1If any of you has a grievance against another, how dare he go to law before the unrighteous instead of before the saints!
2Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
3Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
4So if you need to settle everyday matters, do you appoint as judges those of no standing in the church?
5I say this to your shame. Is there really no one among you wise enough to arbitrate between his brothers?
6Instead, one brother goes to law against another, and this in front of unbelievers!
7The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means that you are thoroughly defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
8Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, even against your own brothers!
9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,
10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
11And that is what some of you were. 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“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything.
13“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will destroy them both. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and He will raise us also.
15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!
16Or don’t you know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”
17But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit.
18Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
20you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6 Section and Chapter Commentary
1 Cor 6:1-8
Paul's rebuke of Corinthian problems
In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses numerous severe issues within the Corinthian church, including divisions, lawsuits among believers, sexual immorality (such as a man living with his stepmother), and disorderly conduct during the Lord's Supper. He confronts these problems, emphasizing unity and proper Christian conduct.
Summarized by AI · Did Peter Hate Paul? Apostolic Conflict in the Early Church · Lecture 1: Two Apostles Head-to-Head (And Toe-to-Toe?) · watch the clip
Addressing Immorality and Legal Disputes in Corinth
Paul confronts various scandals in the Corinthian church, including a case of sexual immorality "not even found among pagans" and believers taking each other to civil court. He urges the community to address these issues internally, emphasizing the importance of church discipline and avoiding public scandal before non-believers.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 19: Paul’s Churches | Inventing Christian Communities · watch the clip
Jesus' Stance on Courts and Judging
Jesus' teachings, particularly in the Sermon on the Mount and Luke 12, advise against going to court and instead encourage settling disputes within the community. He also refuses the role of a judge and emphasizes forgiveness. Paul echoes this sentiment in 1 Corinthians 6, urging believers to resolve disputes internally rather than taking fellow Christians to pagan courts, viewing lawsuits among them as a defeat.
Summarized by AI · The Parables of Jesus: Jewish Insights into Gospel Ethics, Humor, and Provocation · Lecture 4: Persevering Widow and Unjust Judge | How Parables Promote and Demote Women · watch the clip
Believers suing each other in secular courts
Paul criticizes members of the Corinthian church for taking each other to court. He argues that as individuals who have been baptized and share in the spirit of Christ, they should be able to resolve disputes internally rather than resorting to pagan legal systems.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Were Some Early Christians Against Paul? · watch the clip
1 Cor 6:15-20
No divorce and sanctification in mixed marriages
Paul teaches against divorce, even in mixed marriages where one partner is an unbeliever. He argues that the unbelieving partner is sanctified through the believing partner, and this holiness extends to their children. This suggests a concept of impurity transfer through physical contact, where the believing spouse's indwelling 'pneuma' (spirit) can render the unbelieving spouse holy.
Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 11: The Christian Body | Ascetic Enthusiasm · watch the clip
1 Corinthians 6 Verse Notes
1 Cor 6:9-11
Idolatry and Pagan Sinfulness
Paul's gospel was an assault on idolatry, aligning with Jewish traditions that stereotyped pagans as inherently sinful due to their worship of lower gods and images. He argued that idol worship led to all forms of wickedness and sexual perversion, as detailed in Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 10.
Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 4: Beginnings | Paul, the Pagan's Apostle · watch the clip
1 Cor 6:9-10
Inheritors of God's Kingdom in 1 Corinthians
First Corinthians 6:9-10 lists various groups who will not inherit the kingdom of God, including robbers, drunkards, and idolaters. The passage also contains the debated terms 'malakoi' and 'arsenokoitai,' which are often translated as 'effeminate' and 'homosexual' but have complex and contested meanings, particularly 'arsenokoitai,' a word possibly coined by Paul.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How to Detect a Forgery: The Secret Gospel of Mark · watch the clip
Translation and interpretation of 'homosexuals' in 1 Corinthians 6
The Greek term 'arsenokoitai' in 1 Corinthians 6:9, often translated as 'homosexuals,' is problematic because Paul likely coined it, and its precise meaning is debated. It combines 'male' and 'bed,' leading to various interpretations beyond just same-sex acts, potentially including economic sins or male prostitution. Furthermore, the ancient world lacked the concept of sexual orientation, making 'homosexual' an anachronistic translation.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How to Weaponize the Bible · watch the clip
Paul's Use of 'Arsenokoitai' and Homosexuality
The Greek word 'arsenokoitai,' used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 6 and other letters, is often translated as 'homosexuality' in modern Bibles. However, this word, possibly coined by Paul, literally means 'male-bedder' or 'males having sex.' Its precise meaning is debated, with interpretations ranging from male prostitutes to other forms of male sexual activity. Crucially, the speaker argues that translating it as 'homosexuality' is anachronistic because the ancient world lacked the modern concept of sexual orientation, which is a post-Freudian understanding.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Who Changed the Bible, and Why? · watch the clip
1 Cor 6:9
KJV's Printing Errors and Their Impact
Over its printing history, the King James Version has accumulated various errors due to typesetting mistakes, leading to infamous editions. The 'Unrighteous Bible' of 1653 misprinted 1 Corinthians 6:9 to say the unrighteous 'shall inherit the kingdom.' A 1716 edition of John 8:11 told the adulteress to 'sin on more.' The 'Wicked Bible' of 1631 famously omitted 'not' from the seventh commandment, instructing 'THOU SHALT COMMIT ADULTERY.'
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The KJV is a Literary Masterpiece, And a Disaster Study Bible · watch the clip
Translating 'Arsenokoitai' (Man-Beds) in 1 Corinthians
The Greek word 'arsenokoitai', found in Paul's list of vices in 1 Corinthians 6, is a 'hapax legomenon' (a word appearing only once in a body of literature) in early Greek writings, making its precise meaning difficult to ascertain. It is a compound word, literally 'man-beds', and has been interpreted in various ways, including illicit or exploitative sexual acts between men. The NRSV originally translated it as 'sodomites', which is considered anachronistic and inaccurate by many scholars. The NRSV Updated Edition opted for 'men who have illicit sex' with a footnote indicating the uncertainty of the Greek, acknowledging that the term's exact meaning is unknown and that the concept of 'homosexual' as a sexual identity did not exist in the ancient world.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How to Translate the Bible: Problems and Pitfalls · watch the clip
1 Cor 6:15-17
Union with Christ Precludes Illicit Unions (Participationist Model)
From the participationist model, being united with Christ through baptism means that believers are made one with Him. This union precludes other illicit unions, such as sexual relations with a prostitute, because it would imply making Christ one with the prostitute through the believer.
Summarized by AI · Paul and Jesus: The Great Divide · Lecture 6: Paul the Moral Teacher · watch the clip
1 Cor 6:15-16
Body as a Member of Christ
Paul refutes the Corinthian idea that physical sins, including sexual acts, are inconsequential because the body is temporary. He argues that believers' bodies are members of Christ, and engaging in sexual immorality, such as with a prostitute, would be to unite Christ with such acts, drawing on the Genesis concept of two becoming one flesh.
Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 3: Better to Marry Than to Burn | The Crises of Corinth · watch the clip
1 Cor 6:19-20
Body as Temple of the Holy Spirit
Paul further emphasizes the sanctity of the body, stating that it is a temple of the Holy Spirit. This concept, linked to baptism, implies that believers' bodies are holy and must be protected and kept pure, reinforcing the importance of sexual ethics.
Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 3: Better to Marry Than to Burn | The Crises of Corinth · watch the clip
1 Cor 6:19
Old Testament Themes Reshaped in the New Testament
New Testament authors reshape significant Old Testament themes around Jesus. For instance, the concept of the 'Son of Man' draws on Ezekiel and Daniel, and Matthew's genealogy highlights the theme of exile. Paul's teaching that believers are the 'temple of the Holy Spirit' reframes the Old Testament's emphasis on the physical temple.
Summarized by AI · Jesus and the Old Testament · Lecture 1: Introduction to Jesus and the Old Testament · watch the clip
