1 Corinthians Chapter 6
I. Christians are forbidden to take each other to Court (Chap. 6:1-8)
“How dare you file a lawsuit against each other!” (verse1)
Apostle Paul brought this matter up for possibly 2 reasons:
1. He might be following up on the matter of judging in 1 Corinthians 5:13 as he brought it up here.
2. It probably was a pervading issue within the church and he wanted to “nip it in the bud!”
Note: Paul stresses the point that Christians ought to be able to work out differences between themselves without getting the secular world involved. Not that it wasn’t possible to get a fair judgment in a pagan tribunal, but it made the Corinthian church look bad and challenged the integrity of the Christian that had to go to secular judges to settle a matter between 2 Christians , as well as the Christian that wrong the plaintiff. [Church Covenant: We promised God that we will be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagement and exemplary in the way we conduct ourselves socially and in business.] Here’s 2 reasons…….
A. The saints shall judge the world: You ought to be competent enough to judge trivial matters (petty disputes) (verse 2)
B. The saints shall judge angels :(verse 3) fallen (demons)
The object of verses (2 and 3) is to show that Christians were qualified to determine the outcome of controversies which might arise among themselves. This the apostle shows by reminding them that they shall be engaged in determining matters of much more moment than those which could arise among the members of a church on earth; If God will qualify us for kingdom work of that magnitude, they and we have been qualified to express a sound and fair judgment on the questions which might arise among the fellowship in the church.
C. What do you do if you have judgments and or disputes among yourselves: (verse 4-6)
1. (with sarcasm) Paul said : Set judges in the church that have the least esteem, (like the pagan magistrates to handle your business issues).
2. Paul said to them in a shameful manner: You mean to tell me that in the Christian church-the church collected in refined and enlightened Corinth-there is not a single member so wise, intelligent and prudent that his brethren may have confidence in him, and refer their causes to him? Can this be the case in a church that boasts so much of its wisdom, and that prides itself so much in the number and qualifications of its intelligent members?
There are 3 reasons for this::
(1) Because they ought rather to take wrong and suffer themselves to be injured (giving up your right for someone else’s wrong)
(2) Because they might have chosen some persons to settle the matter by arbitration without a formal trial. A bible based/ Christ centered /Holy Spirit led Church Council
(3) Because the civil constitution would have allowed them to have settled all their differences without a lawsuit. Josephus Jewish Historian) says that the Romans (who were now masters of Corinth) permitted the Jews in foreign countries to decide private affairs, where nothing capital (non-money matters) was in question, among themselves.
D. There’s a “fault” among you! (verse 7)
You dare to take your Christian brother/sister to a “secular” court ! 3 things were wrong with this:
(1). Because religion (according to the Beatitudes) requires its friends to be willing to suffer wrong patiently if need be; (Proverbs 20:22; Matthew 5:39-40; Romans 12:17 to 19;1 Thessalonians 5:15.)
(2). Because Christianity as a whole takes a tremendous “hit” and the local church suffers “public” ridicule from the media and community in general ,( It taints the testimony of the saints and Christianity in general) by comparison, the “private” wrong which an individual suffer (probably in all cases), than to drag a matter between two professed Christians into a civil, municipal or Superior court.
(3) The differences among Christians could be satisfied among themselves, by a reference to a wise church tribunal (as described above). In 99 cases out of 100, the decision would be more likely to be just and satisfactory to all parties from an amicable reference, than from the decisions of a civil court. In "the very few" cases where it would be otherwise, it would be better for the individual to suffer, than for the cause of religion to suffer. Christians OUGHT to love the cause of their Master more than their own individual interest. They ought to be more afraid that the cause of Jesus Christ would be injured than that they should be a few pounds poorer from the conduct of others, or than that they should individually suffer in their character from the injustice of others.
E. Paul concluded that they would rather defraud their brethren and blatantly do wrong . (verse 8)
II. Pertaining to the Sanctity of the Body: Christian Marriage: (to Christ and to our lawful mates)
Chapter 6:9 to chapter 7:40
A. Why is the Body Sanctified? (Verses 9 through 20)
1. The Body is holy: washed and justified (verses 9-12)
Therefore: Don’t you know 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,
Paul tells the church the “plain” truth about lascivious behavior, and they can’t claim ignorance to this truth; that such sinners should not inherit the kingdom of God. The” meanest” among them must know this much, that the “unrighteous” shall not inherit the kingdom of God, that is, those persons shall not be owned as true members of his church on earth, (the organism, not organization) nor admitted as glorious members of the church in heaven.
What you need to know:
A. If you have truly confessed Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you must allow the Holy Spirit to take control of your life so Christ can possess you fully as a chosen vessel.
B. Your name can be on a church role down here and still you can miss going to heaven: Jesus said: Not everyone that cry Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven that he (those of us) that do God’s will which is in heaven. On that day, many will say Lord, I prophesied in you named, I cast out devils in your name…I did many wonderous works in your name…Depart from me…. you workers of iniquity!
C. All unrighteousness is sin; and all reigning sin, every actual sin committed deliberately, and not repented of, shuts out of the kingdom of heaven.
D. Paul lists several sorts of sins: against the first and second commandments, as idolaters; against the seventh, as adulterers, fornicators, effeminate, and Sodomites; against the eighth, as thieves and extortioners, that by force or fraud wrong their neighbors; against the ninth, as revilers; and against the tenth, as covetous and drunkards, as those who are in a fair way to break all the rest.
E. Those who knew anything of religion must know that heaven could never be intended for these. The scum of the earth are no ways fit to fill the heavenly mansions. Those who do the devil's work can never receive God's wages, at least no other than death, the just wages of sin, Rom 6:23.
F. Paul warns them against deceiving themselves: Be not deceived. If you know what’s right, you are required to do what’s right….Men are very much inclined to flatter themselves that God is such a one as themselves, and that they may live in sin and yet die in Christ, may lead the life of the devil's children and yet go to heaven with the children of God. But this is all a gross cheat. Note, It is very much the concern of mankind that they do not cheat themselves in the matters of their souls. We cannot hope to sow to the flesh and yet reap everlasting life.
G. Paul reminds them of what a change the gospel and grace of God made in them since they have been saved: (verse 11)
“Such were some of you were such notorious sinners acting like monsters rather than men. Grace changed all of that! It changes the vilest of men into saints and the children of God. Such were some of you, but you are not what you were. You are washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God”.
Note, The wickedness of men before conversion is doesn’t block them from regeneration and reconciliation to God. The blood of Christ, and the washing of regeneration, can purge away all guilt and defilement
You are sanctified, you are justified. Sanctification is mentioned before justification: and yet the name of Christ, by which we are justified, is placed before the Spirit of God, by whom we are sanctified. Our justification is owing to the merit of Christ; our sanctification to the operation of the Spirit: but both go together.
Note, No one is cleansed from the guilt of sin, and reconciled to God through Christ, but those who are also sanctified by the Holy Spirit. All who are made righteous in the sight of God are made holy by the grace of God.
2. Because your Body belongs to the Lord (verses 13-18)
A. Appetites for the body versus an appetite for the things of God (verse 13)
The physical body and its appetites will pass away God will destroy both
B. Our bodies were not designed for licentious acts but to be devoted to the Lord. . Our body is our “earthly tabernacle that houses the Holy Spirit
C. God acts, and plans, and provides for it. He sustains and keeps it; God makes provision for its immortal purity and happiness in heaven. It is not right, to pollute this body that’s been design to carry holiness within in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Remember: God will exert his mighty power in raising up the body, and will make it glorious, it ought not to be prostituted to purposes of licentiousness.
3. Our body is God’s temple (verses 19-20)
A. We are no longer our own…The Holy Spirit indwells us
B. We have been bought with a price! Paid for with the precious blood of Jesus Christ!
Special notice: About Sins and how they affect your body:
Sins in general; that is, the common sins which people commit that do not immediately and directly affect the body or waste its energies, and destroy life. Are the sins of falsehood, theft, malice, dishonesty, pride, ambition, etc. They do not immediately or directly impair the body or waste its energies.BUT…
Does have more of a direct and immediate effect is on the mind; but sexual immorality, fornication, adultery, bestiality and others produces an immediate and direct effect on the body itself.
Sexual immorality of any kind is a sin against your body, "It wastes the bodily energies; produces feebleness, weakness, and disease; it impairs the strength, enervates the man, and shortens life." Perhaps no single sin has done so much to produce the most painful and dreadful diseases, to weaken the constitution, and to shorten life as this. Other vices, as gluttony and drunkenness, do this also, and all sin has SOME effect in destroying the body, but it is true of this sin in an eminent degree.
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