1 CorinthiansChapter 6

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When one of you has a grievance against another, how dare you take it to court before the unrighteous instead of before the saints?

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?

Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the affairs of this life!

So if you have cases about everyday matters, why do you seat as judges those who count for nothing in the church?

I say this to shame you. Is there really no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between brothers?

Instead, brother goes to court against brother—and that before unbelievers!

The very fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves is already a defeat for you. Why not rather accept the wrong? Why not rather let yourselves be cheated?

But instead you yourselves do wrong and cheat—and you do it to your own brothers.

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 submit to homosexual acts nor those who practice them,

nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor revilers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

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

"Everything is permitted for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permitted for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything.

"Food is for the stomach, and the stomach for food"—and God will do away with both. But the body is not meant for sexual immorality; it is meant for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

And God, who raised the Lord, will also raise us by his power.

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 anyone who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."

But whoever is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.

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

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 at a price. So glorify God with your body.

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Summary2

Chapter 6

Main Theme: Paul exhorts the Corinthians to resolve conflicts internally and honor God with their bodies by fleeing sexual immorality.

Content: Paul criticizes the church for taking lawsuits before unbelieving judges instead of resolving them within the community—those who are to judge the world and angels should be able to handle everyday disputes. He warns that those who practice unrighteousness will not inherit God’s kingdom, yet reminds the Corinthians that they have been washed, sanctified, and justified. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the body belongs to the Lord and is a temple of the Holy Spirit; therefore, they must flee sexual immorality and honor God with their bodies.

Key Words/Images:

Judge the world and angels – The saints will one day judge alongside Christ, which qualifies them to settle minor disputes.
Washed, sanctified, justified – Describes the radical transformation that occurs through faith, in Jesus’ name and by God’s Spirit.
Temple of the body – The body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and does not belong to the believer themselves, but to God.
Bought with a price – Believers have been purchased at a cost (Christ’s blood) and should therefore honor God with their bodies.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for 1 Corinthians 6

Events and Customs

The Legal System in Corinth

Paul's criticism of Christians who took legal disputes against one another to pagan courts (vv. 1-8) must be understood in light of the Roman legal system in Corinth. The city had a well-established forum where civil cases were handled. The large bema (judgment seat) on the agora illustrates where such cases were brought. Romans were known for their sophisticated judicial system, but legal proceedings were often marked by corruption, bribery, and favoritism toward the wealthy. Jewish communities traditionally had their own courts (beth din) based on Torah law, and Paul expects the Christian congregation to follow a similar principle of internal conflict resolution.

Temple Prostitution and Sexual Morality

Corinth's reputation for sexual immorality was well known in antiquity. The expression "to Corinthianize" (κορινθιάζεσθαι) was used as a synonym for immoral conduct. According to Strabo (describing an earlier period), the temple of Aphrodite on Acrocorinth housed over a thousand temple slaves (hierodouloi). However, modern scholarship is skeptical about the extent of temple prostitution in Corinth during New Testament times. Regardless of this, the port city was full of brothels and prostitutes serving sailors and merchants. Archaeological findings of small shops (tabernae) along the main streets, some of which likely functioned as brothels based on graffiti and interior design, confirm the city's reputation. Paul's exhortation to "flee from sexual immorality" (φεύγετε τὴν πορνείαν, v. 18) was highly relevant in this context.

Key Terms

Ἄδικοι (adikoi) and ἅγιοι (hagioi)

The contrast between "the unrighteous" (τῶν ἀδίκων, v. 1) and "the saints" (τῶν ἁγίων, vv. 1-2) is fundamental to Paul's argument. Adikoi here refers to the pagan judges and the secular legal system, while hagioi designates believers as a set-apart community. Paul's point is that those who will judge the world and angels (vv. 2-3) should be able to resolve their own internal conflicts.

Πόρνη (pornē) and πορνεία (porneia)

The Greek word pornē (prostitute, vv. 15-16) and porneia (sexual immorality, vv. 13, 18) cover a broader range than modern terms. Porneia included all forms of sexual activity outside marriage. In Greco-Roman culture, it was socially acceptable for men to visit prostitutes, and this was not considered adultery. Paul radically challenges this cultural norm by insisting that the believer's body belongs to Christ.

Μαλακοί (malakoi) and ἀρσενοκοῖται (arsenokoitai)

These two terms in v. 9 are debated. Malakoi (literally "soft") was used for men who took the passive role in homosexual relationships, often young men or slaves. Arsenokoitai is a rare word, possibly coined by Paul based on the Septuagint's translation of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, and refers to men who lie with men. Both terms must be understood within the ancient practices of pederasty and sexual exploitation of slaves.

Ναός (naos) – Temple

When Paul describes the body as a "temple" for the Holy Spirit (v. 19), he uses naos, which specifically denotes the sanctuary itself—the innermost room where the deity dwelt—not the entire temple complex (hieron). For readers familiar with the many sanctuaries in Corinth, this metaphor was extremely powerful: the believer's body is as holy as the Most Holy Place.

Ἠγοράσθητε τιμῆς (ēgorasthēte timēs) – Bought for a Price

The expression in v. 20 "you were bought with a price" alludes to slave trading, which was widespread in Corinth as a commercial hub. The freeing of slaves often occurred through the payment of a "ransom." Paul applies this image theologically: believers have been purchased out of slavery to sin but now belong to a new master—Christ.

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