1 Corinthians 6

 

 1 Dare (1) (a) any of you, having business against another, be judged (b) under (*) the (♣) unjust, (2) and not under the Saints?

 

(1) The third question is of civil judgments; Whether it be lawful for one faithful to draw another faithful before the judgment seat of an infidel? He answereth that it is not lawful, for offence sake, for it is not evil of itself.
(a) As if he said, Are ye become so impudent, that you are not ashamed to make the Gospel a laughingstock to profane men?
(b) Before the unjust.

(*) Or, judges and magistrates which are infidels.

(♣) He calleth them unjust, whosoever are not sanctified in Christ.
(2) He addeth that he doeth not forbid that one neighbor may go to law with another, if need so require, but yet under holy judges.

 

 2  (3) Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the world? If the world then shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

 

(3) He gathereth by a comparison that the faithful cannot seek to infidels to be judged, without great injury done to the Saints, seeing that God himself will make the Saints judges of the world, and of the devils, with his Son Christ, much more ought they to judge these light and small causes, which may be by equity, and good conscience, determineth.

 

 3 Know ye not that we shall judge the (*) Angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?

 

(*) Who are now apostates and devils; Matthew 25:41 .

 

 4  (4) If then ye have (c) judgments of things pertaining to this life, (*) set up them which are (d) (♣) least esteemed in the Church.

 

(4) The conclusion, wherein he prescribeth a remedy for this mischief, to wit, if they end their private affairs between themselves by chosen arbiters out of the Church, for which matter and purpose, the least of you, saith he, is sufficient. Therefore he condemneth not judgment seats, but sheweth what is expedient for the circumstance of the time, and that without any diminishing of the right of the magistrate, for he speaketh not of judgments which are practiced between the faithful and the infidels, neither of public judgments, but of controversies which may be ended by private arbiters.
(c) Courts and places of judgment.

(*) That is, make them judges.
(d) Even the most abject among you.

(♣) If ye so burn with desire to plead, keep a court among yourselves, and make the least esteemed your judge; for it is most easy to judge between brethren.

 

 5  (5) I speak it to your shame. Is it so that there is not a wise man among you? No, not one, that can judge between his brethren?

 

(5) He applieth the general proposition to a particular, always calling them back to this, to take away from them that false opinion of their own excellency, from whence all these mischiefs sprang.

 

 6 But a brother goeth to law with a brother, and that under the infidels.

 

 7  (6) Now therefore there is utterly (e) (♣) a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. (7) (*) Why rather suffer ye not wrong? Why rather sustain ye not harm?

 

(6) Now he goeth further also, and although by granting them private arbiters out of the Congregation of the faithful, he doth not simply condemn, but rather establish private judgments, so that they be exercised without offence, yet he sheweth that if they were such as they ought to be, and as it were to be wished, they should not need to use that remedy neither.
(e) A weakness of mind which is said to be in them that suffer themselves to be overcome of their lusts, and it is a fault that squareth greatly from temperancy and moderation, so that he nippeth them which could not put up an injury done unto them.

(♣) Or, impotency of mind.
(7) This pertaineth chiefly to the other part of the reprehension, to wit, that they went to law even under infidels, whereas they should rather have suffered any loss, than to have given that offence. But yet this is generally true, that we ought rather depart from our right, than try the uttermost of the Law hastily, and upon an affection to revenge an injury. But the Corinthians cared for neither, and therefore he saith that they must repent, unless they will be shut out of the inheritance of God.

(*) Matthew 5:39; Luke 6:29; Romans 12:19 .

 

 8  (*) Nay, ye yourselves (♣) do wrong, and do harm, and that to your brethren.

 

(*) 1 Thessalonians 4:6 .

(♣) He doeth not reprove the godly, which with good conscience useth the magistrate to defend his right, but condemneth hatred, grudges and desire of revengeance.

 

 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? (8) Be not deceived; (*) neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor (♣) wantons, nor (♠) buggerers,

 

(8) Now he prepareth himself to pass over to the fourth treatise of this Epistle, which concerneth matters indifferent, debating this matter first, how men may well use woman or not, which question hath three branches; fornication, matrimony, and a single life. As for fornication, he utterly condemneth it. And marriage he commandeth to some, as a good and necessary remedy for them, to others he leaveth it free, and other some he dissuadeth from it, not as unlawful, but as discommodious, and that not without exception. As for singleness of life (under which also I comprehend virginity) he enjoineth it to no man; yet he persuadeth men unto it, but not for itself, but for another respect, neither all men nor without exception. And being about to speak against fornication, he beginneth with a general reprehension of those vices, wherewith that rich and riotous city most abounded, warning and teaching them earnestly, that repentance is inseparably joined with forgiveness of sins, and sanctification with justification.

(*) Ephesians 5:3; 1 Timothy 1:9 .

(♣) Immoral or unchaste, lewd.

(♠) Someone who engages in anal copulation (especially a male who engages in anal copulation with another male.)

 

 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.

 

 11 And such were (*) some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the (f) Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

 

(*) Ephesians 2:12; Titus 3:3 .

(f) In Jesus.

 

 12  ¶ (*) (9) (g) All (♣) things are lawful unto me, but all things are not profitable. I may do all things, but I will not be brought under (♠) the (h) power of anything.

 

(*) 1 Corinthians 10:23 .

(9) Secondly, he sheweth that the Corinthians do simply offend in matters indifferent. First, because they abused them; next, because they used indifferent things, without any discretion, seeing the use of them ought to be brought to the rule of charity; and that he doeth not use them a right, which immoderately abuseth them, and so becometh a slave unto them.
(g) Whatsoever; but this general word must be restrained to things that are indifferent.

(♣) Here he speaketh of things indifferent of their nature, and first as touching carnal liberty.

(♠) For we are subject to those things which we cannot want.
(h) He is in subjection to things that are indifferent, whatsoever he be that thinketh he may not be without them, which is a flattering kind of slavery under a color of liberty, which sealeth upon such men.

 

 13  (10) Meats are ordained for the belly, and the belly for the meats, but God shall destroy both it, and them. Now the body is not for (*) fornication, but for the (♣) Lord, and the Lord for the body.

 

(10) Secondarily, because they counted many things for indifferent which were of themselves unlawful, as fornication, which they numbered amongst mere natural and lawful desires, as well as meat and drink; Therefore the Apostle sheweth, that they are utterly unlike, for meats, saith he, were made for the necessary use of man's life, which is not perpetual. For both meats, and all this manner of nourishing are quickly abolished. But we must not so think of the uncleanness of fornication, for which the body is not made, but on the contrary side is ordained to pureness, as appeareth by this, that is consecrated to Christ, even as Christ also is given us by his Father, to quicken our bodies with that virtue wherewith he also rose again.

(*) They abused meats, both in that they offended others thereby, and also provoked their own lusts to uncleanness.

(♣) God will be Lord both of the soul and body.

 

 14 And God hath also raised up the Lord, and (*) shall raise us up by his power.

 

(*) Romans 6:5 .

 

 15  (11) Know ye not, that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an (*) harlot? God forbid.

 

(11) A declaration of the former argument by contraries, and the applying of it.

(*) Whereby he signifieth, that both we shall see the glory of the resurrection of the just, and also that dignity, and privilege whereby we be made the members of Christ.

 

 16  (12) Do ye not know, that he which coupleth himself with an harlot, is one body? (*) For (i) two, saith he, shall be one flesh.

 

(12) A proof of the same argument: A harlot and Christ are clean contrary, so are the flesh and the Spirit; therefore he that is one with a harlot, (which is done by carnal copulation of their bodies) cannot be one with Christ, which unity is pure and spiritual.

(*) Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:8; Ephesians 5:31 .
(i) Moses doeth not speak these words of fornication, but of marriage; but seeing that fornication is the corruption of marriage, and both of them is a carnal and fleshly copulation, we cannot say that the Apostle abuseth his testimony. Again, Moses hath not this word (Two) but it is very well expresseth both here and in Matthew 19:5; because he speaketh only but of man and wife, whereupon the opinion of them that vouch it to be lawful to have many wives, is beaten down, for he that companieth with many, is asundered as it were into many parts.

 

 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord, is one spirit.

 

 18  (13) Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth, is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his (*) own body.

 

(13) Another argument why fornication is to be eschewed, because it defileth the body with a peculiar kind of filthiness.

(*) That is, he more polluteth his own body, than he that committeth any other sin.

 

 19  (14) Know ye not, that (*) your body is the temple of the holy Ghost, which is in you, whom ye have of God? And (15) ye are not your own.

 

(14) The third argument: Because a fornicator is sacrilegious, for that our bodies are consecrate to God.

(*) 1 Corinthians 3:17; 2 Corinthians 6:16 .
(15) The fourth argument: Because we are not our own men, to give ourselves to any other, much less to Satan and the flesh, seeing that God himself hath bought us, and that with a great price, to the end that both in body and soul, we should serve to his glory.

 

 20  (*) For ye are bought for a price. Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, for they are God’s.

 

(*) 1 Corinthians 7:23; 1 Peter 1:18 .

 

 

 

Steve

Home Page

http://www.genevabible.org

1599 Geneva Bible Online

Open your heart to the truth of Jesus Christ, please read the info on this link:

http://www.calvarychapel.com/gospel/

 1 Corinthians 14:8

And also if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to battle?

"Let not Geneva be forgotten or despised. Religious liberty owes it most respect."   John Adams, the second president of the United States

Before the KJV the GENEVA BIBLE was the People's Choice, but an ungodly King made it illegal to publish any longer.

Yahoo Group Owner

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Watchmen-on-the-wall/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Geneva_Bible/

Daily Scripture:

http://www.genevabible.org/ScriptureOfTheDay.html

If the Lord leads you, please Donate to help in my Legal Matters. Thank you, and may God Bless you and your Family. To Donate, click on the PayPal icon below.