1 Corinthians 6:4 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
1 Corinthians 6:4 kjv
If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
1 Corinthians 6:4 nkjv
If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?
1 Corinthians 6:4 niv
Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church?
1 Corinthians 6:4 esv
So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?
1 Corinthians 6:4 nlt
If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church?
1 Corinthians 6 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Cor 6:1-3 | When one of you has a grievance...dare you go to law before the unrighteous | Immediate context, condemning going to secular courts. |
| Matt 18:15-17 | If your brother sins against you...take it to the church. | Internal dispute resolution within the community. |
| Luke 12:13-14 | Someone in the crowd said...“Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” | Jesus declining to act as a civil judge for a worldly dispute, highlighting the spiritual focus. |
| Rom 13:1 | Let every person be subject to the governing authorities... | Acknowledges the role of state authorities, but separate from church spiritual jurisdiction. |
| 1 Pet 2:13-14 | Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution... | Submission to civil authority for order, but distinct from resolving internal church conflicts. |
| Deut 16:18 | You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns... | Israel's command to establish internal judges. |
| Exod 18:21-22 | Choose able men from all the people...let them judge the people at all times. | Moses appointing internal judges. |
| 1 Cor 1:27-28 | God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong... what is despised. | God often uses the "least esteemed" to confound the wise of the world, ironically contrasted with seeking judgment from the worldly "least esteemed". |
| John 3:31 | He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. | Contrast between earthly perspective and heavenly wisdom. |
| James 3:15-17 | This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable. | Earthly vs. heavenly wisdom for dispute resolution. |
| Phil 3:19 | Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. | Focus on earthly things, contrasting with believers' heavenly focus. |
| Col 3:2 | Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. | Christian mindset on spiritual, not merely earthly, matters. |
| 1 Cor 5:12-13 | What have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. | Believers are to judge within the church, not outsiders. |
| Psa 58:11 | Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth. | God's ultimate role as judge; reflects divine justice. |
| Isa 1:26 | I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. | God's promise to restore righteous judges to His people. |
| 1 Sam 8:5-7 | Appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations... | Israel's desire for worldly leadership over divine guidance; analogous to Corinthians preferring secular courts. |
| Gal 6:1 | If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him. | Principle of spiritual guidance and restoration within the community. |
| Titus 3:9 | But avoid foolish controversies...and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. | Avoidance of petty, unprofitable disputes that divide the church. |
| 1 Cor 3:3 | For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving like mere men? | Worldly strife among believers indicates fleshly behavior. |
| 2 Tim 2:24-25 | And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome...able to teach...patiently correcting his opponents. | Characteristics of a spiritual leader/resolver of disputes. |
| Matt 7:1-5 | Judge not, that you be not judged...first take the log out of your own eye. | Warns against hypocritical judgment, not against righteous judgment within the church. |
| Rev 20:4 | And I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom authority to judge was committed. | Echoes the theme of saints' future authority to judge. |
1 Corinthians 6 verses
1 Corinthians 6 4 meaning
1 Corinthians 6:4 questions the wisdom and spiritual integrity of Corinthian believers who, having disputes over worldly matters, choose to seek judgment from those outside the Christian faith. It highlights the incongruity of entrusting church affairs to individuals whom they themselves might consider spiritually "least esteemed" (unbelievers), when believers are destined to judge the world and angels. Paul implicitly urges them to find spiritually competent judges within their own community.
1 Corinthians 6 4 Context
1 Corinthians 6:4 is part of Paul's impassioned rebuke of the Corinthian believers for taking their internal disputes and financial grievances to pagan Roman courts. This was a profound scandal that dishonored Christ and the church. Paul questions their spiritual intelligence, given that believers are destined to judge the world and angels (vv. 2-3). He challenges them: if they have sufficient wisdom to handle future cosmic judgments, surely they can find individuals within their own spiritual community to resolve their current "things pertaining to this life" (βιωτικά - biotika). The practice not only exposed Christian weakness and disunity to outsiders but also showed a profound lack of trust in the Holy Spirit's guidance within the church and disregard for the believers' spiritual standing and future role.
1 Corinthians 6 4 Word analysis
If then you have judgments:
- "If then" (οὖν εἰ - oun ei): A strong logical connector. "So then if..." or "Well then if..." Paul is assuming the reality of their current disputes over everyday matters.
- "you have" (ἔχετε - echete): Implies possessing or holding these judgments.
- "judgments" (κρίματα - krimata): Refers to legal cases, disputes, matters for decision or resolution, specifically implying points of legal contention or judicial rulings. It doesn't necessarily mean righteous judgment, but cases requiring judgment. This reflects the legal disputes they were initiating.
concerning things pertaining to this life:
- "concerning things pertaining to this life" (βιωτικὰ - biotika): From bios (life) and related to livelihood or mundane, earthly affairs. These are not matters of doctrine or profound spiritual ethics but "everyday" practical issues: money, property, slander, personal injury. Paul sharply distinguishes these from "spiritual things."
do you set them:
- "do you set" (καθίζετε - kathizete): "To seat," "to appoint," "to install in office." It suggests placing someone in a position of authority to render judgment. This is a direct rhetorical question implying their agency in this scandalous decision.
to judge who are least esteemed:
- "to judge" (κρίνειν - krinein): "To judge," "to decide," "to evaluate." This verb, like krimata, refers to the act of adjudicating.
- "who are least esteemed" (τοὺς ἐξουθενημένους - tous exouthenēmenous): A participle meaning "those who are despised," "scorned," "treated as nothing," "held in contempt." Paul uses this powerful term, dripping with irony. In the context, these are unbelievers (Gentile judges/courts). From a spiritual perspective, they are without the Holy Spirit, ignorant of God's wisdom, and therefore "worthless" or "despised" in matters requiring spiritual discernment. This stands in stark contrast to believers who will judge the world.
in the church?
- "in the church" (ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ - en tē ekklesia): "Within the assembly," "the community of called-out ones." Paul highlights that these issues exist within the body of Christ, making their choice to go outside the body even more appalling. The phrase functions to anchor the responsibility for resolution firmly within the believing community.
Words-group analysis:
- "If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life": This clause acknowledges the practical reality that believers, living in the world, will inevitably have conflicts and disputes over mundane matters. Paul is not denying the existence of such problems, but questioning their method of resolution.
- "do you set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church?": This is a rhetorical question designed to shock and shame. The incredible irony lies in the Corinthians, who possess divine wisdom and future judicial authority, choosing to empower pagan, unspiritual outsiders (whom they should, by their own spiritual conviction, deem "least esteemed" from a heavenly perspective) to settle issues among God's people. It underlines a profound spiritual inconsistency and a failure to appreciate their identity and capabilities in Christ.
1 Corinthians 6 4 Bonus section
The phrase "least esteemed" (ἐξουθενημένους) carries significant rhetorical weight. Paul deliberately uses a word that suggests something being treated as nothing, despised, or worthless. This term creates a sharp irony: the very individuals whom the Corinthians, as spiritual people, should view as spiritually inferior and thus "least esteemed" (namely, unbelievers lacking God's Spirit), are the ones they empower to arbitrate disputes among themselves. This practice undermined the very wisdom that God had made available to His people and demonstrated a preference for worldly standards over divine ones, bringing disrepute upon the ekklesia. The question also serves to highlight that if the church lacks even one person capable of resolving "trivial" worldly matters, its spiritual state is severely compromised, further underscoring the Corinthians' spiritual immaturity and prideful divisions.
1 Corinthians 6 4 Commentary
Paul's indignation in 1 Corinthians 6:4 springs from a deep concern for the church's reputation, internal health, and adherence to divine wisdom. The verse sharply contrasts the elevated spiritual identity and future destiny of believers (judging the world and angels, vv. 2-3) with their current, worldly practice of submitting internal disputes to unspiritual, "least esteemed" outsiders. By seeking justice in pagan courts, they not only shame the name of Christ before a watching world but also neglect the indwelling wisdom of the Holy Spirit and the capacity for discernment within the body of Christ. Paul implies that even the "weakest" or most seemingly insignificant member of the church (as he explains in vv. 2 and 5) possesses a higher spiritual understanding to resolve such issues than any unregenerate judge. This verse is a powerful call for internal accountability, community wisdom, and the self-sufficient operation of the church, trusting in the divine guidance available through its members. It champions Christian mediation and arbitration over external, worldly legal systems for intramural conflicts.