1 Corinthians
Chapter 6
Disputes Among Christians
When you have a complaint against a brother, how dare you bring it before pagan judges instead of bringing it before God’s people?
Do you not know that you will one day judge the world? And if you are going to judge the world, are you incapable of judging such simple problems?
Don’t you know that we will even judge the angels? And can’t you handle everyday matters?
But when you have disputes, you bring them before those who are foolish in the church!
Shame on you! Isn’t there even one among you wise enough to serve as a judge between believers?
If any of you sues another or files a case before unbelievers, it is already a failure.
It is already wrong that you have lawsuits against each other. Why don’t you rather suffer wrong and be cheated?
But no, you wrong and harm others, who are your brothers and sisters.
Don’t you know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Make no mistake: those who live sexually immoral lives, worship idols, or are adulterers, perverts, sodomites,
or thieves, exploiters, drunkards, slanderers, or embezzlers will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Some of you were like that, but you have been cleansed, sanctified by God, and set right with him through the name of the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of our God.
Christian Freedom and Fornication
Everything is permitted for me, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permitted, but I will not let anything enslave me.
Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both. However, the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.
And God, who raised the Lord, will also raise us by his power.
Do you not realize that your bodies are members of Christ? And would you make that part of his body become a prostitute? Never!
But you know well that when you join yourselves to a prostitute, you become one with her. For Scripture says: The two will become one flesh.
On the contrary, anyone who is united with the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
Avoid unlawful sex entirely. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but those who engage in sexual immorality sin against their own bodies.
Don’t you realize that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, given by God? You no longer belong to yourselves.
Remember the price at which you were bought, and use your body to serve God’s glory.
Commentaries
Disputes Among Christians.
Paul criticizes the poor quality of community life among the Corinthians in this passage. There is no dialogue or charity. The ‘factions’ he mentioned earlier are now accompanied by lawsuits, worsened by family issues being exposed and brought before outsiders.
The Apostle provides both a command and a warning. The command is to resolve disputes within the community by submitting them to qualified arbitrators who can judge with Christian sense and justice. He recommends that personal issues be kept private and discussed only at home. The advice seems even more persuasive than the command. Paul encourages Christian plaintiffs in civil courts to give up their rights for the sake of peace, demonstrating the victory of charity over legality. This advice echoes Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Mt 5:38-40).
Christian Freedom and Fornication.
The topic Paul discusses in this part of his letter is controversial. It was then, and it still is today: sexual freedom. Using a diatribe style, the apostle repeats and counters the Corinthians’ arguments from the perspective of authentic Christian anthropology. He strongly opposes any division of the human person into body and spirit and, as a result, rejects any false spiritualism that demeans, disrespects, or belittles the body and sexuality.
Now, the entire man and woman, with their bodies, belong to the realm of salvation. Jesus died physically for them, and their bodies must also share in the glory of the risen one. The body of the Christian, not just the community, is a visible sign and temple of the Spirit.