1 Corinthians Chapter 6
CORINTH: RICH GREEK CITY/STATE
(Acts 18:1 [KJV])
After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
(Acts 18:8 [KJV])
And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
(Acts 19:1 [KJV])
And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
(1 Corinthians 1:2 [KJV])
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called [to be] saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
(2 Corinthians 1:1 [KJV])
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy [our] brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
(2 Corinthians 1:23 [KJV])
Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.
(2 Corinthians 6:11 [KJV])
O [ye] Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.
(2 Timothy 4:20 [KJV])
Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
- Lots of good, fresh water
- Lots of good, arable soil
- Lots of good clay for ceramics, pottery, etc., hence "Corinthian Pottery"
- Shops, fountains, carved stone temples to the Greek gods, porticos, metal workshops abounded
- As a part of a major shipping lane, Corinth has four ports, on the Gulf of Corinth, between two seas
- A temple to Apollo was there
- Another temple was one to Aphrodite, an acropolis known as Acrocorinth, which was associated with prostitutes for the seafaring men, which made it a rich city
- Perusing the two letters Paul wrote to them, it is obvious that they were apostate and backslidden.
(1 Corinthians 6:1 [KJV])
Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
- Christian suing Christian, in civil courts.....worldly divorce courts today, with worldly laws, worldly judges, worldly Christians, which have zero to do with Godliness, holiness
- Today, sadly, most Christians (men pastors, elders, godly men, etc.) lack the discernment and judgment to handle civil matters, which are contained in Scripture, cover to cover
- You have a matter with another Christian...it is a Christian matter, not a worldly one
(1 Corinthians 6:2 [KJV])
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
- Think about that. Being given the wisdom and authority to judge he world one day, but not personal, local civil matters between brethren.
- Going to open court with unbelieving judges, literal heathens, who do not know God, care about His Word, lack His wisdom, understanding
(Jude 1:14,15 [KJV])
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard [speeches] which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
(Revelation 3:21 [KJV])
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
(1 Corinthians 6:3 [KJV])
Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
- The minions of the enemy will be exposed to us, and will be judged. What a long list of evil sins!
- That being said, since we are going to judge angels, what is so hard about using our Sword of the Spirit here to judge between the brethren?
- People going to hell for rejecting God's Blood sacrifice for them, to judge Christians in court. Yeah, not a good thing.
- Having the book of the law in our hands, we should have no problem judging right wrong between brethren and have no need for the world's system.
(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.
- Humble people make the best judges, knowing themselves as sinners with faults.
- Proud, arrogant people declare their enemies at fault, guilty before discussion, before a trial, before one word-and they stick to that, no matter the truth
(Galatians 6:1 [KJV])
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
(1 Corinthians 6:5 [KJV])
I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
- Paul is trying to reveal themselves to themselves, so as to open their eyes to what they are doing and what they should do instead
- In the original NY Greek, that's, "Ya got nobody to do this? Ya kiddin' me?"
- Jesus Himself gave us instructions on how to specifically handle this
- Expose them, correct them, counsel them, etc. until it is obvious that they do not want to hear about their sin. Then involve leadership, then avoid them, treat them as unbelieving tax collectors, heathens, pagans, etc.
(Matthew 18:15-17 [KJV])
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear [thee, then] take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
(1 Corinthians 6:6 [KJV])
But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
- Secular courts are unbelievers. Going before the church does not 100% guarantee that you are before believers, but you CAN use the book of the law!
- Can you use that Bible in a secular court? Will the defense lawyer, the prosecutor, judge, perpetrator all agree with it, allow it, as a guide? I trow not
(1 Corinthians 6:7 [KJV])
Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather [suffer yourselves to] be defrauded?
- We should not be going to law at all, period, in or out of the church, with the brethren, but especially in secular courts, at all, but just leave it be, break fellowship with the offenders, correct them, whatever
- On top of that, we should not be defrauding ANYONE as believers, whether they are brethren or unbelievers
- We should not be suing because someone offended us.
(1 Corinthians 6:8-10 [KJV])
Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that [your] brethren. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
- Why would a heaven bound, born-again Christian do wrong and defraud a brother?
- Not walking with the LORD
- No conscience, because of not reading the Word, because of not walking with the LORD
- Not caring, because of no conscience, because of not reading the Word, because of not walking with the LORD
- Greed, lust, envy, hatred. All signs of today, in and out of the church
(2 Timothy 3:1-5 [KJV])
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
(1 Corinthians 6:11 [KJV])
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
- All that God saved us from is not what we are to return to!
- Washed in he Blood, declared righteous, in perfect legal standing, not on our own merit
- Acting like an unbeliever is not the correct response to that, denying the faith
- Like not caring for the widows and orphans in the church
(1 Timothy 5:8 [KJV])
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
(1 Corinthians 6:12 [KJV])
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
- We have free will to sin....just not without consequences
- Our nature is to sin and we can feed that sin to make it a habit, searing our conscience more and more each time.
- If all things are lawful, because we are not under the law, but under grace
(1 Corinthians 6:13 [KJV])
Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body [is] not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
- Eat what you want, but the death rate is one per person. As goes the body, so goes the belly in death
- Fornication...unlawful relations
- God owns us, God created us, God invented marriage and mankind has tried for ca. 6,000 years to change it and failed every time, because God makes the rules, GOd defined marriage.
FORNICA'TION, n. [L. fornicatio.]
- The incontinence or lewdness of unmarried persons, male or female; also, the criminal conversation of a married man with an unmarried woman.
- Adultery. Mat 5.
- Incest. 1 Cor 5.
- Idolatry; a forsaking of the true God, and worshipping of idols. 2 Chr 21. Rev 19.
(1 Corinthians 6:14 [KJV])
And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
- Several reasons for this interjection here:
- We were given power by God to overcome sin, but not alone, not on our own strength
- We are born-again, and have a new life now, leaving the old one, entering the new one
- This is expected of us who are bound for glory, to glorify God while we are here
- Everything is in God's power now, God's timing, by His promises (the raising up)
(Romans 6:4 [KJV])
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
(Romans 8:11 [KJV])
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
(2 Corinthians 4:14 [KJV])
Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present [us] with you.
(1 Corinthians 6:15 [KJV])
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make [them] the members of an harlot? God forbid.
- Christ is the Head; we are the body. The head sees, hears, commands the body, turns it left and right via the neck, not the other way around
- A harlot here is anyone who engages in sexual relations as unmarried to that person.
- Basically, the same as a whore
H`ARLOT, n.
- A woman who prostitutes her body for hire; a prostitute; a common woman.
- In Scripture, one who forsakes the true God and worships idols. Isa 1.
- A servant; a rogue; a cheat.
(1 Corinthians 6:16 [KJV])
What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
- This is the creation of marriage, originally, and a principle for marriage
- It is what happens, married or not. Unity, union of two to one.
MARRIAGE: GOD'S WAY, ONE WAY
(Genesis 2:24 [KJV])
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
(Matthew 19:5 [KJV])
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
(Mark 10:7-9 [KJV])
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
(Ephesians 5:31 [KJV])
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
(1 Corinthians 6:17 [KJV])
But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
- Since God invented marriage and, since marriage is a model, aa illustration of of our being the bride of Christ at the marriage supper of the Lamb, then we are either married to Master, or wed to the world. There is no mixing of the two; it is ac choice of one or the other
(Revelation 19:9 [KJV])
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
(1 Corinthians 6:18 [KJV])
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
- Since the Garden, since the Fall, since God invented marriage, since God covered us with clothing, the model for the right way
- Fornication, as defined by God, defined above by Noah Webster, is impossible without using one's body, uniting it with another body who uses theirs in fornication together
- It is sin, plain, simple, needs no long explanation
- Joseph ran from it, and was falsely charged, but did it nonetheless, and God rewarded him for it, plus there is not one single evil word spoken of him in God's Word
JOSEPH: OUR ENSAMPLE OF FLEEING FORNICATION
(Genesis 39:7-12 [KJV])
And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what [is] with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; [There is] none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou [art] his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, [or] to be with her. And it came to pass about this time, that [Joseph] went into the house to do his business; and [there was] none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
(1 Corinthians 6:19 [KJV])
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
- This is why, because we have a Master, Jesus Christ Who is God, and the Holy Ghost Who is God living in us, and are to serve God the Father
- We are adopted children, purchased by God (via the Son), for God (the Father), to God (the Father), to serve God (via the Spirit)
- How would the Corinthians not know this? But yet, they are acting like they do not.
(1 Corinthians 6:20 [KJV])
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
- That price was Christ's Blood, His Body broken, His life taken, for us.
- The price was something immeasurable, priceless to us, paid by God (via the Son), to glorify God (the Father), to God (the Father), to serve God (via the Spirit), via our own spirit, now quickened for this purpose
Links to studies by book or topic are on the right menu. 1 Corinthians 7
