1 Corinthians 6
1 Corinthians 6
[00:00:00] Hey, everyone. Welcome to God's plan. Your part year two, where this year we're reading through and studying the entire new Testament one chapter at a time. Thanks again for joining us in discovering God's plan and your part in it. Paul is continuing his list of grievances against the Corinthian church.
Uh, today in first Corinthians chapter six, we are going to look at lawsuits and we're going to look, I think again, a second time, but this time with more detail. Uh, at sexual immorality. So we've been talking about how Paul's rolling out this case by case, addressing issue after issue, trying to correct them, to discipline them, to bring this church, uh, to the place that it should be.
And first Corinthian six is largely focused on lawsuits, um, and sexual ethics. So plenty of, plenty of things that are still applicable today and plenty of things to dig into. Well, and if you've done any like sneak peeks like for me I can never actually watch a movie if it's like a [00:01:00] suspenseful one without looking ahead to see what's coming up next But if you look at the rest of first Corinthians, this is not the end So like we are getting into some of these like more nitty gritty details But it's pretty fascinating how like wow, they were dealing with so many Much and I think a lot of these things do impact us today Like we'll even get to the point of like they're still offering food to idols and like head coverings and all the things But it's it's pretty crazy to me to think that like all of those issues They like definitely carry different weights.
Yeah. And some of these ones like specifically today, it feels like it carries a lot of weight. Um, like personal conviction, but also just like deep moral sin. So it's interesting to, to look ahead. If you have done that already, or if you're pretty familiar with Corinthians, you know, what's coming, but today's is pretty That's pretty weighty.
I would say, uh, the big picture thing to keep in mind, and this would be what Paul's trying to convey to the Corinthian church, but what's still as applicable to us [00:02:00] today is that Christians are called to live like visibly different kinds of lives. Like we're not meant to just do what everybody else is doing.
We are supposed to be a distinct, we are supposed to be uniquely Christian. That's a phrase that I use. Uh, when we're making decisions and stuff, and it's, it's not a new testament thing. Like God, uh, chose Israel to be a nation of, uh, priests, like a royal priesthood that was meant to draw attention to who God is by how he is.
Differently. They lived. So when they lived among pagans, when they lived among the Canaanites, they were supposed to look visibly different. They were supposed to act visibly different. Uh, that I think continues to today. Obviously we do, we do things a little bit differently than what they would have done things.
Uh, but still even to today, Christians should be visibly different, uh, in the way we look, the way we talk, the way we act, the decisions we make. Um, it is important to, to [00:03:00] honor Christ with our lives. Well, like the first part, so we're actually dealing with like two heavy issues. So the first one in chapter six, again, chapter six, super short, 20 verses, uh, the first one is about lawsuits within the church.
Um, well actually I should say lawsuits that were within the church, but also like coming out of the church, um, like believers creating lawsuits against just others in general. Um, and then finally fleeing from sexual immorality. So like, Big heavy hitter issues. I think the reason that this first part of the chapter really hit home with me, uh, was because of verse seven and verse seven is talking about, um, like I guess the, the results of lawsuits to have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you.
Heavy words there. Um, and he says, why not rather suffer the wrong? Why not rather be defrauded, but you yourselves wrong and defraud, even your own brothers. So it's like, [00:04:00] not only are you taking this out on other people, you're doing this to each other. And like, what a spectacle you're making of yourselves, of the church.
Like, this is not a reflection of God. Like, you're literally just doing what everybody else does. Um, and it instantly made me think back to Luke chapter six, uh, verse 29, where it's talking about. handing over your cloak if somebody asks you for, um, their things or your things just to hand it over to them with absolutely no regard for what you're going to get back.
Um, so the verse from six, Luke six, verse 29, uh, comes from the section about loving your enemies. And it says to one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also. And from one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you. And from one who takes away your goods, do not demand them back.
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. So that just like clearly rang through for me on this. And I don't know about [00:05:00] you, but that is hard. That is hard to do. Now this is for lawsuits specifically, but like anytime that you are feeling so wronged that the thought even like crosses your mind, like.
Oh man, I could do something really serious about this. Um, I don't know. It just is like those thoughts definitely enter people's minds for sure. And Paul is calling it out because it must be super. I would say Paul's calling it out because the Christian community is supposed to be the body of Christ. We, we are supposed to be bringing honor and glory to Christ.
We're again, we're supposed to be visibly different. Uh, we should be wise. We should be held in high regard by unbelieving people, but because of the way we live. And Paul's very frustrated with the Corinthian church because they're, they're so Off track and so off the mark that they're like, apparently suing each other and they're apparently taking their Christian believing brother [00:06:00] into court to stand before an unbelieving judge to have their problems sorted out and Paul saying like, Hey, sort that out in the church.
Like if there, if there's a problem, Go to the church, have them figured out. Why wouldn't you want Christian wisdom, godly wisdom? Because we, we've already established that our wisdom is not the world's wisdom. So why would people who know how to honor God with their lives, who know what godly wisdom is, why would they want to go to worldly wisdom to figure out their problems?
And this is not just a, I would say, and maybe this is just. Just me. I don't see this as just a Corinthian problem. Like I, I still see today, like if you have an issue, uh, with a, with another believer, why would you want to elevate that issue to the point of the state's intervention? It just seems a little bit strange.
And that would be like civil courts, criminal courts, I suppose it. I guess I understand there's nuance to this and there's difficult things in this, but I guess why wouldn't [00:07:00] we strive to work that out amongst ourselves? Why is God loving, believing people? And then even beyond that, why wouldn't we go to our churches for help?
One of the problems is that our churches are so segmented and chopped up at this point that like if you get in an argument with a believer, probably they're not even part of your church. Like I just think about like a dispute with your neighbor or something, like they might be a believer, but they probably don't go to your church.
Um, so there, there's a couple of issues with this, but I do think the concept holds up like, and Paul actually points this out, we are called to ultimately judge the world and Jesus actually talked about that in Matthew 19. So if we are called to judge the world, why would we go to an unbelieving judge to get his say on things?
Well, I think too, when you introduce something like a dispute like this into a non Christian. Arena, I just feel like it's a much more slippery slope and temptation for people to become less honest Yeah, because there's like no accountability and what we actually talked about yesterday was like be accountable to [00:08:00] one another If I'm sitting in a room and it's like well, you said this and I said this like and it's not matching up It's pretty clear to everybody sitting in the room like okay Somebody's withholding the truth and like hey guys We have to be totally honest about this and we're gonna figure it out.
That's not gonna happen Um, In a courtroom or where, you know, you, you present your facts and I present my facts and then somebody gets to decide what's right. What's wrong. Like we have to be honest with one another and just be able to like figure out the problems. It just sounds so simple, like in order to move forward, you imagine Corinth at the time, the churches.
Is definitely sizable enough to be a full scale church that's getting noticed, but still small enough that it's a minority within the city. So you imagine that there's this group of people that people are already paying attention to because they're preaching and teaching and living weird things. And now all of a sudden they're in the courtrooms, like bringing legal cases against each other.
Like it would not be something that would cause outsiders to say, Oh, I see what they have. I want that. Like, they'd be looking at being like, [00:09:00] We knew you were weird. You can't even figure out how to live amongst yourselves. And that's, that's what Paul's talking about. Like, Hey, knock it off again. This is still in that section where he's bringing correction.
He's trying to bring his wisdom to this situation to say, Hey, live like Christians should live, stop doing these things. So, I think we've, we've prolonged as long as we played that one out. Uh, but the next section is actually really challenging. So, I mean, I don't, I don't think it's actually challenging.
yeah. But I think in today's world, this is like a passage that does not want to be heard. Um, I mean, right? Is that what you're thinking? I would, You just gave me damn headlights. Like, what? No, I, I would say, Of course, this is a, this is a cultural topic that is a mainline cultural topic, uh, sexual immorality.
Uh, but also I think what we just talked about with lawsuits and stuff is still something that we all deal with and we all live in. So I mean, the amount of times that I've actually heard somebody or of someone that I'm like, Oh, wow. You actually, you went to court over that. Yeah. It's just like, uh, it's [00:10:00] kind of like, it changes your perspective.
Like you couldn't figure that out. So anyway, moving right along, uh, sexual immorality, like the entire next part of this chapter, actually it's even part of the, the prior section, um, it talks about like, Literally, people not being able to inherit the kingdom of God. Um, and so I guess that's just pretty pointed and it, it was very straightforward to read.
This is a, a theologically important passage because Paul is making a case that if you are living in certain ways, even if you're saying you are a believer. And you're actively living a sinful lifestyle. And again, if this applies to more than just sexual immorality, Paul says, but he's saying like, if your life does not match the fact that you are a believer, you're probably not a believer.
And that's what he lays out because he talks about inheriting the kingdom of God, and he's implying that if you're living in, in this, like he names off the list, if you're living this way. You're not going to inherit [00:11:00] the kingdom of God. So it's not problematic for Paul to say like, Hey, I understand you're a believer, but if you're living like that, that's not good.
Key word is living. Yes. Because I heard this at first. I was just like, Oh gosh, like that would make people feel very like excluded. But at the same time, he's saying like, like you were just talking about if you claim to be of Christ follower, but you're still living this side life that is completely against what you say you are.
Then, like, there's no place for that. You're a fake. You're a fraud. The verse that I think is really helpful is verse 11. It says, and such were some of you. Exactly. Like some of you have been there, but you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit of our God.
And that is what's like, that's so freeing. Like you're not bound to it. You're actually. Like, your past does not define you, but moving forward you are this because of what God has done through Christ Jesus. Our sinful prior selves have been put to [00:12:00] death with Christ, and have been raised to new life. We are completely new creations in Christ.
So, it's Totally fine to be a person who used to live an actively sinful lifestyle, like a purposely sinful lifestyle, because you put those sins to death and you're raised to new life in Christ. What doesn't make any sense and really should not be permitted to any degree is to be raised to new life in Christ and continue to live on purpose, a purposeful, continuing sinful lifestyle.
And Paul actually lays out. What kind of lifestyles were problematic to the Corinthian church. Many of those kinds of lifestyles remain to be problematic in today's church. This is not a confusing issue. The text is very clear about it. There's not a translation issue. The words haven't been translated improperly.
Um, this passage is very clear. And so these types of lifestyles that are purposeful and continuing, they're problematic. And if you are [00:13:00] living this kind of way, it makes sense for other believers to question your salvation and your sanctification. So I guess, what can we come away with? For like this section, I think we've pretty much laid it out, like what's there.
And, Honestly, just like the grace part of it because he's saying like throughout the rest of the chapter Then he's basically saying like flee from that like yeah I would say for better things throughout the rest of the chapter because I don't want to ignore it is valuable stuff He is basically saying flee from it He's also speaking specifically to that culture because prostitution was a huge deal in that culture, right?
Um, it's very likely that they lived in a city where there was this established system of temple prostitution, or perhaps there could have been thousands of temple prostitutes coming in and out of the temple, actively seeking men and women for sexual favors to worship their gods. So it's interesting that he's very clear about this prostitution issue, because it would have spoken directly to their culture and their context.
And he's saying, Hey, [00:14:00] um, Um, sexual sin is just as bad as every other sin, but it's unique in that it is sinning against your own body. And it, it carries, I think this is me kind of expanding on it, I think. So it's not exactly Paul, um, but it is, it's worth noting that sexual sin often carries a lot more weight, a lot more consequence, a lot more, um, I would say like just, just struggles and problems.
Well, it says too, in verses 16 through 18, our study Bible mentions that. The sexual sin, it has a spiritual component. So it's not just a physical act. It also has a spiritual component, which means it's going to, it's going to impact you far beyond just the act, the sinful. Yeah. So I think it's important to recognize that all sin is, is evil and all sin is, I guess, in some degree, like equal before God sin is sin, but certain sins do carry Heavier, longer lasting struggles and consequences and sexual sin is one of those.
And I think [00:15:00] that's one of the reasons we want to make sure people understand the weight of these kinds of decisions and the problems with these kinds of sinful lifestyles, um, because they are very hurtful to the individual and it's, it's not kind and it's not loving to hide that or to pretend like it's not a problem.
We need to recognize these things and. Call people to repentance in a hope that they turn from their sin and embrace a new life in Christ. So kind of two, I mean, both two very sinful things that Paul is addressing. It can feel pretty heavy, which probably felt heavy to them. Yeah. However, I would say for me, I don't know, maybe you have a different verse, but I was kind of, I was definitely drawn to the verse of, uh, verse seven.
Why not rather suffer the wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud even your own brother. So I would say, like, this is specifically talking about lawsuits. However, I think, uh, like I said earlier, it just draws me [00:16:00] right back to that even more basic command that Jesus gave about loving your brother or whoever, regardless of what they have done to you.
And why not? Like, I mean, that's, this is like a perfect example of what Jesus has done for us. Yes. Like, why not rather suffer the wrong? Because what Jesus did for us. We didn't deserve at all, just like the person who doesn't deserve grace from us should ultimately get because Jesus did it for us as well.
It's very tempting to like white knuckle challenging situations and grab them with both hands and demand. What's right. Right. And it's not wrong to desire what's right, but there are many times when we allow ourselves to be defrauded or we allow ourselves to be wronged and we endure those things that we bring honor to Christ when we do those things and we take those issues to God and we ask God to handle those issues and resolve those issues and bring reconciliation.
If you've ever gone through a difficult situation and you've seen it come to [00:17:00] reconciliation, You know how powerful it is, particularly if it's a very difficult situation. Um, so we just invite you to pursue reconciliation. I know today's topic is kind of heavy. We're just tracking right with what the text says.
Um, but again, reconciliation is huge. One in that Christ reconciles all of us to God. So if you are living a kind of sinful lifestyle, it's possible to be delivered from that and enjoy reconciliation with God. And then on a more basic level, if there is some kind of issue between you and another believer.
Specifically, um, pursue reconciliation because there is joy on the other side of that and it is honoring to God is honoring to you and honoring the other person. So we'll be back again tomorrow with first Corinthians chapter seven. We'll see you then. Thanks for joining today's episode of God's plan.
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Every little bit of this helps so much and we're so thankful for your support. With that in mind, here's today's reading. 1 Corinthians chapter 6 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to the law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?
And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life? So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers?
But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers. To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you [00:19:00] yourselves are wrong and defraud, even your own brothers. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, and you were sanctified, and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God.
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything. Food is meant for the stomach, and the stomach for food, and God will destroy both, one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
Amen. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up [00:20:00] by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never. Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For as it is written, the two shall become one flesh.
But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?
You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of God's Plan, Your Part. Don't forget you can find us on just about every social media platform. Let us know what you thought of today's episode. And if you have any questions, go ahead and post them there.
You can also reach out to us directly at [00:21:00] godsplanyourpartatgmail. com. As always, if you don't have a Bible or if you'd like to use the one that we use, reach out to us via email and we'll be happy to send one to you. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you again tomorrow.
