1 Corinthians

6:1-11

2. Some moral issues affecting unity, 5:1-6:20

ii] Lawsuits before heathen judges

Paul now turns his attention to another reported problem in the church at Corinth. A member has defrauded a fellow member, who in turn has taken the matter to the civil courts. Through statements of horror, rhetorical questions, threats and sarcasm, Paul condemns the church and the two members. Paul has already argued in chapter 5 that believers are not to "judge" those outside the church, but they are certainly to deal with any problems that may exist within the church. Immorality in the church must be confronted and dealt with and not taken to the civil authorities. Secular litigation of fellowship matters both trivializes the substance of the church (the saints will someday judge the world) and undermines the church before the world. "If the church does not judge those outside, neither does it go outside with inside affairs", Fee.

The passage is more a tirade than a formal structured argument. Paul is annoyed and gives the congregation both barrels, as it were. How can the Corinthians be so stupid as to carry their disputes into secular society for arbitration by "the unrighteous", v1? This action indicates that they have little appreciation of the church's standing in the world, v2-4. Where problems emerge in the Christian fellowship experienced believers should be called on to arbitrate, v5-6. If the matter cannot be resolved, a believer should be willing to suffer loss rather than seek redress in a secular court, v7, and certainly not act to defraud a brother or sister, v8. The two litigants need to be reminded that persistent defiance against God brings with it exclusion from the kingdom of God, v9-10. Paul concludes with a word of encouragement; "whatever their problems ...[they] are the Lord's in that they have been washed, sanctified and justified", Naylor, v11.

tiV uJmwn "any of you" - a certain one of you.

ecwn "has [a dispute]" - having [a matter = a dispute / lawsuit]. The participle is adjectival; "any of you who has a dispute."

proV + acc. "with [another]" - against [the other = "his fellow", Zerwick].

tolma/ (tolmaw) pres. "dare" - be so bold as to challenge or defy possible danger or opposition*. Presumably as a rhetorical question, "does any of you, who has a dispute with another, dare ...."; "has he the audacity to go to law before a pagan court ....?", Cassirer.

epi "before [the ungodly]" - before [the unrighteous = a Gentile magistrate]" - Here with a special sense, as NIV. The reference to "the ungodly / unjust" is not necessarily disparaging, it just identifies an authority outside the Christian fellowship. At times, Paul had good reason to respect secular magistrates, cf. Acts 18:12-17.

krinesqai (krinw) pres. mid/pas. inf. "for judgment" - to be judged. The middle or passive with the sense "allow yourselves to be judged", Rogers. The infinitive probably forms an object clause, after the verb of "dare", epexegetic, as Cassirer above. It should be noted that Paul had dealings with the secular courts, but only in the sense that he was hauled before the courts and forced to defend himself within the secular system, cf. Acts 25-26. He was not taking legal action against a fellow believer.

twn aJgiwn (oV) "[instead of before] the saints" - [not before] the holy. "Believers".

h] "-" - or. "Or do you not know" = "that is, if you disagree with my initial proposition, can this possibly mean that you do not know", Barrett.

ouk oidate (oida) perf. "do you not know" - The language expresses a rebuke. "Is it possible that you are not aware ....", Barclay.

oJti "that" - that. Here introducing a dependent statement of knowing expressing what they should know.

krinou:sin (krinw) fut. "will judge" - Usually taken as a future tense, although the circumflex is a later addition so possibly a present tense is intended, which, in this context, would be gnomic, ie. as a general principle, now and into the future, the saints judge the world. Daniel 7:22 serves as the prime source of the idea that believers ("the saints") will reign with Christ in eternity, judging both humanity and the angels, cf. Rev. 3:21, 20:4. Chrysostom regarded this judging as "demanding account", but something more general may be intended, eg., administering God's judgment, possibly "arbitrating", or even just in the sense of "administrating" "ruling", Garland. Paul uses this idea to support his call that they not go before secular judges to settle disputes within the fellowship. The reason is that "Christians are eschatological people, who will themselves be involved in God's final judgment of the world", Fee.

ei + ind. "if [you are to judge the world]" - if [the world is judged]. Forming a conditional sentence 1st. class, where the condition is assumed to be true; "if, as is then case, ..... then ..."

oJ kosmoV "the world" - "The world of human habitation", rather than "the ordered system that God has created", Naylor. The reference is not to the environment of human habitation, but human habitation itself with its associations and organizations. Such is primarily deceptive, often corrupting, but also at times uplifting - ie. not necessarily evil, but certainly corrupted.

en + dat. "by [you]" - The preposition here functions as an instrumental dative.

anaxioi adj. "competent" - [are you] unworthy / incompetent. The sentence is ironic; "If the world is to be judged by you, are you not fit to organize the smallest tribunal?", Barnett.

krithriwn (on) gen. "to judge trivial cases" - of law courts, tribunals / legal action. BAGD takes the meaning as "courts" and with the superlative adjective elacistwn, "least", giving the sense, "the most insignificant courts." "Are you unworthy to serve on tribunals of the most trifling import?", Cassirer.

Note that the Gk. punctuation is unclear. The verse may be a single sentence question, as UBS4; "are you not aware that we are to judge angels, not to mention day-to-day affairs?", REB. The NIV follows Nestle.

ouk "[do you] not [know]" - This negation in a question forms an expected positive answer, "yes".

oJti "that" - that. Introducing a dependent statement of knowing expressing what they should know.

aggelouV "angels" - Presumably heavenly beings are intended, but as for "judging" them, see above, Paul probably has in mind their "administration". Traditionally understood as judging wicked angels ("fallen angels", Hoskins), inc. the angels of the nations ("patrons of the nations", Cullmann), sometimes even the good angels, since all must give account, so Meyer. Garland rightly notes that Paul is not establishing a theological framework for eschatological judgment, but is simply making the point that "if they (the Corinthians) are destined to be participants in the celestial judgment of the world and of angels, they ought to be able to handle mundane matter of far less consequence."

mhti ge "how much more" - The emphatic negation with the particle ge "yet, indeed, surely", gives a sense something like "to say nothing of", Conzelmann.

biwtika adj. "the things of this life" - of human existence. The adjective functions as a substantive; "commonplace matters", Zerwick.

The NIV treats this verse as an ironic imperative, but even as irony it is unlikely that Paul would describe those who are to arbitrate on matters in the church as "men of little account". It is more likely that the verse is a question with the object (toutouV "such ones") being secular judges rather than members of the congregation; "if therefore you have such everyday disputes, how can you entrust jurisdiction to outsiders with no standing in the church?, REB, cf. Fee.

oun "therefore" - Drawing a conclusion.

ean + subj. "if" - if [therefore you may have] - Forming a conditional sentence, 3rd. class, where the condition is a possibility; "if, as may be the case, .... then ...."

krithria (on) "disputes" - As in v2, "law courts / tribunals"; "tribunals [dealing with worldly matters]", R&P, and so "legal matters / a case". "Law-suits", Barclay.

biwtika adj. "about such matters" - As in v3, "commonplace matters". As an adjective, the word limits "case", "a case which concerns commonplace matters." Everyday matters", Cassirer.

kaqizete (kaqizw) pres. "appoint" - See above, as a question "how could you appoint (set in place such ones [secular judges])", ie. not an imperative, but an interrogative indicative.

toutouV "-" - such ones.

touV exouqenhmenouV (exouqenew) perf. pas. part. "men of little account" - the ones being little esteemed. The articular participle functions as an adjective limiting "such ones"; "such ones who are of little account." "Who count for nothing", Barrett.

en th/ ekklhsia/ "in the church" - Possibly the more gracious "from the point of view of those in the church", Cassirer.

proV + acc. "to [shame you]" - Probably as NIV with a final sense "in order to shame you", but also possibly "I speak [this] to your shame". The assumed object "this" is either what went before, or what follows.

entrophn (h) "shame" - looking inwardly = "embarrassment, shame."

uJmin "you" - to/in/on you. The dative is possibly taking a reflective sense, "in yourselves"; "to make you ashamed of yourselves", NJB.

ouk eni (enestin) "is it possible that there is" - there exists. This negation in a question produces the answer "yes". "Is it .......? (Indeed yes!)".

ou{twV adv. "-" - thus, so. According to Lightfoot the adverb here is modal expressing the manner of what exists. This is followed up by an appositional clause explaining what is "thus"; "is it thus, namely that there is no one wise among you who will be able to judge between the brothers of him .......]?" "Has it come to this, that there is not a single wise man among you who could decide a dispute between members of the brotherhood?", Moffatt.

oudeiV "nobody" - no one. "Not even one person."

en uJmin "among you" - in you. Most translations opt for "among you."

diakrinai (diakrinw) aor. inf. "to judge a dispute" - to evaluate. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "will be able." "Competent to arbitrate", Thiselton.

ana meson "between" - each in the middle. A compound preposition which takes the meaning "between". "Able to give a decision between one Christian and another", Barclay.

tou adelfou autou "believers" - of the brothers of him. "Fellow Christians", Fitzmyer.

This verse can be treated as a statement in its own right, as NIV, REB, .... Yet, it is likely that it is the second half of the appositional clause explaining "thus", particularly as both verses evidence Paul's "not ..... but" formula, cf. Fee. "Has it come to this (is it thus), that there is not a ....... (v5), but brother goes to law with brother, and that at the bar of unbelievers?", Cassirer, so also Moffatt.

alla "but instead" - Adversative.

meta + gen. "against" - [brother] with [brother is judged]. "Brother goes to law with brother", AV.

kai touto "and this" - and that (the going to court to seek arbitration).

epi "in front of" - before. Again with a spacial sense. "At the bar of unbelievers", Cassirer.

apistwn adj. "unbelievers" - disbelieving. "Pagan", Junkins; "those who have no faith in Christ", Phillips.

From this verse, through to v11, Paul addresses the two people involved in the legal action, confronting their sin, warning them of divine retribution, but at the same time reminding them of their standing in Christ.

men oun "the very fact" - See below for the translation of these words. Barrett opts for "in fact", as NIV; "Indeed", REB.

oJti "that" - that. Probably introducing a noun clause, subject of the verb to-be; "that you have legal proceedings with one another is (estin, "it is") already completely a defeat for you", as NIV. Possibly introducing a causal clause; "you have completely failed because you go to law with one another."

meq (meta) "among [you]" - with [one another].

uJmin dat. "[means] you [have been]" - [it is a complete defeat] to/for you. Presumably referring to the two people involved in the legal action, rather than the congregation, but often read as referring to the congregation.

hdh men oun o{lwV "completely [defeated] already" - now / already therefore. This rather messy collection of adverb, particle, conjunction and adverb, at the beginning of the Gk. sentence, is not easily translated. The oun, "therefore", is probably not original, while the men .... de construction, "on the one hand ..... but on the other" is stillborn. So, we are left with hdh, "already" and o{lwV, "completely, totally", both of which probably modify the verb to-be; "it is already completely a defeat for you". "It is an altogether defeat", Fee.

h{tthma (a) "defeated" - failure. In the sense, failed in their Christian life. If their faith was firm they would not be taking each other to court, but rather they would "renounce the asserting of one's rights", Conzelmann. Such is the proper application of divine grace ("be merciful as God is merciful") and indicates that Paul's advice to undertake arbitration, within the Christian fellowship, is a concession. "A total moral failure", Thiselton.

dia ti ouci "why not" - because why not ....?

mallon "rather" - rather. Expressing contrast and thus an alternative.

adikeisqe (adikew) pres. pas/mid. "be wronged" - be harmed. The NIV opts for a passive here, but it is possibly middle, a "permissive use of the middle voice", Thiselton. So, "Why do you not rather let yourselves be deprived of your rights? Why do you not rather let yourselves be defrauded."

alla "instead" - but. Adversative.

uJmeiV "you yourselves" - you. Emphatic, as NIV.

kai touto "and you do this" - and this. "And believers at that", NRSV.

adelfouV (oV) "to your brother" - a believer.

oJti "[do you not know] that" - that. Introducing a dependent statement of knowing, expressing what they should know.

adikoi adj. "the wicked" - wicked ones. The adjective functions as a substantive.

ou klhronomhsousin (klhronomew) fut. "will not inherit" - That those who practice the evils listed in v10-11 "will not inherit (will not enter)" the kingdom of God is oft repeated in scripture. It is usually understood that Paul is warning against joining the ranks of "the wicked" again, those who habitually practice these evils. The issue here is not occasional sin, probably not even recurrent sin, but rather a wilful abandoning of a life lived under the grace of God, and this for a life of rebellion against God.

basileian (a) "the kingdom [of God]" - kingdom. Given that Paul is writing primarily to Gentile churches he only rarely uses the phrase "the kingdom of God" for the righteous reign of God, God's right acting, his setting all things right. So, when Paul refers to God's righteous reign he tends to use the phrase "the righteousness of God" thn tou qeou dikaiosunhn, particularly in his treatise on the gospel in his letter to the Romans. The synoptic gospels, on the other hand, reflecting a Semitic oral tradition, commonly use the phrase "the kingdom of God", a phrase easily understood by those with a Jewish background as referring to God's promised eschatological reign now realized in Christ.

mh planasqe (planaw) pres. pas. imp. "do not be deceived" - be not deceived, led astray, misled.

pornoi (oV) "sexually immoral" - sexually promiscuous. "Illicit sex relationships", Thiselton.

eidwlolatrai (hV ou) "idolaters" - people who worship idols, other Gods. Paul is following the Old Testament by placing idolatry next to adultery, where, for an Israelite, the going after other gods is like an act of adultery. Also, on a practical level, promiscuous sex was often associated with pagan cults, particularly where fertility rites were involved.

moicoi (oV) "adulterers" - Sex with the married partner of another person.

malakoi (oV) "male prostitutes [nor homosexual offenders]" - The NIV's translation is probably too soft, but then better than the AV's "effeminate". We face a number of difficulties in translating this word. In the first place, the Greek language has different words for the passive partner (female role) and active partner (male role) in a homosexual relationship. Paul uses the passive word first and then follows it up with the active word arsenokoithV, but this does not necessarily mean that the passive word means "male prostitues", for a male prostitute may take either role. It is highly unlikely that Paul is damning a homosexual inclination, but rather sodomy, ie. sexual activity with a person of the same sex, whether active or passive. So, both words can be translated as one word, "Sodomites", NRSV. Paul's words are often dismissed as being unrelated to modern society, but the societal acceptance of homosexual intercourse in both Greek and Roman society is not dissimilar to that of Western society today. Paul has already given us the principle by which we should act, a principle guided by the grace of God. We are naturally driven to seek our own rights and to seek redress where these rights are flouted, but, given that we live under divine grace, it is more appropriate that we renounce such rights when it comes to a brother. We are naturally driven to fulfill our sexual urges by indiscriminate mating, but it is more appropriate that we confine these urges to a marital relationship. Those with a homosexual orientation will be driven to fulfill those urges with another of the same sex, but it is more appropriate that we practice a celibate life. In all this, we will all slip and fall, dishonor our Lord and his total giving of self made on our behalf. And when we fall short of the divine image (a reality that should remind us not to point the finger at the failings of others), let us pick ourselves up, dust ourselves of, and this under the mercy of God. cf. Thiselton for a survey on this subject, p440-452.

kleptai (hV ou) "thieves"

pleonektai (hV ou) "the greedy" - greedy, covetous persons.

mequsoi (oV) "drunkards" - heavy drinkers. "Abusers of alcohol", Junkins.

loidoroi (oV) "slanderers" - "Those who use abusive language", Barclay.

arpageV adj. "swindlers" - violently greedy. Adjective serving as a substantive. The word probably has a similar sense to "thieves", but thieving with violence, so possibly "extortioners", Cassirer, but better "armed robbers".

kai "and" - "And it is true", Godet.

h\te imperf. "you were" - [some] you were [these things]. The imperfect is durative expressing an ongoing life of sin. "Such were some of you", Zerwick.

alla "but" - Adversative. The "but" is repeated for emphasis.

apelousasqe (apolouw) aor. "you were washed" - The word is compounded with the preposition apo for emphasis, "completely washed". If middle, "you have had yourselves washed", so Godet, Lightfoot, R&P, Beasley-Murray, Fung, Garlington, but as Fee, Barrett, .. note the word is primarily found in the middle voice and so is possibly a middle with passive sense, or even just a middle of personal interest, Thiselton; "you have been washed clean [in baptism]", Barclay. Barclay puts into words what many assume, namely that Paul is referring to water baptism. Of course, the rite may be in the mix, but primarily Paul is referring to the washing away of sin, of forgiveness, "the spiritual transformation of conversion", Dunn. So, "you were forgiven once and for all." Water baptism but illustrates forgiveness as an outward expression of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. "You have been purified from sin", TEV.

hJgiasqhte (aJgiazw) aor. pas. "you were sanctified" - [but] you were made holy. The aorist is punctiliar, as is "washed" ("the event of coming to faith", Thiselton) and "made righteous", ie. a singular event is in mind. The base sense of the word is "set apart [for God]", and this is possibly central in Paul's thought; "you were claimed by God as his own and made a member of his holy people", Barrett. It is certainly unlikely that Paul is referring to the process of sanctification in the continuing Christian life, the aorist puts that idea to bed. There is also no significance in "sanctification" being mentioned before "justification" since being holy and right before God are virtually a single package in Paul's mind. As far as Paul is concerned, his readers are sanctified, already made holy, and this in Christ. In union with Christ a believer is as Christ is, holy. Of course, the indicative, what is, does not deny the imperative, what should be. We should be what we are, and this is Paul's point as far as the Corinthians are concerned, and particularly as far as the two members who are involved in litigation are concerned - they should be what they are.

edikaiwqhte (dikaiow) aor. pas. "you were justified" - [but] you were made righteous. Paul is surely using this word with its full theological meaning rather than something like "made morally righteous", cf. Bultmann. Cranfield, aligning with many conservative commentators, gives the sense as "confer a righteous status on", thus pushing toward the idea of imputed righteousness. Today a more widely accepted sense is "judged in the right with God / judged as covenant compliant", Dumbrell, even "count/treat as righteous", Barrett, thus pushing toward the idea that justification is simply divine forgiveness. Although the idea of "made right with God" carries with it the danger of perfectionism, justification does involve something more than just regarding a person right, for when God says that someone is right with him, they are right with him. So, "set right with God", Bruce ("rectified", Martyn!!!). See Galatians 2:13 - Justification.

en + dat. "in" - Introducing the two prepositional phrases "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" and "in the Spirit of our God". Usually taken as local and then instrumental, as NIV, so Fitzmyer, Thiselton, ... Some commentators take both as local; "in .... and in ....", R&P, Garlington, Bruce (in union with Christ, and in the Spirit we are baptized into one body), ... Yet, this preposition often functions in the place of an instrumental dative (Semitic form); "through / by means of", and given that "in the Spirit of our God" is unlikely, and that it is unlikely that Paul would use the preposition differently in such close proximity, and that both prepositional phrases together are likely to modify the three preceding verbs, then an instrumental sense for both phrases is more than likely; "through the name ..... and through the Spirit ....", Barrett, Conzelmann, Barnett, Fee. Thrall takes the view that forgiveness and membership of God's people are gifts granted to the Corinthians at their baptism "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" and "at which converts received the power of the Holy Spirit." Linking Paul's words so tightly to the rite of baptism is probably unhelpful, but her approach is valid enough, forgiveness, holiness and right-standing before God rests on the person and work of Christ and the present ministry of the Holy Spirit.

tw/ onamati (a atoV) "the name" - The presence of the phrase "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" has led many commentators to use it as support for taking "washed" as a reference to water baptism, cf. Matt.28:19. Yet, "the name" simply means "the whole person", their being, character, deeds. So, the phrase "the name of the Lord", common in the scriptures, is simply identifying the being/character/person of God. To do something "in/by the name of the Lord", is to do it with him, ie. by his authority and in his power. Here Jesus is identified as "the Lord" and it is by means of his person and work that the Corinthians are forgiven, made holy and set-right before God.

tw/ pneumati (a atoV) "the Spirit" - The ongoing standing of the Corinthians as forgiven, made holy and set-right before God, rest, not in their own power, but by means of the indwelling Spirit's renewing power.

1Corinthians Introduction

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