1 Corinthians 6 meaning explained in AI Summary

This chapter addresses conflicts and disputes within the Corinthian church, particularly focusing on lawsuits between believers. Paul tackles two main issues:

1. Lawsuits Among Believers (vv. 1-11):

• The Problem: Corinthian Christians were taking each other to court, even over trivial matters, instead of resolving disputes within the church.
• Paul's Argument:
  • Unthinkable: It's absurd for believers, who will judge the world and angels, to seek judgment from unbelievers (vv. 1-6).
  • Shameful: Such behavior reveals a lack of maturity and spiritual wisdom (vv. 5-8).
  • Unrighteous: Those who engage in such behavior, along with other sins listed, will not inherit the kingdom of God (vv. 9-11).

2. Sexual Immorality (vv. 12-20):

• The Issue: The Corinthians seemed to misunderstand Christian freedom, using the slogan "Everything is permissible" to justify sexual immorality.
• Paul's Response:
  • Not everything is beneficial: Just because something is permissible doesn't mean it's good or constructive (v. 12).
  • The body is for the Lord: Our bodies are not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord is for our bodies (vv. 13-14).
  • United with Christ: Through sexual union, we become one flesh with the other person. Therefore, sexual immorality defiles our bodies, which are temples of the Holy Spirit (vv. 15-20).

Key Takeaways:

• Christians should resolve disputes within the church, demonstrating love and forgiveness.
• Christian freedom is not a license for sin but an opportunity to live for God's glory.
• Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and we should honor God with them.

Overall, 1 Corinthians chapter 6 calls for holiness and unity within the church, urging believers to live according to God's standards and to reflect His character in their relationships with one another.

1 Corinthians 6 bible study ai commentary

Paul exhorts the Corinthian believers to live in a manner consistent with their new identity in Christ. He rebukes them for taking internal disputes to pagan courts, arguing that believers, who will one day judge the world, should be capable of settling their own affairs. This leads to a stark warning that the unrighteous will not inherit God's kingdom, followed by a reminder of their radical transformation from their past sins through Christ. Finally, Paul addresses their slogan about Christian liberty ("all things are lawful") by teaching a profound theology of the body. He argues that the body is not for immorality but for the Lord, as it is a member of Christ and the very temple of the Holy Spirit, purchased by God and therefore to be used for His glory.

1 Corinthians 6 Context

The city of Corinth was a melting pot of Roman law, Greek philosophy, and diverse pagan religions. It was notorious for its rampant materialism and sexual license. The Corinthians' propensity for litigation was a hallmark of Greco-Roman culture, where lawsuits were often used to gain honor and publicly shame rivals. Philosophically, a dualistic view that separated the "spiritual" soul from the "base" physical body was common. This context explains the Corinthians' comfort with taking fellow believers to court and their confusion about sexual ethics, believing their bodily actions were spiritually irrelevant. Paul directly confronts these worldly mindsets, which had infiltrated the church and were undermining its witness and holiness.

1 Corinthians 6:1

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?

In-depth-analysis

• Dare (tolmaō): Paul's opening word expresses shock and indignation. It implies a bold, audacious, and reckless act.
• The Unrighteous (adikōn): This refers to unbelievers, those who are not in right standing with God. It carries a legal and moral connotation, highlighting the irony of seeking "justice" from the "unjust."
• The Saints (hagiōn): This refers to believers, set apart by God for His purposes. Paul establishes a sharp contrast between the inside community (saints) and the outside world (the unrighteous).
• The issue is not legality but witness. By going to pagan courts, they were publicly shaming a fellow believer and signaling that the church lacked the wisdom and love to resolve its own conflicts, thus damaging the Gospel's reputation.

Bible references

• Matthew 18:15-17: "...if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault... if he does not listen, take one or two others... If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church." (Provides the proper method for internal conflict resolution).
• Matthew 5:25: "Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court..." (Encourages reconciliation over litigation).

Cross references

Lev 19:15-18 (judging neighbors fairly); Mal 2:10 (dealing treacherously with a brother); Rom 12:17 (repay no one evil for evil); 1 Th 5:15 (seek to do good to one another).

1 Corinthians 6:2-3

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!

In-depth-analysis

• Do you not know?: A recurring rhetorical question (used 6 times in this chapter) highlighting a foundational truth the Corinthians should know but are failing to apply.
• Saints will judge the world: This is an eschatological reality. Believers will participate with Christ in His final judgment. This high calling makes their current litigiousness seem absurdly petty. The Greek word for judge (krinō) means to discern and pass sentence.
• Judge angels: Paul raises the stakes. If their future role includes judging fallen angels, earthly civil disputes (biōtika - matters of this life) are comparatively insignificant.
• This is not a call for the church to set up a parallel civil court system, but a call for spiritual perspective. Their eternal destiny should shape their present conduct.

Bible references

• Daniel 7:22: "...and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom." (Old Testament precedent for saints judging).
• Matthew 19:28: "...you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Apostles' role in judgment).
• Revelation 20:4: "Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed..." (The saints' future role in Christ's millennial reign).

Cross references

Psa 49:14 (the upright will rule); Luke 22:30 (judging in the kingdom); 2 Pe 2:4 & Jude 6 (angels who sinned are held for judgment).

1 Corinthians 6:4-6

So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?

In-depth-analysis

• No standing in the church: Paul views the pagan judges as "esteemed as nothing" (exouthenēmenous) in the context of the church's spiritual affairs. Their worldly wisdom is irrelevant to kingdom matters.
• To your shame: Paul's goal is not to condemn but to provoke self-reflection and repentance. Their behavior is shameful because it displays a lack of spiritual wisdom.
• The problem is internal. A lack of "one wise person" in a church that prided itself on wisdom (1 Cor 1:18-2:16) is a biting indictment of their spiritual immaturity.

Bible references

• Acts 17:11: "Now these Jews were more noble... for they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily..." (Contrasts Corinthian immaturity with Berean maturity).
• James 3:17-18: "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle... and a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace..." (Defines true, spiritual wisdom needed for peacemaking).

Cross references

Prov 3:5-7 (lean not on your own understanding); 1 Cor 3:18 (let him become a fool that he may become wise); Jam 1:5 (ask for wisdom).

1 Corinthians 6:7-8

To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a complete defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—and you do this to your brothers!

In-depth-analysis

• A complete defeat (hēttēma): The very act of suing a brother, regardless of the outcome, is a spiritual loss. It demonstrates a failure of love, a preference for personal rights over community witness.
• Suffer wrong... be defrauded: Paul presents a radical, counter-cultural solution rooted in the example of Christ. He elevates the health of the community and its witness above personal vindication and financial gain.
• Instead of following this kingdom ethic, they are mirroring the world's behavior, wronging the very people they are called to love and protect.

Bible references

• Matthew 5:39-40: "But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." (The principle of non-retaliation).
• Romans 12:19: "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God..." (Entrusting justice to God).
• 1 Peter 2:23: "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly." (The example of Christ).

Cross references

Prov 20:22 (do not say "I will repay evil"); 1 Th 4:6 (do not wrong or defraud a brother).

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

In-depth-analysis

• This is a "vice list," a common rhetorical tool in antiquity. It is not an exhaustive list but a representative one of lifestyles characterized by unrepentant sin. The behavior in v. 8 ("you yourselves wrong and defraud") places the Corinthians dangerously close to this list.
• Unrighteous (adikoi): The same word used in v. 1 for unbelieving judges. Paul connects their behavior directly to that of the unsaved.
• Inherit the kingdom: This phrase speaks of eternal destiny and salvation. Paul is warning that a lifestyle of these practices is evidence that a person is not a true believer.
• malakoi & arsenokoitai: malakoi often refers to the passive partner in a same-sex act (lit. "soft ones"). arsenokoitai is a compound Greek word (arsēn - male, koitē - bed) referring to one who lies with a male. Paul likely derived this term from the Septuagint translation of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, showing his condemnation is rooted in Old Testament law.

Bible references

• Galatians 5:19-21: "Now the works of the flesh are evident... those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Another Pauline vice list with the same consequence).
• Ephesians 5:5: "For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." (A third, similar list and consequence).
• Revelation 21:8: "But as for the cowardly, the faithless... murderers, the sexually immoral... their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur..." (An eschatological list of those excluded from the New Jerusalem).

Cross references

Lev 18:22, 20:13 (prohibition of homosexuality); Col 3:5-6 (put to death earthly desires); Heb 12:14 (without holiness no one will see the Lord).

Polemics: Some modern scholars argue these terms (malakoi, arsenokoitai) refer only to exploitative relationships (e.g., pederasty) common in the Greco-Roman world, not to committed, monogamous same-sex relationships. However, the majority of biblical scholarship holds that Paul's use of a word derived directly from the broad prohibitions in Leviticus indicates he is condemning all homosexual practice as inconsistent with God's design for sexuality.

1 Corinthians 6:11

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

In-depth-analysis

• And such were some of you: One of the most powerful statements of gospel transformation in the Bible. It acknowledges their sinful pasts but defines them by their new identity in Christ, not by their former lifestyles. The emphasis is on were (past tense).
• The pivot from warning (vv. 9-10) to grace (v. 11) is immense. The Corinthians' problem was not that they had been sinners, but that they were still acting like it.
• Washed (apelousasthe), Sanctified (hēgiasthēte), Justified (edikaiōthēte): This powerful triad describes the comprehensive work of salvation.
  • Washed: Symbolizes spiritual cleansing from sin, often associated with baptism.
  • Sanctified: Set apart as holy for God's purposes. It is both a completed act (positional) and an ongoing process (practical).
  • Justified: Declared legally righteous before God, with sins forgiven and Christ's righteousness imputed.
• The whole Trinity is involved: salvation is in the name of Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Bible references

• Titus 3:3-7: "For we ourselves were once foolish... but when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared... he saved us... by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit..." (Parallels the "such were some of you" theme and the cleansing work of God).
• Ephesians 2:1-5: "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins... But God, being rich in mercy... made us alive together with Christ..." (Highlights the past vs. present reality of the believer).
• Romans 6:17-18: "...you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart... and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness." (The change of allegiance and identity).

Cross references

Acts 22:16 (be baptized and wash away your sins); Heb 10:22 (hearts sprinkled clean); Rom 5:1 (justified by faith); 2 Th 2:13 (sanctification by the Spirit).

1 Corinthians 6:12

"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything.

In-depth-analysis

• "All things are lawful for me": Paul quotes a slogan popular among some Corinthian believers. They were misinterpreting Christian freedom as a license to do anything, likely due to a faulty dualism that saw bodily actions as spiritually irrelevant.
• Paul does not deny the slogan's premise entirely but immediately qualifies it with two crucial principles:
  1. Not all things are helpful (sympherei): A free action might be permissible in the abstract but harmful to oneself, to others, or to the witness of the church. The guiding principle shifts from "Can I do it?" to "Is it beneficial?"
  2. I will not be dominated (exousiasthēsomai): True freedom is not being enslaved by appetites or desires. An action that is "lawful" can become a new master, leading to bondage rather than liberty. The free person is a master of their actions, not a slave to them.

Bible references

• Romans 14:15, 20: "For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love... Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God." (Christian liberty must be limited by love for a weaker brother).
• Galatians 5:13: "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (Defines the purpose of Christian freedom as service, not self-indulgence).
• 1 Corinthians 10:23: "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up." (Paul repeats this principle when discussing food sacrificed to idols).

Cross references

Rom 6:12-16 (do not let sin reign in your body); 2 Pe 2:19 (promising freedom while being slaves of corruption).

1 Corinthians 6:13-14

"Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food"—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.

In-depth-analysis

• "Food is for the stomach...": Another Corinthian slogan, expressing a materialistic and disposable view of the body. They equated the biological appetite for food with the appetite for sex, arguing both are natural needs to be met and are ultimately temporary and meaningless.
• God will destroy both: Paul agrees that the stomach and food are temporary, but he immediately pivots to deny their conclusion about the body.
• The body is not for sexual immorality (porneia): Paul makes a sharp distinction. Unlike the stomach, the body has an eternal, spiritual purpose. Its purpose is a relationship: "for the Lord."
• And the Lord for the body: A stunning, reciprocal statement. The Lord is invested in, cares for, and has a purpose for our physical bodies.
• God... will also raise us: The resurrection is the ultimate proof of the body's value. God does not discard it; He redeems and glorifies it. This fact fundamentally refutes their dualistic argument that the body is irrelevant.

Bible references

• Philippians 3:20-21: "...the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body..." (Our bodies have a future glorification).
• Romans 8:11: "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you." (Connects the indwelling Spirit to our future resurrection).
• John 6:39-40: "And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day." (Jesus' promise of resurrection for those the Father has given him).

Cross references

Mark 7:18-19 (food enters the stomach, not the heart); Col 2:22 (things that perish with use); Rom 12:1 (present your bodies as a living sacrifice).

1 Corinthians 6:15-17

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

In-depth-analysis

• Bodies are members of Christ: This is not a metaphor; it's a statement of ontological reality for the believer. Through union with Christ, our physical bodies are incorporated into His spiritual body.
• Take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute: Paul highlights the horrific spiritual incongruity of the act. Sexual sin is not a private act; it is taking Christ Himself into a defiling union. The question is intended to shock.
• Never! (Mē genoito): The strongest possible Greek negative. It expresses revulsion at the very thought.
• One body... One flesh: Paul grounds his argument in the creation ordinance (Genesis 2:24). Sexual union creates a "one-flesh" bond, a profound unity. To join with a prostitute is to pervert this sacred bond.
• One spirit with him: The contrast is between the physical, temporary, and defiling union of "one flesh" with a prostitute and the spiritual, eternal, and holy union of "one spirit" with the Lord. These two unions are mutually exclusive.

Bible references

• Genesis 2:24: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (The foundational text for the "one-flesh" union of marriage).
• Ephesians 5:30-32: "For we are members of his body. 'Therefore a man shall... become one flesh.' This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." (Paul applies the Genesis text to the mystical union of Christ and the Church).
• Romans 12:5: "...so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." (The doctrine of the body of Christ).

Cross references

1 Cor 12:27 (you are the body of Christ); John 17:21-23 (Jesus' prayer for unity); Eph 4:4 (one body and one Spirit).

1 Corinthians 6:18

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

In-depth-analysis

• Flee (pheugete): An urgent, immediate command. The verb tense implies a continual habit of fleeing. Don't rationalize, don't negotiate, don't get close—run.
• Sins against his own body: This statement is challenging. Other sins (like drunkenness or gluttony) also affect the body. Paul's point is not about biology but about purpose and identity. Sexual sin is unique because it is a perversion of the "one-flesh" union God designed for marriage and violates the body in a way that is fundamental to our relational and spiritual identity as "members of Christ." It's a sin against the body's God-given purpose and meaning. It defiles the person at the core of their relational capacity.

Bible references

• Genesis 39:12: "she caught him by his garment... but he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house." (Joseph provides the prime example of "fleeing" sexual temptation).
• Proverbs 6:27-29: "Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? ... So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife..." (Warning against dallying with sexual sin).
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5: "For this is the a of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor..." (Controlling the body is part of sanctification).

Cross references

2 Tim 2:22 (flee youthful passions); Rom 1:24 (God gave them up to impurity); Prov 5:8-14 (the destructive path of the adulteress).

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

In-depth-analysis

• Your body is a temple (naos): Paul moves from the body as a "member of Christ" to the body as the "temple of the Holy Spirit." The word naos refers not to the whole temple complex but to the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, where God's presence dwelled. This is the climax of his argument.
• You are not your own: This is the theological foundation for all Christian ethics. Because of redemption, we have forfeited autonomy. Self-ownership is a myth for the believer.
• Bought with a price: A clear reference to Christ's redeeming death on the cross. The language is of the slave market; we have been purchased out of bondage to sin and now belong to a new master, God.
• So glorify God in your body: The ultimate conclusion. The purpose of our redeemed bodies is to bring glory to their owner, God. This command ties together every section of the chapter—our lawsuits, our morals, our sexuality—all must be oriented toward glorifying God.

Bible references

• 1 Corinthians 3:16-17: "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?... For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." (Paul used this imagery for the corporate church, here he applies it to the individual believer's body).
• 1 Peter 1:18-19: "...knowing that you were ransomed... not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." (Defines the "price" of our redemption).
• Romans 12:1: "I appeal to you therefore, brothers... to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (The practical outworking of glorifying God in our bodies).

Cross references

2 Cor 5:15 (live for Him who died); Acts 20:28 (the church of God which He obtained with His own blood); Eph 2:10 (created for good works); 1 Pe 2:9 (a people for his own possession).

1 Corinthians chapter 6 analysis

• Connecting Thread: The chapter's three seemingly distinct topics (lawsuits, vice lists, sexual morality) are unified by the theme of Christian identity. The Corinthians' behavior in court (vv. 1-8) was inconsistent with their identity as future "judges" and present "saints." The warning against unrighteous lifestyles (vv. 9-10) is contrasted with their new identity as those "washed, sanctified, and justified" (v. 11). Their sexual behavior (vv. 12-20) was inconsistent with their bodies being "members of Christ" and the "temple of the Holy Spirit." In every case, Paul calls them to live in accordance with their new reality in Christ.
• Theology of the Body: This chapter contains one of the most developed theologies of the physical body in Scripture. Against Gnostic-like dualism, Paul affirms that the body is not irrelevant or disposable. It is deeply connected to our spiritual identity, is intended for relationship with the Lord, is destined for resurrection, and is the sacred dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, what we do with and in our bodies matters profoundly.
• Freedom and its Limits: Paul introduces a masterful ethical framework in verse 12. Christian freedom is not absolute autonomy. It is guided and limited by love, benefit to the community, and the imperative to not be enslaved by anything other than Christ. This is a critical check against licentiousness and a guiding principle for all ethical decisions.

1 Corinthians 6 summary

Paul rebukes the Corinthian church for damaging its witness by taking internal lawsuits to secular courts. He warns them that lifestyles of unrepentant sin are characteristic of the unrighteous, who will not inherit God's kingdom, reminding them that this is what they were before being washed, sanctified, and justified in Christ. He then corrects their abuse of Christian liberty, teaching that the believer's body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, as it is a member of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Since they were bought with a price, they must glorify God in their bodies.