1 Corinthians Chapter 6
At a Glance
- Chapter 6 tackles disputes among believers, particularly legal matters that should be resolved within the church rather than in secular courts.
- The chapter then pivots to sexual ethics, emphasizing that the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and that believers’ bodies are members of Christ Himself.
- Paul writes to a church in a cosmopolitan city where lawsuits and sexual permissiveness were common.
- - Internal dispute resolution: the church should handle conflicts among believers.
- - The body as temple of the Spirit: sexual ethics are a moral imperative because the Spirit dwells in believers.
1 Corinthians 6
Chapter 6 tackles disputes among believers, particularly legal matters that should be resolved within the church rather than in secular courts. Paul questions whether Christians should allow unworthy, unjust courts to judge matters among them, urging that saints will judge the world and even angels, thus arguing for internal discernment and discipline. He urges that agreements be settled within the church by those who are “least esteemed,” highlighting a turn toward humility and proper ordering.
The chapter then pivots to sexual ethics, emphasizing that the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and that believers’ bodies are members of Christ Himself. He states that the redeemed person belongs to Christ and that the Spirit dwells in believers. He warns against sexual immorality as a defilement of the temple of the Holy Spirit, concluding with a strong call to honor God with one’s body, including the assertion that believers should flee from sexual sin because it harms both individual sanctity and communal witness.
Paul writes to a church in a cosmopolitan city where lawsuits and sexual permissiveness were common. The genre remains apostolic exhortation: addressing concrete ethical issues to preserve the integrity of the Christian community. This chapter sits in a section where Paul is reorganizing the church’s life—its ethics, discipline, and daily conduct—so that the community reflects the holiness of God in a secular world.
- Internal dispute resolution: the church should handle conflicts among believers.
- The body as temple of the Spirit: sexual ethics are a moral imperative because the Spirit dwells in believers.
- Holiness and agency: freedom in Christ is not freedom to sin, but to live for the Lord.
- The intimate connection between personal conduct and communal witness.
- Conflict resolution within the church: encourage restorative, biblically grounded processes before seeking secular courts.
- Sexual ethics in contemporary life: uphold biblical sexual ethics as central to identity and witness.
- View of the body: respect for one’s body as belonging to Christ shapes decisions about behavior, health, and integrity.
- The gospel in daily life: holiness manifests in practices, relationships, and communities.