1 Corinthians 6
Lawsuits
1 When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before the saints?
According to Philippians 3:20, Christian politics are in heaven. However, Christians still have a responsibility to the state. Jesus illustrated this divine view point when he taught his disciples "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matt. 22:21). According to Romans 13, Christians are to be at peace with the government so that they can preach the gospel. At the time of this letter, Rome was a very corrupt and unjust government which persecuted Christians. The evil Nero was the emperor, yet Paul commanded peace with this Roman government.
The purpose of this section was to teach the Corinthians how they were to interact with politics that were merged between heaven and earth. The first divine principle was that believers need to stay out of secular courts, and instead, allow other believers inside of the local church to try and judge their case. Church fights should not be aired in state courts before unbelievers.
2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits?
During the 1000 year Millennial Kingdom, the saints will co-reign with Christ. Saints will be the political leaders, religious leaders, lawmakers, and judges of the world.
3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters!
Angels do not sin, so believers will judge fallen angels.
4 So if you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church?
It is foolish for believers to allow Satan's judges to judge them. All matters between believers need to be handled inside the church. Both parties need to take their case to their local congregation and accept the decision of the elders.
5 I say this to your shame! Is there no one among you wise enough to settle disputes between fellow Christians?
Satan's judges in the satanic world system do not have enough divine viewpoint to offer a righteous decision.
6 Instead, does a Christian sue a Christian, and do this before unbelievers?
Christians who bring their dirty laundry in front of secular courts are dishonoring Christ.
7 The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves demonstrates that you have already been defeated. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
It is better to be wronged or cheated than it is to take a winning court case before unbelievers.
8 But you yourselves wrong and cheat, and you do this to your brothers and sisters!
Believers are just as guilty as unbelievers in wronging others and cheating, but the difference is that they are saved for eternity.
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals,
During the Millennial Kingdom, Christ will rule with a rod of iron. He will have an army of angels to enforce Millennial Kingdom Law. There will not be any sexual immorality, idolatry, adulteress, or homosexuals in the Millennial Kingdom, because angels will be there to stop it from ever happening. Anyone who does not accept Christ before 100 years will suffer capital punishment.
10 thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God.
There will be no thieves, greedy businessmen, drunkards, verbally abusive, or swindlers in the Millennial Kingdom. Again, Christ will rule with a rod of iron. He will have an angelic army to stop these kinds of sins. This is why there will be a rebellion against Christ at the end of the 1000 years. Those sinners who love these kinds of sins will desire to end Christ's rule, so that they can participate in these kinds of sins.
11 Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Notice that some of the Corinthians once lived in these godless ways. Some of the Corinthians were sexually immoral, practicing idolatry, fornication, and homosexuality in the prostitution temples. However, God delivered them from this lifestyle and called them to become a kingdom of priests and co-reigners with Christ. This verse shows that homosexuality is not an alternate lifestyle. It will not be allowed in the Millennial Kingdom. This verse also shows that homosexuals can be delivered from this lifestyle. God can cleanse them and use them for his kingdom.
Flee Sexual Immorality
12 “All things are lawful for me” – but not everything is beneficial. “All things are lawful for me” – but I will not be controlled by anything.
The Mosaic Law ended at the death of Christ. All of the Ten Commandments except one (worshipping on the Sabbath Day) were repeated in the New Testament as continuing commandments of God. These nine commandments are to be followed, not to obtain eternal life, but to demonstrate one's love for Christ. Any law that is not listed in the New Testament does not give the mind of God, so Christians are at liberty to follow it or not follow it.
13 “Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both.” The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
Meats shall be destroyed someday. It is very possible that during the Millennial Kingdom, men will return to the Garden of Eden diet. There could possibly be manna from heaven or fruit from trees similar to that of the Tree of Life. Stomachs will also disappear. Jesus did eat in his resurrected body. The body was not created for sexual immorality. The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The body was created to glorify God.
14 Now God indeed raised the Lord and he will raise us by his power.
The divine power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead is the same power that will raise up all Christians.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!
The Greeks and Romans had no problem filling their pews, because temple prostitution enticed lots of new members. The Corinthians are reminded that the Holy Spirit is living inside of their body, so their days at the prostitution temples are over.
16 Or do you not know that anyone who is united with a prostitute is one body with her? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”
Whenever a believer fornicates or commits adultery, he has become one with the prostitute.
17 But the one united with the Lord is one spirit with him.
Instead of uniting sexually with a temple prostitute, the Corinthians are commanded to be united with the Lord.
18 Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin a person commits is outside of the body” – but the immoral person sins against his own body.
If a believer is seduced into sexually immorality, he needs to flee before it engulfs him.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
The body that commits fornication or adultery is profaning the body which contains the Holy Spirit.
20 For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.
God spilt his blood for the Corinthians and made them ambassadors of his kingdom. Instead of using their bodies to defile the Holy Spirit, they need to use their body to glorify God. If a believer is committing fornication or adultery, then they are defiling the Holy Spirit and stepping outside of the fellowship with God. This sin needs to be confessed so that the body can serve Christ, and not evil sexual desires.
