1 Corinthians 6 - Dontcha Know?
Dontcha know that it's important for you to know what the Bible says? Ya, you betcha!
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1 Corinthians 6 (ESV)
1 When one of you has a grievance against another,
does he
dare go to law
before the unrighteous instead of the saints?
2 Or 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?
3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels?
How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!
4 So if you have such cases,
why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?
5 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,
6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?
7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you.
Why not rather suffer wrong?
Why not rather be defrauded?
8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!
9 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,
10 nor thieves,
nor the greedy,
nor drunkards,
nor revilers,
nor swindlers
will inherit the kingdom of God.
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.
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.
13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—
and God will destroy both one and the other.
The body
is not meant for sexual immorality,
but for the Lord,
and the Lord for the body.
14 And God raised the Lord
and will also raise us up by his power.
15 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!
16 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.”
17 But
he who is joined to the Lord
becomes one spirit with him.
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.
19 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,
20 for you were bought with a price.
So glorify God in your body.
Read the chapter on BibleGateway
Read previous DIG DEEPER posts on 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 6 Summary
It's interesting the way Paul formulates this chapter. He doesn't tell Christians not to have disputes with one another, because that would be impossible. As long as we're sinful people disputes will occur.
But when they do, it is counter productive to bring it to 'ungodly' (literally 'unjust' - v1) people for a just solution. Remember what we read in chapter 2 that Christians have been given the mind of Christ (2:16), whereas the people of this world have a 'way of life that is scorned by the church (v4).' Plus, it just makes us all look bad (v6).
Paul gives a long list of sinful behaviors that will not be tolerated in the Kingdom of God (v10). Many of these are activities that are more and more championed by society. It is clear that there ought to be no tolerance in the church for people who promote these lifestyles.
This does not mean, however, that we are not to welcome in those people who struggle with these temptations, or who genuinely seek to overcome them but occasionally fall into the sin and then repent. If that were the case, none of us would be welcome in the church because all of us continue to struggle with sin, even if our particular weakness wasn't part of this very incomplete list.
Dig Deeper
I never realized the Apostle Paul was a Minnesotan!
Look how many times he uses the phrase dontcha know in 1 Corinthians 6:
v2 - Dontcha know the saints will judge the world?
v3 - Dontcha know that we are to judge angels (remember, angels are just as much a part of the created order as things are here on earth, and God created angels to serve His elect (Heb 1:14)
v9 - Dontcha know the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
v15 - Dontcha know that your bodies are members of Christ?
v16 - Dontcha know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her?
v19 - Dontcha know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
Paul's point here is that it's critical for you to know your theology well since ignorance quickly leads to the mistakes that Paul is responding to.
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father raised Christ from the dead, and He will raise you also (v14)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that in all things you will honor God with your body (v20)
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
