 5:40) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.6.29-42.6.30|AUTODETECT|” ; compare ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.6.29-42.6.30|AUTODETECT|” Luke 6:29 30) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Anyone instinctively protects his possessions, but Paul, following Jesus instruction, teaches his readers not to cling to earthly belongings. Rather, they should be willing to endure injustice.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.19-60.2.23|AUTODETECT|” c. Swindled. Why not rather be defrauded? If anything goes contrary to our sense of values, it is to permit ourselves to be robbed. If the Corinthians are still not convinced that material possessions have only transitory value, Paul asks them to submit to theft and that in a court of law. By asking the Corinthians to sustain a loss of material possessions, he encourages them to pursue love for one another and reveal a forgiving spirit. A spirit of meekness and unselfishness that willingly endures wrong 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.19-60.2.23|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 2:19 23) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ), not a spirit of greed, gains approbation before God. He who fosters this attitude follows in the steps of Jesus.) 1 7 2 8 0 0 8. But you treat unjustly and defraud, yes, even your brothers.) In this verse, Paul shows that he is fully aware of the effect litigations have had on the Corinthian community. These lawsuits have nursed an attitude of envy, anger, and hatred that now threatens the essence of the church s fellowship.) Two issues surface in this text. First, the concept of Christian fellowship is severely undermined by the litigious spirit of the Corinthians. How could a Christian still call a fellow church member a brother in the Lord if he had injured him morally, emotionally, and financially in a lawsuit? The lack of love and the presence of hatred has made true Christian fellowship impossible.

When individuals attack each other, the unity of the body disintegrates (compare 12:25).) A second concern is whether a Christian may sue in court at all. If a believer ought not to initiate a lawsuit, how does justice function within the context of a Christian fellowship? A Christian should lay aside any desire to treat his brother unjustly or to defraud him. Instead he should seek the material well-being of his fellow man and thus fulfill positively the commandment not to covet the possessions of one s neighbor.) For Paul, the conduct of the Corinthians is entirely contrary to Christian principles. They ought to solve their disputes and differences through mediation, promote the welfare of the Christian community, and bear a clear witness to the world.) ) Practical Considerations in 6:7 8) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.16.37|AUTODETECT|” May a Christian ever resort to court action? The Scriptures speak affirmatively to this question. To illustrate, the Book of Acts clearly shows that Paul used the Roman judicial system a number of times. Granted that he did not initiate lawsuits, he nevertheless appealed to Roman law to defend himself and the cause of Christianity 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.16.37|AUTODETECT|” Acts 16:37) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.22.25|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.22.25|AUTODETECT|” 22:25) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.25.11|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.25.11|AUTODETECT|” 25:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.13.1-45.13.5|AUTODETECT|” Furthermore, God has instituted civil government, which includes the judiciary. Government officials and judges are appointed by God to serve the public and ensure the welfare of citizens 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.13.1-45.13.5|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 13:1 5) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 16 2 8 0 0 Should the Christian community have its own judges and lawyers? Here also the answer is affirmative. Yet Christians ought to refrain from filing lawsuits, for litigation is a blot on the community. Christians should recognize that litigation is a manifestation of an absence of community. ��21�� Lawsuits contribute to the disintegration of a society and cause individualism to reign supreme. When this happens, loving concern for one s neighbor is extinguished in an atmosphere of rank egoism.) Society in general but Christians in particular ought to settle differences in a climate of mediation and reconciliation. Christian citizens should be in the forefront to foster respect for one s fellow man and thus contribute to building a stable society.

They must demonstrate that esteem and love for one another are the hallmarks of decency and morality.) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 6:7) $�� ��� the adverb already stands first in the sentence for emphasis. With it Paul points to a process that precedes court action. The particle ��� is balanced by the particle �� that should be supplied in the rhetorical questions Paul poses.) ���� ����� the preposition has an adversarial connotation ( against ; see v. 6). The reflexive pronoun is not synonymous with ������ (each other). The later would bring out the idea of diversity of interest, [while] ����� emphasizes that of identity of interest. ��22��) �������� & ����������� these two verbs in the present tense and middle voice express the idea to let yourselves to be wronged and robbed. ��23�� These two middle forms express a permissive or perhaps a causative sense.) ) ) d. The Ungodly Will Forfeit) 6:9 11) After Paul s discussion on court cases and their devastating effect on the Christian community, he broadens his discourse by mentioning sinful people who are barred from God s kingdom.

In this segment, Paul distinguishes between those who deliberately sin and the Corinthians who are cleansed from sin. As he alludes to these immoral sinners, he once again lists some of the same categories of evil people (see 5:9 11).) 9. Or do you not know that the ungodly will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, 10. thieves, greedy persons, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers none of them will inherit the kingdom of God.) a. Or do you not know? Paul continues with the conjunction or that links this passage to the preceding verses (vv. 2 and 3), which feature the same rhetorical questions.

Do the Corinthians know and understand the spiritual implications of lawsuits and sinful lives? The rhetorical question that Paul raises in this verse demands a positive answer.) b. The ungodly will not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul queries whether the Corinthians are aware of basic facts that pertain to God s kingdom.) First, who will inherit this kingdom? Certainly not the ungodly, whose sexual immorality and other sins disqualify them. They are people whose desire is to do wrong.��24�� They are inclined, unlike the righteous, to inflict damage on others and thus are dissimilar to the righteous.

Paul does not have in mind persons who see the error of their way and repent. He refers instead to those who willfully continue in their sins and glory in them.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.2.8-49.2.9|AUTODETECT|” Next, the word inherit relates to sons and daughters who share an inheritance in the kingdom and in this case are the children of God. They receive the inheritance not by works but by grace 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.2.8-49.2.9|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 2:8 9) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Unrepenting sinners, however, are excluded from the kingdom.) 1 2 2 8 0 0 Third, the verb to inherit means that there is no possibility that unrepentant sinners at some time will share God s blessing. The use of the future is definite: they will never inherit the kingdom.) And last, the concept kingdom occurs repeatedly in the synoptic Gospels, especially in that of Matthew. But in his first epistle to the Corinthians, Paul mentions the concept only five times (4:20; 6:9, 10; 15:24, 50). With the exception of 4:20, all these passages relate to the future blessings of the coming kingdom.��25��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.15.19-40.15.20|AUTODETECT|” c. Do not be deceived; immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites. Once more Paul exhorts the readers not to be deceived (see 3:18);��26�� they should be fully aware of the evil society in which they live. He enumerates sins that pertain to sexual immorality and mentions first the fornicators (see the commentary on 5:9, 10, 11). He uses this term to describe illicit intercourse either between a married and an unmarried person or between two unmarried persons. Paul affirms Jesus doctrine that sexual immorality makes a person unclean 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.15.19-40.15.20|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 15:19 20) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.1.18-45.1.32|AUTODETECT|” Notice that Paul places the idolaters between immoral people and adulterers. The inclusion of idolaters in this list of sexual sins seems slightly misplaced. But in the Gentile world of that day idolatry often was a source of sexual perversion 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.1.18-45.1.32|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 1:18 32) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.10|AUTODETECT|” The next three categories are adulterers, homosexuals, and sodomites. The first Greek expression, moichoi (adulterers), describes the sexual sin which a married person commits with someone who either is or is not married; it results in breaking the marriage bond. The next Greek word, malakoi (homosexuals), relates to men and boys who allow themselves to be misused homosexually. ��27�� This word connotes passivity and submission. By contrast, the third Greek term, arsenokoitai (sodomites), represents men who initiate homosexual practices 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.10|AUTODETECT|” I Tim. 1:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.19.1-1.19.10|AUTODETECT|” ). They are the active partners in these pursuits.��28�� From Greek and Latin prose, pottery, and sculpture, we learn that preoccupation with sexual practices was prevalent among men in the first century.��29�� These men wallowed in homosexual sins and rivaled even the inhabitants of ancient Sodom 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.19.1-1.19.10|AUTODETECT|” Gen. 19:1 10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.18.22|AUTODETECT|” ; see also ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.18.22|AUTODETECT|” Lev. 18:22) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.20.13|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.20.13|AUTODETECT|” 20:13) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 4 2 8 0 0 d. Thieves, greedy persons, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers. Paul now turns from sexual sins to those that pertain to material possessions, physical and verbal abuse, and robbery. He seems to echo the Decalogue, even though he does not list the ten sins he has enumerated in the order of the Ten Commandments. Except for the category thieves, the list is a repetition of an earlier passage (5:10 11).) e. None of them will inherit the kingdom of God.

The duplication of this solemn statement (v. 9) serves to emphasize the severity of the transgressions Paul has listed. He is not saying that a person who commits any of these sins will never inherit God s kingdom. He implies that anyone who persists in practicing these vices will be barred from entering the kingdom. But when a sinner shows genuine repentance and yields his life in faith to Christ, he is forgiven, cleansed from sin, freed from guilt, sanctified and declared righteous. The Corinthians could relate to Paul s expos� on moral sins, for some of the members had left a life of sexual and social sins.) 11. And that is what some of you were.

However, you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.) Note the following points:) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.2.17|AUTODETECT|” a. Unclean. And that is what some of you were. Jesus says that he came to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.2.17|AUTODETECT|” Mark 2:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.5.32|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.5.32|AUTODETECT|” Luke 5:32) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.15|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.15|AUTODETECT|” I Tim. 1:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.11.19|AUTODETECT|” ). The tax collectors and the prostitutes were the sinners in Jesus day; they were social and moral outcasts. Jesus called them to repentance and then ate and drank with them in their homes 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.11.19|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 11:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 2 2 8 0 0 When Paul first came to Corinth, he brought the gospel of salvation to some people who lived in sexual and social sins. In his epistle, Paul now speaks not in generalities but notes that only a few Corinthians used to live a degenerate life: some of you were [degenerates]. Because of their sinful lives they used to be unclean, but through the preaching of the gospel they have received the gift of salvation and are clean.) b. Cleansed. However, you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified. Using the strong adversative however, which in the Greek occurs before each one of the three verbs, Paul conveys the message of immense spiritual change.

He contrasts the sinful past of the Corinthians with their new life in Christ. In addition, he writes the second person plural you in this particular verse in every verb form. Paul wishes to be acutely personal in his address.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.22.16|AUTODETECT|” You were washed. The washing is thorough and complete. When God forgives a repentant sinner he clears the record of guilt. The verb washed (as translated) and the next two verbs (sanctified and justified) are in the passive voice. The verb to wash appears only twice in the New Testament, here and in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.22.16|AUTODETECT|” Acts 22:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.9.17-44.9.18|AUTODETECT|” . In the present text Paul refrains from using the verb to baptize, even though the act of washing away sin is linked to baptism. Here he wants to stress the effect of baptism. In Acts, Paul recounts his conversion experience in Damascus, when Ananias instructed him to be baptized and to wash his sins away 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.9.17-44.9.18|AUTODETECT|” Acts 9:17 18) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). He underscores the act of being cleansed from sin and leaves the impression that we should understand this act figuratively.��30�� As Paul himself had experienced the cleansing from his sin of persecuting Christ s church, so the Corinthians were cleansed from the sins of their former life.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.17.19|AUTODETECT|” You were sanctified. Already at the beginning of his epistle, Paul told the Corinthians that they were sanctified in Christ Jesus (1:2). Now he reminds them that they were made holy. The New Testament teaches that everyone who believes in Jesus is sanctified in him 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.17.19|AUTODETECT|” John 17:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.20.32|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.20.32|AUTODETECT|” Acts 20:32) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.26.18|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.26.18|AUTODETECT|” 26:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Sanctification means that the believer has entered into God s fellowship (see 1:9).) 1 1 2 8 0 0 You were justified. In earlier centuries, Protestant theologians debated whether sanctification should precede justification, for elsewhere in this epistle Paul places righteousness before holiness (1:30).��31�� Justification is a declarative act of God whereby the believer is pronounced righteous in Christ and is coordinated with God s act of sanctification. The three verbs (washed, sanctified, justified) are grammatically related. In the Greek, they are in the aorist tense, which describes a single instantaneous action. Paul is saying that at a given moment God declared the Corinthians both holy and righteous. In this context, he is not explaining the distinction between sanctification and justification but is writing a discourse against unrighteousness.��32��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.28.19|AUTODETECT|” c. Grace. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. The last part of this verse reveals an implied trinitarianism, for Paul mentions Jesus Christ, the Spirit, and God. Yet this observation should not be pressed, for in this text Paul does not explicitly teach the trinitarian baptismal formula of the Great Commission 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.28.19|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 28:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.2.38|AUTODETECT|” ).��33�� Nonetheless, the phrase in the name of occurs at times in connection with baptism 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.2.38|AUTODETECT|” Acts 2:38) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.8.16|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.8.16|AUTODETECT|” 8:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.19.5|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.19.5|AUTODETECT|” 19:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 0 The concluding part of the verse must be linked to every one of the preceding verbs (wash, sanctify, justify). The preposition in occurs twice, applies to all three verbs, and must be understood to mean in relation to. Let us now consider how these three verbs relate to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.3.11|AUTODETECT|” First, the washing away of sin is the result of baptism. Believers are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and in the power of the Spirit 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.3.11|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 3:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.33|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.33|AUTODETECT|” John 1:33) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.10.48|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.10.48|AUTODETECT|” Acts 10:48) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Paul uses Jesus full name, the Lord Jesus Christ, but he writes the Spirit of God, not the Holy Spirit. The former word choice is common for Paul, especially in this epistle (2:11, 12, 14; 3:16; 7:40; 12:3).) 1 1 2 8 0 0 Next, the act of sanctifying believers is based on the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ and is sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, justification has its basis in Jesus atoning work and becomes real to the believer through the Spirit s powerful testimony.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.3.16|AUTODETECT|” Last, the act of justifying the believer appears in connection with the power of the Spirit only in this text. True, in the early Christian hymn of ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.3.16|AUTODETECT|” I Timothy 3:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , Christ is vindicated by the Spirit; but nowhere else in Scripture do we find the Spirit involved in the believer s justification. The Holy Spirit takes part in the sanctification of the believer, but justification is God s work based on Christ s righteousness. Only in the present text is the Spirit linked to the believer s justification.) 1 2 2 8 0 0 ) Practical Considerations in 6:11) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.7.48|AUTODETECT|” God s forgiving grace offered to sinners who repent is both overwhelming and thoroughly gratifying. Jesus tells the immoral woman who entered the house of Simon the Pharisee, Your sins are forgiven.& Your faith has saved you; go in peace 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.7.48|AUTODETECT|” Luke 7:48) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.7.50|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.7.50|AUTODETECT|” 50) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.8.11|AUTODETECT|” ). He addresses the woman caught in adultery by saying, Go now and leave your life of sin 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.8.11|AUTODETECT|” John 8:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.23.43|AUTODETECT|” ). To one of the criminals crucified with him he remarks, I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.23.43|AUTODETECT|” Luke 23:43) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.9.15|AUTODETECT|” ). And he calls Paul, the persecutor of the early Christians, my chosen instrument 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.9.15|AUTODETECT|” Acts 9:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=12.21.1-12.21.9|AUTODETECT|” The Old Testament reveals the astonishing account of God s grace extended to Manasseh, king of Judah and son of Hezekiah. Manasseh was born into the family of Hezekiah, who loved the Lord and faithfully served him. Manasseh, however, did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He worshiped the Baals, built altars to the starry hosts in the courts of the temple, sacrificed his own son, practiced sorcery and divination, placed a carved image in God s temple, led astray the people in his kingdom, and shed innocent blood 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=12.21.1-12.21.9|AUTODETECT|” II Kings 21:1 9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=12.21.16|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=12.21.16|AUTODETECT|” 16) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=14.33.1-14.33.9|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=14.33.1-14.33.9|AUTODETECT|” II Chron. 33:1 9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=14.33.12-14.33.13|AUTODETECT|” ). Yet this king, when he came to himself in captivity, repented. God not only forgave him but restored him as king of Judah 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=14.33.12-14.33.13|AUTODETECT|” II Chron. 33:12 13) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 2 2 8 0 0 Reading this narrative, we are amazed at God s forgiving grace. We try to fathom the depth of God s forgiving love, and we boldly ask whether God will forgive any and every sin committed against him. Will he pardon those sins which, as Paul indicates, exclude a sinner from the kingdom of God? The answer is affirmative to every sinner who comes to God, confesses his sin, and pleads for mercy.) Here is Jesus assurance, with one qualification:) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.12.31-40.12.32|AUTODETECT|” Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. [) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.12.31-40.12.32|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 12:31 32) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ]) 1 27 2 8 0 0 ) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 6:11) ����� the pronoun in the neuter plural is used to refer not to things but to people. A more accurate word would be �������� (such persons), although the neuter plural pronoun is emphatic and direct.) ���������� most translators interpret this aorist middle indicative of ������ (I wash) as passive.��34�� Believers are unable to wash away their own sins, for only Christ Jesus cleanses them. Yet some translators present a literal translation: you washed yourselves clean. ��35�� They interpret the middle to mean that baptismal candidates submitted themselves to baptism.) � this preposition interchanges often with the preposition �0�. As is well known, � and �0� are really the same word. Hence the rigid distinction between the two prepositions cannot be insisted on. ��36��) ) 4. Immorality) 6:12 20) 12 All things are permissible to me, but all things are not profitable; all things are permissible to me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will destroy both of them.

The body is not for immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 God has not only raised the Lord but will also raise us by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Well, then, shall I take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that the one who cleaves to a prostitute is one body with her? For he says,) The two shall become one flesh, ) 17 But the one who cleaves to the Lord is one spirit with him.) 18 Flee immorality. Every other sin a man commits is outside his body, but the immoral man, sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? And you do not belong to yourselves. 20 You were bought with a price; glorify God then in your body.) ) After admonishing the Corinthians about litigations, Paul now returns to the subject of immorality.

In the preceding chapter he gave instructions concerning the case of incest; now he discusses general principles pertaining to sexual immorality.) a. Permission) 6:12 14) 12. All things are permissible to me, but all things are not profitable; all things are permissible to me, but I will not be mastered by anything.) In verses 12 and 13a, Paul writes two slogans that were used by the Corinthians. He lists the slogans successively and gives his appropriate response:) Slogan Response ) All things are permissible to me but all things are not profitable ) All things are permissible to me but I will not be mastered by anything ) Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food but God will destroy both of them ) ) ) Let us now comment on the individual slogans and Paul s responses that follow.) a. All things are permissible to me. This slogan appears four times in Paul s first epistle to the Corinthians (6:12 [twice], 10:23 [twice]).

The origin of the slogan is not of paramount importance. We cannot determine with certainty whether Paul had given his readers these words. Nor do we know whether the motto came from Greek philosophers or incipient Gnostics.��37�� What is significant is that certain members of the Corinthian congregation used the slogan as an excuse to advance their understanding of Christian liberty.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.22.37-40.22.40|AUTODETECT|” Freethinking Corinthians were of the opinion that they could do whatever they pleased.��38�� Their application of the motto all things are permissible to me exceeded the limits of acceptable Christian behavior. Instead of living as forgiven, holy, and righteous believers, they indulged in sexual and social sins. Instead of submitting to the rule of Jesus Christ, they condoned sin in the name of the freedom granted them in Christ. Instead of serving the Lord and their neighbor in genuine Christian love 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.22.37-40.22.40|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 22:37 40) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ), they served themselves.) 1 4 2 8 0 0 In one of his succinct sayings, Martin Luther has shed some light on the Corinthians faulty understanding of Christian liberty. He wrote, A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all. ��39��) b. But all things are not profitable (compare Sir. 37:28). Some freethinking Corinthians seemed to apply the words all things to everything, including sexually immoral acts. But Paul rejects the notion that the expression must be understood to include sin; God s commandments delineate clear parameters for acceptable conduct.

Although Paul agrees with the motto, he qualifies it with an adversative statement: but not all things are helpful (RSV). In this statement he omits the referent. That is, he does not say helpful to me or helpful to you but leaves the matter open. But our conduct, whether good or bad, always affects people with whom we interact. We have no right to do whatever we please without taking note of any harmful effect our behavior has on our fellow man. Selfishness is contrary to the command to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Consequently, Paul writes, But all things are not profitable. ) c. All things are permissible to me, but I will not be mastered by anything. ��40�� Again Paul cites the motto that circulated in the Christian community at Corinth, and he once more limits its extent and thereby its impact. The expression all things has a counterpart in the negated pronoun anything.) What is Paul trying to communicate with this disclaimer? First, in the Greek Paul presents a play on words. When he says that all things are lawful for him, he means that he has authority to do all things. The play on words in Greek is reflected in the italicized terms.

To have authority is to have mastery over something or someone. But, says Paul, I will not permit anything or anyone to have authority over me. Next, he becomes personal by applying the motto to himself in the first person singular. He does so quite often to provide leadership and guidance for the readers who face moral and social issues.��41�� Third, by identifying himself with these issues, he notes the fact that he no longer possesses that which possesses him.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.4.7|AUTODETECT|” God has given us natural appetites which we may satisfy in Christian liberty. For example, we are limited by natural and moral laws: eating and drinking should be done with moderation, and sex should be kept within the bonds of holy matrimony. But if a person yields to sin, he is its slave and sin his master 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.4.7|AUTODETECT|” Gen. 4:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.6.16|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.6.16|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 6:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). A person can freely exercise Christian liberty in all things provided this takes place in communion with Christ.) 1 5 2 8 0 0 13. Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will destroy both of them. The body is not for immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.) a. Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food. Beginning with a general slogan, all things are permissible to me, Paul now recites a specific proverbial saying: it pertains to food and the stomach. The composer of this saying, whoever he was, made it vivid by reversing the two nouns in its second half.

Therefore, the public readily accepted the motto. But even though Paul acknowledges the truth of this proverb, he adds a comment to the motto in a manner similar to that of the preceding text (see v. 12).) God has created a world that produces a variety of foods to sustain life. If not wasted, food terminates in the stomach of the one who eats. And conversely, a stomach receives food for the benefit of the consumer. This is how God designed his great creation. But God also sets limits.

Food products that are subject to perishing, and human life, which is subject to aging, in time pass away. Both food and the stomach are temporal and lack permanence.) b. But God will destroy both of them. Here Paul addressed the temporality of food and the stomach. To stress their fleeting nature, he states that God will destroy both. In this context, Paul does not elaborate on either eating foods offered to idols, Christian liberty, or eating and drinking to God s glory.

Elsewhere he addresses those topics (8; 10:23 33).) c. The body is not for immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. The message Paul delivers to the Corinthians is that they should not identify sexual appetite with an appetite for food and drink. J. B. Lightfoot notes that the Corinthians confused the prohibitions of two different categories, meats and drinks on the one hand, and sins of sensuality on the other. ��42�� Food and drink should be consumed with moderation and discretion.

But consumption as such is not a matter of morality, for anyone with sanctified common sense wishes to be and to remain healthy. Conversely, God s command to shun fornication and adultery relates to sexual morality.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.1.26|AUTODETECT|” God created the human body not for sinful pleasure but for his glory. He formed it in his image and after his likeness 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.1.26|AUTODETECT|” Gen. 1:26) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.15.29|AUTODETECT|” ), not for sexual immorality. The members of the Jerusalem Council knew that the Gentiles considered sexual immorality acceptable. Thus, to the decrees on food the council members added the moral law: To abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from strangled animals, and from fornication 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.15.29|AUTODETECT|” Acts 15:29) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.20.14|AUTODETECT|” ). Those Corinthians who flaunted their freedom in Christ considered themselves free to indulge in eating and in sexual gratification. But their sexual immorality violated the precepts of the Jerusalem Council and was a transgression of the Decalogue 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.20.14|AUTODETECT|” Exod. 20:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.5.18|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.5.18|AUTODETECT|” Deut. 5:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.1.28|AUTODETECT|” God created man s physical body for service in his creation 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.1.28|AUTODETECT|” Gen. 1:28) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.4.3-52.4.5|AUTODETECT|” ). He instituted marriage for the propagation of the human race and for the enrichment of the marriage partners. He sees the use of the human body for fornication to be absolutely contrary to this purpose 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.4.3-52.4.5|AUTODETECT|” I Thess. 4:3 5) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Hence Paul notes that the body is to serve the Lord and, he adds, the Lord is for the body.) 1 4 2 8 0 0 To the slogan of the Corinthians Paul adds his own teaching. He parallels the rhythm and style of their slogan:) Food for the stomach and the stomach for food.) The body for the Lord and the Lord for the body.) As food and the stomach are meant for each other so the physical body and the Lord serve each other. Both food and the stomach are of passing significance, but the body and the Lord have lasting significance in relation to the resurrection. The parallelism should not be pressed to its logical conclusion, for that is not Paul s purpose.��43��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.14.8|AUTODETECT|” Our physical body, created by God but stained by sin, will at death descend into the grave. It has been redeemed by Christ and will be raised as his body was raised. The Lord claims this body because it belongs to him 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.14.8|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 14:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 0 14. God has not only raised the Lord but will also raise us by his power.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.10-58.2.11|AUTODETECT|” Inasmuch as God destroys food and the stomach, he restores both Christ s body and ours in the resurrection. We should discern the difference in both the time and the kind between Christ s resurrection and ours. Christ is the firstfruit and we are his followers (15:15, 20). He is the author of our salvation and we are his family 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.10-58.2.11|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 2:10 11) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). But this difference is not Paul s concern in the present text.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 In the Gentile world of Paul s day, Greek philosophers considered man s physical body of insignificant value while they regarded his soul to be all-important. For this reason, Paul returns to the doctrine of the resurrection in chapter 15 and stresses the significance of the human body. But in the current context, he merely introduces the fact that God raised Christ from the dead; and he gives the assurance that God will also raise our bodies by his power. The understanding is that as Jesus was raised physically so our physical bodies will be raised. Note that Paul becomes personal by using the first person plural pronoun us, in which he himself is included.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.116.15|AUTODETECT|” Although committed to the grave at the time of death, our physical bodies are precious to God 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.116.15|AUTODETECT|” Ps. 116:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.8.11|AUTODETECT|” ). He has high regard for them and will raise them by his power 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.8.11|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 8:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.4.14|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.4.14|AUTODETECT|” II Cor. 4:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.13.4|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.13.4|AUTODETECT|” 13:4) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). God s power reached down to Christ s body in the tomb, and that same power will touch our dead bodies in the grave to give them life.) 1 14 2 8 0 0 ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 6:12 14) Verses 12 13) �������������� the use of the future passive of �������� (I have authority over) demonstrates a play on words, for the verb ������ (it is permitted) denotes that the person to whom it applies has received authority (������).) ����� this indefinite pronoun can be either masculine or neuter . The second translation is preferred because it balances the neuter ����� (all things).) ��� & ��� the repetition of the conjunction signifies both & and. ) Verse 14) ������� the future active fits the teaching that portrays man s physical resurrection as a coming event.��44�� It also balances the future tense of ���������� (he will destroy) in the preceding verse (v. 13). Other readings are the aorist ��������, which follows the aorist of the single verb $������, and the present tense ��������, which probably represents an unintentional scribal error.��45�� Translators favor the first reading. The compound verb and the single verb are identical in meaning.) ) ) b. Prostitute) 6:15 17) 15. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?

Well, then, shall I take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!) a. Do you not know? Once again, Paul asks a rhetorical question with the verb to know that demands an affirmative answer (see, e.g., vv. 2, 3, 9). He seems to refresh the memory of his readers by referring to earlier oral teachings.��46�� He asks whether they have any knowledge concerning their own bodies.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.12.5-45.12.6|AUTODETECT|” b. Your bodies are members of Christ. Paul continues the thought of a previous verse (v. 13) in which he stated that the body is for the Lord and the Lord for the body. Now he reveals the extent of this intimate relationship: the physical body of the believer is actually a member of Christ. In this verse Paul states the simple fact that believers are members of Christ. In a subsequent context he extends this fact to the body of Christ, which is the church 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.12.5-45.12.6|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 12:5 6) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Christ uses our physical bodies to further the cause of the gospel and to foster his fellowship. We, therefore, are Christ s hands and feet! We must obey the directives that come from Christ; he is our head and we are his limbs.) 1 7 2 8 0 0 c. Well, then, shall I take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Paul expects to receive a positive answer to his first question (v. 15a) and now continues with another query. Before he poses it, he wants his readers to agree with him and thus he writes, well, then. He is saying, If this is so, shall I take away from Christ these limbs that do his bidding and unite them with a prostitute? Paul expects a negative answer from the Corinthians.) The Greek word porn (prostitute) is an echo of the word porneia (fornication, sexual immorality [vv. 13, 19]; the colloquial English word porn derives from it).

In the Greek culture of that day, prostitution and fornication were considered permissible activities. Athenaeus, a writer in the second century a.d., quotes from a speech of Demosthenes, We keep mistresses for pleasure, concubines for daily concubinage, but wives we have in order to produce children legitimately and to have a trustworthy guardian of our domestic property. ��47��) When Paul speaks of the members of Christ and the members of a prostitute, he does not intend to draw an exact parallel. Rather, he contrasts the sacred fellowship of the believer with Christ and the sinful lust of the person who has relations with a prostitute. Christ is so joined to us, and we to Him, that we are united in one body with Him. ��48�� Paul expresses justifiable indignation regarding the moral condition in Corinth, where sexual immorality occurred even among Christians. But Paul teaches that if they are united with Christ, they cannot be united with a prostitute. These two concepts are mutually exclusive.

Hence, Paul answers his own rhetorical question with a sharp retort.) d. Never! The negative answer to Paul s question is given in one word, never. Other versions read, Certainly not (NKJV), Impossible (GNB), or Out of the question (NJB). All of them stress that the matter at hand is unthinkable.) 16. Or do you not know that the one who cleaves to a prostitute is one body with her?

For he says,) The two shall become one flesh. ) a. Or do you not know? Notice the repetitive phrase do you not know? that occurs three times (vv. 15, 16, 19). We surmise that in his oral communications, Paul had taught the Corinthians to discontinue the sexually immoral practices of the Gentiles. They had to know that they belonged to Jesus with body and soul. Let no one say that he serves Christ in spirit but bodily is free to do as he pleases.

Body and spirit are intimately connected. If a person has sexual relations with a prostitute, his act involves not merely his physical but also his spiritual being. The act affects his inner self and directs him materially, socially, and religiously. Concludes Horst Seebass, He who unites himself to a harlot has a common existence with her. There is no purely sexual sin. The spirit of the brothel and the Spirit of Christ mutually exclude one another. ��49��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.10.20|AUTODETECT|” b. The one who cleaves to a prostitute is one body with her. In English the words with her must be supplied to make the translation of the Greek sentence complete. Scripture shows that the verb to cleave refers to more than a physical union; it involves a bonding relationship that has spiritual implications. Here are two illustrations: First, God commanded the Israelites to fear him, to serve him, and to cleave to him 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.10.20|AUTODETECT|” Deut. 10:20) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=11.11.1-11.11.8|AUTODETECT|” ). Next, Solomon clung to his foreign wives who induced him to worship other gods instead of the Lord God 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=11.11.1-11.11.8|AUTODETECT|” I Kings 11:1 8) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.2.24|AUTODETECT|” c. For he says, The two shall become one flesh. Paul denounces sexual sin by stating that the man who cleaves to a prostitute is one body with her. He proves his point by alluding to the account of Eve s creation in which the verb to cleave occurs. For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.2.24|AUTODETECT|” Gen. 2:24) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , NASB). Of this verse, he cites only the last part and takes it from the Septuagint translation: The two shall become one flesh. ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.19.5|AUTODETECT|” This one-line quotation from the institution of marriage seems out of place, for the passage relates to the sinless state of Adam and Eve in paradise. Nevertheless, the statement holds true for every marriage 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.19.5|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 19:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.5.31|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.5.31|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 5:31) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Within the bonds of marriage, a Christian husband and wife become one flesh and are one in the Lord. But when the husband has illicit relations with a prostitute, he is one flesh with her and breaks his bond with the Lord. Instead of receiving God s blessing, he is under God s curse.��50�� As a sexually immoral person he forfeits his share in the kingdom of God (v. 10).) 1 3 2 8 0 0 17. But the one who cleaves to the Lord is one spirit with him.) This verse parallels the first part of the preceding verse: the one who cleaves to a prostitute is one body with her (v. 16). The verb to cleave, used in both verses, actually means to be glued to someone. The relationship is as close as two pieces of glass lying on top of each other; it is impossible to lift the one piece from the other because the air pressure glues them together, as it were. That is the relationship a Christian should have with the Lord.) Already Paul noted that our bodies are members of Christ (v. 15) and thus stressed the uniqueness of our physical frame. Now he mentions the close relationship of our spirit that is joined to Christ.

He contrasts the bodily union of a male and a female with the spiritual union of the believer and Christ. This contrast cannot be pressed, for although a prostitute and Christ are complete opposites, body and spirit are not. For the believer, body and soul form a unit in service for the Lord. Clinging to a prostitute constitutes degradation and brings disrepute; clinging to the Lord signifies exaltation and results in esteem.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.3.17|AUTODETECT|” A believer becomes united with the Lord through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.��51�� Thus he becomes one with the Lord in spirit and enjoys an inner union with him 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.3.17|AUTODETECT|” II Cor. 3:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). In this verse (see v. 16), we also have to supply the words with him to complete the translation of the Greek.) 1 4 2 8 0 0 ) Practical Considerations in 6:16 17) Striking indeed is the contrast between the person who clings to a prostitute and the one who adheres to Christ. For instance, the relationship between a man and a prostitute is momentary, without love, devoid of responsibility, mutually destructive, decidedly egocentric, and shamefully immoral. Conversely, the believer s relationship with Jesus Christ is characterized by permanence, love, trust, edification, obedience, and purity.) Prostitution makes one prone to disease and is degrading, sinful, and damaging to one s soul. However, Christ exalts a person, encourages wholesome living, instructs him or her in the law of love for God and one s fellow human being, and refreshes the believer s spirit.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.5.21-49.5.33|AUTODETECT|” An immoral person fails to enjoy matrimonial bliss, experiences failure in personal intimacy, substitutes sex for service to God, and indulges in vulgarity, obscenity, and sensuality. But a Christian builds loving and lasting companionship with his spouse, seeks fulfillment in serving others, loves his Lord, joyfully worships God, cultivates wholesome speech, promotes decency, and exemplifies virtue. Thus we can understand why the Ephesian letter [) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.5.21-49.5.33|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 5:21 33) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ] emphasizes that Christ and his church, as the bridegroom and the bride, constitute the union that is normative for marriage. ��52��) 1 6 2 8 0 0 ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 6:15 16) Verse 15) ������ this is either a future active indicative or the aorist active subjunctive . Because the sentence is interrogative, the deliberative subjunctive is preferred. It expresses doubt and incredulity.) �t ������� the aorist optative of ������� (I am, become) in the optative with the negative particle �� expresses a negative wish in the form of a prayer: May it not be so! ) Verse 16) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.2.24|AUTODETECT|” ���������� Paul uses the present middle participle of the single verb instead of the compound verb in the Genesis account (2:24, LXX). Even though the compound participle �������������� denotes direction, the difference between these two verb forms is insignificant; both in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.2.24|AUTODETECT|” Genesis 2:24) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 and this verse the forms refer to the union of the sex act.��53�� In addition, it has spiritual implications.) 1 7 2 8 0 0 �� ����� the presence of the definite article conveys the meaning that Paul refers not to a single individual but to a category.) �0� this preposition with the noun ����� (flesh) in the accusative case forms the predicate nominative construction: the two shall become one flesh. ) ) ) c. Purchased) 6:18 20) 18. Flee immorality. Every other sin a man commits is outside his body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.39.12|AUTODETECT|” a. Flee immorality. This short command is exemplified by Joseph in the house of his Egyptian master Potiphar, whose wife tried to seduce him. Joseph left his cloak in her hand when he fled from the house 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.39.12|AUTODETECT|” Gen. 39:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). In this command, Paul uses the verb to flee in the present tense, which connotes continued action. He is urging the Corinthians to shun the immorality which they daily encounter in the sexually degenerate society of Corinth (compare 10:14).) 1 3 2 8 0 0 b. Every other sin a man commits is outside his body. What is Paul saying in this succinct statement? Literature on verse 18b has been voluminous and falls into two categories: this part of the verse is either a Corinthian slogan��54�� or a statement that Paul has written.��55�� The first alternative is that Paul qualifies the slogan with the clause, but the immoral man sins against his own body (v. 18c). Scholars object to this interpretation, however, for they think that Paul s qualifying response to the Corinthian slogan is abrupt.��56�� Furthermore, Paul s response is inadequate to counteract the impact of this presumed motto uttered by free-thinking Corinthians.) The second alternative is favored because in it Paul exhorts his readers to flee fornication a sin that is detrimental to both body and soul. In that setting he utters the message of verse 18.

No other sin engages one s power of bodily personal communication in precisely so intimate a way. All other sins are in this respect by comparison outside the body. ��57�� Most translators have supplied the word other to the Greek text that reads, Every sin a man commits is outside his body. They do so because the text expresses the exception of the sin of fornication.) What about chemical dependency on drugs or alcohol? Are these also sins against the body? Granted that the craving for these substances originates within a person, the substances themselves enter the human body from the outside. But the sin of fornication which arises in the spirit seeks gratification of the physical body itself and thus is confined to the body.

In a sense this sin is different from all other sins, because it stays within the body.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.39.9|AUTODETECT|” c. But the immoral man sins against his own body. The adversative but necessitates the insertion of the word other in the preceding clause, Every other sin a man commits is outside his body. Here, then, is the exception to the sins committed outside the body: fornication is the only sin directed against one s physical body (see Sir. 23:16 27). The fornicator sinfully uses his body against the Lord, who created, redeemed, and sanctified it. Thus Joseph asked Potiphar s wife. How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.39.9|AUTODETECT|” Gen. 39:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).��58�� Conversely, a husband and wife who are one in the Lord communicate their love for each other in the intimacy of the sex act. And they experience mutual satisfaction instead of alienation and guilt. In short, they rejoice in God s gracious gift of marital bliss.) 1 3 2 8 0 0 19. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? And you do not belong to yourselves.) a. Or do you not know? The comparative conjunction or provides an additional reason for fleeing sexual immorality. For the last time in this chapter, Paul rhetorically asks the Corinthians whether they have definite knowledge (see vv. 2, 3, 9, 15, and 16).

They again have to give an affirmative answer to this query. We assume that on an earlier occasion Paul had taught them about the purpose, use, and destiny of their physical bodies.) b. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you. Paul reminds the Corinthians of the sacredness of their bodies. He notes that the Holy Spirit makes his abode within them, so that their body is his temple. He writes the two words body and temple in the singular to apply them to the individual believer.

Further, through the word order in the Greek, he places emphasis on the Holy Spirit. Paul literally writes to the Corinthians, Your body is a temple of the one within you, namely the Holy Spirit. That is, the physical body of the Christian belongs to the Lord and serves as the residence of the Holy Spirit.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.26.31-2.26.34|AUTODETECT|” What an honor to have God s Spirit dwelling within us! Note that Paul writes the word temple (see the commentary on 3:16). The Greek has two words that are translated temple. The first one is hieron, which refers to the general temple complex, as in the city of Jerusalem. The second is naos, which denotes the temple building with the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.26.31-2.26.34|AUTODETECT|” Exod. 26:31 34) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.9.1-58.9.5|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.9.1-58.9.5|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 9:1 5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.4.30|AUTODETECT|” ). Naos is used in the present verse. For the Jew, this was the place where God dwelled among his people until the destruction of the temple in a.d. 70. For the Christian, not a fixed geographic site but the body of the individual believer is the place where God s Spirit is pleased to dwell. In the early church, Irenaeus called individual Christians temples of God and described them as stones for the Father s temple. ��59�� If, then, the Spirit of God dwells within us, we should avoid grieving him 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.4.30|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 4:30) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.5.19|AUTODETECT|” ) or extinguishing his fire 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.5.19|AUTODETECT|” I Thess. 5:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 3 2 8 0 0 c. Whom you have from God. In this brief segment of the verse, Paul teaches first that the individual believers possess and continue to possess the gift of the Holy Spirit. Next, he reveals that the Spirit s origin is from God.) d. And you do not belong to yourselves. We are not the owners of our own bodies, for God created us, Jesus redeemed us, and the Holy Spirit makes his abode within us.

The triune God claims ownership, but he leaves us free to consecrate and yield our physical bodies to him. By contrast, those who commit fornication desecrate the temple of the Holy Spirit and cause untold spiritual and physical damage to themselves and others. For this reason, Paul exhorts us to flee sexual immorality (v. 18). Because God owns our body, we are its stewards and must give an account to him. Therefore, we ought to guard its sanctity and protect it from defilement and destruction. God s temple is holy and precious.) 20.

You were bought with a price; glorify God then in your body.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.*?id=48.4.6-48.4.7|AUTODETECT|” a. You were bought with a price. These words allude to Jesus death on Calvary s cross where he paid the price of our redemption. Jesus paid for our freedom from sin, so that as redeemed children of our heavenly Father we may share his blessings. The term bought calls to mind the marketplace where slaves were bought and sold.��60�� If this is what Paul means, he alludes to Christians whom Christ has bought as slaves to serve him. Christ now owns them and is their master.

In a parallel passage, Paul says the same thing: For he who was called by the Lord while a slave is a freedman of the Lord, likewise the freedman when he was called is a slave of the Lord. You were bought with a price. Do not become slaves of men 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=48.4.6-48.4.7|AUTODETECT|” Gal. 4:6 7) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 6 2 8 0 0 b. Glorify God then in your body. ��61�� Here is Paul s concluding statement to a lengthy discourse on sexual immorality (6:12 20). He has skillfully turned a negative discussion to a positive exhortation. He tells the Corinthians to use their bodies, which are the Spirit s holy temple, to honor God. They can do so by listening obediently to his voice as he speaks to them through his revelation. A seventeenth-century catechism raises the question, What is the chief end of man?

The answer is, To glorify God, and enjoy him forever. ��62��) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 6:18 20) Verse 18) ������� instead of the noun ������ (sin), which denotes the action itself, ������� describes the result of the action. It is a transgression.) ���� as an adverb used as an improper preposition, it signifies outside and here relates to sin. Apart from fornication [��x�] ��� ������� ���� remains outside the body, since immorality pollutes the body itself. ��63��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.5.29|AUTODETECT|” �0� this preposition indicates a goal that is set with hostile intent and means against. The paradox is that man who cares for his own body 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.5.29|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 5:29) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ) turns against it by committing fornication. This particular sin, in contrast to all other sins that are outside the body, originates and stays within the body.) 1 15 2 8 0 0 Verse 19) �x ���� Q��� with the plural pronoun, the singular noun is distributive. Because everyone has a physical body, the pronoun is sufficient to express the plural.) ���� the temple, that is, the place where God dwells with his people. God has chosen the bodies of the redeemed to be the abode of his Spirit.) Verse 20) ����� at a price. The verb ��������� (you were bought) controls the genitive case, is the aorist passive, and by implication has Christ as its subject. The genitive can be explained as a genitive of quantity: you were bought for a price. ��64��) �� the shortened form of $�� (now, already) is a particle used with the imperative glorify! to show urgency, Glorify God then in your bodies. ) Summary of Chapter 6) The Corinthian Christians take one another to court before Gentile judges. Paul rebukes them and inquires whether they do not have godly men who can settle their trivial disputes.

He points out that the saints will judge the world and the angels. Therefore, they should appoint a wise man from their midst as mediator instead of going to law before unbelievers.) Paul teaches the readers that their disputes arise from a lack of love, tolerance, and integrity. He notes that the wicked do not inherit God s kingdom. Sex offenders, idolaters, thieves, drunkards, and slanderers also are barred from the kingdom. But the Corinthians have been washed, sanctified, and justified.) Some of the Corinthians utter slogans that everything is permissible for them, and that food is for the stomach and the stomach for food. Paul corrects the Corinthians with comments on these slogans.

He teaches them that their bodies belong to the Lord; they are not meant for sexual immorality. Their bodies are members of Christ and therefore should never be united with a prostitute. Paul supports his teaching by referring to a passage from the creation account. He urges the readers to flee immorality. And he discloses that their bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. They have been bought with a price and are meant to glorify God.) ) ) ) ) 1 SB, vol. 3, pp. 362 65.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.11|AUTODETECT|” 2 Peter Richardson asserts that in 6:1 8 Paul is still concerned with sexual immorality but now from a legal aspect. Judgment in Sexual Matters in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.11|AUTODETECT|” 1 Cor. 6:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.1-46.6.11|AUTODETECT|” , NovT 25 (1983): 37 58. See also V. George Shillington, People of God in the Courts of the World: A Study of ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.1-46.6.11|AUTODETECT|” 1 Corinthians 6:1 11) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , Direction 15 (1986): 40 50; Paul S. Minear, Christ and the Congregation: I Corinthians 5 6, RevExp 80 (1983): 341 50.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.1-46.6.11|AUTODETECT|” 3 Robert D. Taylor, Toward a Biblical Theology of Litigation: A Law Professor Looks at ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.1-46.6.11|AUTODETECT|” 1 Cor. 6:1 11) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , Ex Auditu 2 (1986): 109.) 1 3 2 8 0 0 4 John Calvin, The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, Calvin s Commentaries series, trans. John W. Fraser (reprint ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976), p. 122.) 5 Bauer, p. 822.) NJB New Jerusalem Bible) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.0|AUTODETECT|” 6 Reginald H. Fuller, First Corinthians 6:1 11: An Exegetical Paper, Ex Auditu 2 (1986): 99. Compare J. D. M. Derrett, Judgement and ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.0|AUTODETECT|” 1 Corinthians 6) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , NTS 37 (1991): 22 36.) 1 14 2 8 0 0 7 6:2, 3, 9, 15, 16, 19. See also 3:16; 5:6; 9:13, 24.) 8 Lukas Vischer, Die Austegungsgeschichte von I. Kor. 6, 1 11, Rechtsverzicht und Schlichtung, Beitr�ge zur Geschichte der Neutestamentlichen Exegese series (T�bingen: Mohr [Siebeck], 1955), p. 10.) 9 C. F. D. Moule, An Idiom-Book of New Testament Greek, 2d ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1960), p. 53.) 10 Consult A.

T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (Nashville: Broadman, 1934), p. 811.) 11 Friedrich Blass and Albert Debrunner, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, trans. and rev. Robert Funk (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1961), #427.3.) NIV New International Version) NKJV New King James Version) 12 A. Stein suggests that Jewish Christians, as they were accustomed, appointed a rabbi as judge in trivial cases. If this were true, the Gentile Christians would not go to a rabbi but to a Gentile judge. Wo trugen die korinthischen Christen ihre Rechtsh�ndel aus?

ZNW 59 (1968): 86 90.) 13 Haim H. Cohn, Bet Din and Judges, Encyclopaedia Judaica, vol. 4, col. 719 27.) 14 C. K. Barrett suggests the word hakam (wise man), which refers to a scholar with lower rank than a rabbi. A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, Harper s New Testament Commentaries series (New York and Evanston: Harper and Row, 1968), p. 138. Compare L.

A. Lewis, The Law Courts in Corinth: An Experiment in the Power of Baptism, ATR, suppl. 11 (1990): 88 98.) 15 Calvin, I Corinthians, pp. 122 23; see also his Institutes of the Christian Religion, trans. John Allen, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949), vol. 2, 4.20.18.) 16 Moule, Idiom-Book, p. 163; R. St. John Parry, The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1937), p. 97.) 17 Gerhard Dautzenberg, EDNT, vol. 1, p. 305, diakrinM is used of the activity of a mediator or arbitrator in distinction to that of worldly courts. But see Bauer, p. 185; Friedrich B�chsel, TDNT, vol. 3, p. 947.) 18 Robertson, Grammar, p. 409.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.11.12|AUTODETECT|” 19 Bauer, p. 349. The noun defeat occurs twice in the New Testament, here and in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.11.12|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 11:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , where it means loss.) 1 6 2 8 0 0 20 John Albert Bengel, Bengel s New Testament Commentary, trans. Charlton T. Lewis and Marvin R. Vincent, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1981), vol. 2, p. 194.) 21 Taylor, Toward a Biblical Theology of Litigation, p. 114.) 22 J. B. Lightfoot, Notes on the Epistles of St. Paul from Unpublished Commentaries (1895; reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1957), p. 212.) 23 Robertson, Grammar, p. 808; Blass and Debrunner, Greek Grammar, #314.) 24 Meinrad Limbeck, EDNT, vol. 1, p. 31.) 25 Compare George E. Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), p. 410; Leon Morris, New Testament Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Academie Books, 1986), p. 37.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.15.33|AUTODETECT|” 26 ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.15.33|AUTODETECT|” I Cor. 15:33) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.6.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.6.7|AUTODETECT|” Gal. 6:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=59.1.16|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=59.1.16|AUTODETECT|” James 1:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 . See also Herbert Braun, TDNT vol. 6, pp. 244 45; Walther G�nther, NIDNTT, vol. 2, p. 459.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 27 Bauer, p. 488.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.9|AUTODETECT|” 28 Consult David F. Wright, Homosexuals or Prostitutes? The Meaning of Arsenokoitai 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.9|AUTODETECT|” 1 Cor. 6:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.10|AUTODETECT|”

1. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.10|AUTODETECT|” Tim. 1:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.9|AUTODETECT|” ), VigChr 38 (1984): 125 53; Translating Arsenokoitai 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.9|AUTODETECT|” 1 Cor. 6:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=54.1.10|AUTODETECT|”
2. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.10|AUTODETECT|” Tim. 1:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.9|AUTODETECT|” ), VigChr 41 (1987): 396 98; Homosexuality: The Relevance of the Bible, EvQ 61 (1989): 291 300; and William L. Petersen. Can Arsenokoitai Be Translated by Homosexuals ? 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.9|AUTODETECT|” 1 Cor. 6:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=54.1.10|AUTODETECT|”
3. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=54.1.10|AUTODETECT|” Tim. 1:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ), VigChr 40 (1986): 187 91.) 1 13 2 8 0 0 29 Refer to Catherine Clark Kroeger, Paul, Sex, and the Immoral Majority, Daughters of Sarah (May/June 1988): 26 28.) 30 Refer to J. K. Parratt, The Holy Spirit and Baptism. Part 2. The Pauline Evidence, ExpT 82 (1971): 266 71.) 31 Consult, e.g., Anthony A. Hoekema, Saved by Grace (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans; Exeter: Paternoster, 1989), p. 203.) 32 Bengel, New Testament Commentary, vol. 2, p. 195.) 33 Frederic Louis Godet holds that here Paul used the three divine names as a baptismal formula.

Commentary on First Corinthians (1886; reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1977), p. 302.) 34 E.g., JB, KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV, RSV, REB, SEB, TNT. Consult G. R. Beasley-Murray, NIDNTT, vol. 1, p. 152; EDNT, vol. 1, p. 137.) 35 See Cassirer, Phillips; Moffatt; the marginal readings in RV and ASV.) 36 Robertson, Grammar, p. 559.) 37 Refer to Michael Parsons, Being Precedes Act: Indicative and Imperative in Paul s Writing, EvQ 60 (1988): 99 127.) 38 Examining the slogan of 6:12 and 10:23 in the context of chapters 8 10, James B. Hurley suggests that Paul addresses Jewish Christians. Man and Woman in 1 Corinthians, Ph.D. diss., Cambridge University, 1973, p. 86.) 39 Helmut T.

Lehmann, ed., Luther s Works, 55 vols., Career of the Reformer: I, vol. 31 (Philadelphia: Muhlenberg, 1957), p. 344.) RSV Revised Standard Version) 40 See Bauer, p. 279.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.15|AUTODETECT|” 41 See ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.15|AUTODETECT|” I Cor. 6:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.7.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.7.7|AUTODETECT|” 7:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.8.13|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.8.13|AUTODETECT|” 8:13) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.10.29|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.10.29|AUTODETECT|” 10:29) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.10.30|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.10.30|AUTODETECT|” 30) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.10.33|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.10.33|AUTODETECT|” 33) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.14.11|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.14.11|AUTODETECT|” 14:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 . Consult Bengel, New Testament Commentary, vol. 2, p. 196.) 1 2 2 8 0 0 42 Lightfoot, Notes on the Epistles, p. 214. See also Archibald Robertson and Alfred Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, International Critical Commentary, 2d ed. (1911; reprint ed., Edinburgh: Clark, 1975), p. 123.) 43 Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, New International Commentary on the New Testament series (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987), p. 256.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.5.28-43.5.29|AUTODETECT|” 44 Refer to ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.5.28-43.5.29|AUTODETECT|” John 5:28 29) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.11.24|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.11.24|AUTODETECT|” 11:24) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.24.15|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.24.15|AUTODETECT|” Acts 24:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.4.16-52.4.17|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.4.16-52.4.17|AUTODETECT|” I Thess. 4:16 17) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 7 2 8 0 0 45 Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 3d corrected ed. (London and New York: United Bible Societies, 1975), p. 552.) 46 John C. Hurd, Jr., The Origin of I Corinthians (Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press, 1983), p. 87.) 47 Athenaeus Deipnosophistae 13.573b (LCL).) 48 Calvin, I Corinthians, p. 130.) GNB Good News Bible) 49 Horst Seebass, NIDNTT, vol. 2, p. 350.) NASB New American Standard Bible) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.16|AUTODETECT|” 50 In his article, Hard Sayings V. ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.16|AUTODETECT|” 1 Cor. 6. 16) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , Theology 66 (1963): 491 93, G. R. Dunstan applies Paul s passage to a Christian who had relations with a temple prostitute.) 1 3 2 8 0 0 51 Consult Donald Guthrie, New Testament Theology (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1981), p. 552; E. Earle Ellis, Prophecy and Hermeneutic in Early Christianity: New Testament Essays (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978), p. 67.) 52 J. Stanley Glen, Pastoral Problems in First Corinthians (London: Epworth, 1965), p. 93. Consult also Parry, First Epistle to the Corinthians, p 105.) LXX Septuagint) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.16|AUTODETECT|” 53 But see J. I. Miller, A Fresh Look at ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.16|AUTODETECT|” I Corinthians 6. 16) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 f., NTS 27 (1980): 125 27. He suggests adhesion rather than sexual union.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.12-46.6.20|AUTODETECT|” 54 Moule, Idiom-Book, p. 196; Hurley, Man and Woman, p. 112; Jerome Murphy-O Connor, Corinthian Slogans in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.12-46.6.20|AUTODETECT|” 1 Corinthians 6:12 20) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , CBQ 40 (1978): 391 96.) 1 2 2 8 0 0 55 Robert H. Gundry, Soma in Biblical Theology: With Emphasis on Pauline Anthropology (1976; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Academie Books, 1987), pp. 70 75; F. W. Grosheide, Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians: The English Text with Introduction, Exposition and Notes, New International Commentary on the New Testament series (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1953) p. 151.) 56 Refer to Fee, First Corinthians, p. 262.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.18|AUTODETECT|” 57 Brendan Byrne, Sinning against One s Own Body: Paul s Understanding of the Sexual Relationship in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.18|AUTODETECT|” 1 Corinthians 6:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , CBQ 45 (1983): 613.) 1 3 2 8 0 0 58 See SB, vol. 3, pp. 366 67.) 59 Irenaeus, Ephesians 15:3 and 9:1 respectively. See also the Epistle of Barnabas 4:11; 6:15.) 60 Bauer, pp. 12 13; David H. Field, NIDNTT, vol. 1, pp. 267 68; Fee, First Corinthians, pp. 264 65.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=28.3.1-28.3.3|AUTODETECT|” 61 The Majority Text expands the last part of this verse by adding a parallel, and in your spirit, which are God s (KJV, NKJV). The addition lacks the support of early Greek manuscripts and, therefore, translators prefer not to accept it. See George L. Klein, ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=28.3.1-28.3.3|AUTODETECT|” Hos. 3:1 3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.19-46.6.20|AUTODETECT|” Background to ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.19-46.6.20|AUTODETECT|” I Cor. 6:19b 20) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ? CrisTheolRev 3 (1989): 373 75.) 1 4 2 8 0 0 62 Westminster Shorter Catechism, question and answer 1.) 63 Bauer, p. 246.) 64 Moule, Idiom-Book, p. 39.) )