The Word Made Fresh
1When one of you has a complaint against another, do you dare to take it to court before an unrighteous judge instead of taking it before the saints? 2Don’t you realize that the saints will judge the world? And if they are to judge the world, can’t they judge trivial cases? 3Don’t you realize that we are to judge angels, let alone ordinary things? 4If you have a case involving ordinary things, will you appoint someone with no standing in the church to judge the case? 5You should be ashamed – is there no one among you wise enough to decide between two of your members? 6Do you allow believers to go to court against one another, and even be judged by an unbeliever?
7The truth is that you’ve already been defeated if you have any lawsuits against one another. Shouldn’t you rather be wronged or cheated? 8But you yourselves wrong and cheat others who are believers. 9Don’t you know that sinners will not inherit God’s kingdom? Don’t be fooled – sexual predators, idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, those who practice sodomy, 10thieves, greedy people, drunkards, partygoers, robbers – these will not inherit the kingdom of God. 11And even some of you used to do these things, but you were forgiven and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of our God.
12You might believe, “everything is lawful for me”, but not everything is beneficial. All things may be lawful for me, but I refuse to let anything be my master. 13“Food is meant for the stomach, and the stomach is meant for food,” yes, and God will do away with both. The body is meant for the Lord, not for immoral acts, for the Lord rules the body. 14God raised the Lord, and is powerful enough to raise us as well. 15Don’t you know that your bodies belong to Christ? Should I take what belongs to Christ and give it to a prostitute? Of course not! 16Aren’t you aware that anyone joined to a prostitute becomes one with her? For it is said, “The two shall become one flesh.” 17But whoever is united with the Lord becomes one with him. 18Stay away from illicit sexual acts! Every sin you commit stays outside the body, but sexual immorality is a sin against the body itself. 19Don’t you realize that your body is a sanctuary for the Holy Spirit that is within you, given to you from God? You don’t own yourselves. 20You were bought for a price. So, let your body honor God.
Commentary
1-6: The church in Corinth is in much need of correction. Paul chides them for using the public courts rather than having their disagreements mediated by “the saints.” By “saints” (literally, “holy ones”) he means the spiritual leaders within the congregation.
7-8: He goes so far as to suggest that it would be better to simply abide whatever wrong one might suppose has been done by a fellow believer than to take that believer to court.
9-11: The list of “sinners” in verses 9 and 10 is not intended to be exhaustive, although the list may in fact represent specific complaints Paul has received concerning members of the church in Corinth. Of course, he does not mean that these people should forever be refused entry into the church, but simply that having professed faith in Jesus Christ one should stop behaving in ways that mock the gift of justification.
12-20: Paul believes that baptism makes us partners with Christ in his crucifixion so that we will be partners with Christ in his resurrection. Being partakers in the gift of life with Christ we then become sanctuaries for the living God. The way we use our bodies (and particularly with regards to sexual behavior) reflects our attitude toward God.
Takeaway
When we turn our backs and ignore immorality, immoral behavior is unchecked and even becomes acceptable. Doing wrong and accepting wrong are the same thing.