1The Corinthians are reproved for bringing their controversies before heathen judges, which they ought to decide among themselves. 7There would be no occasion for lawsuits, if men acted up to the principles of the gospel, 9which exclude from the kingdom of God all notorious transgressors of the moral law. 12All lawful things are not expedient; 15but fornication is a gross offence against our bodies, which are members of Christ, temples of the Holy Ghost, and not our own to dispose of otherwise than to God's glory.
1DARE any of you, having 1a matter against another, 2go to law before 3the unjust, and not before the saints?
1 That is, a dispute about worldly things. See verse 3.
2 Gr. be judged, or, let himself be judged.
3 Namely, authorities; he calls them such, because the authorities at that time were mostly pagans, and strangers from the faith in Christ, and true righteousness, and for the most part also oppressors of the Christians.
2Doa ye not know that 4the saints shall judge the world? and if the world 5shall be judged 6by 7you, are ye unworthy to judge 8the smallest matters?
a Mat. 19:28; Luke 22:30.
4 That is, the believers, whom he so calls, because they are sanctified by the Spirit of Christ, and are separated from others by their holy profession and the holy sacraments.
5 Or, is judged.
6 Gr. in you.
7 Namely, as assessors of Christ, the universal Judge, Whose sentence they shall also approve and justify, Mat. 19:28; Luke 22:30.
8 Thus he calls the matters of this life and of this world, because they are to be esteemed nothing in respect of the heavenly and spiritual.
3Know ye not that we shall judge 9angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
9 Namely, which have sinned and are kept with chains of darkness unto the day of the great judgment. See Mat. 25:41; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude verse 6.
4If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge 10who are 11least esteemed in the church.
10 Namely, rather than the unrighteous or heathen. This the apostle speaks by comparison against those who thought that no man in the congregation was strong enough to separate their differences; but the apostle expounds this in the following verse, and commands that they should take the most brave and understanding of them for mediators in these matters. See Exod. 18:21.
11 Gr. are esteemed for nought, namely, according to the judgment of some among you.
5I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge 12between his brethren?
12 Gr. between his brother, that is, between one believer and the other believer, as the following verse declares.
6But brother 13goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
13 The apostle therefore does not here altogether forbid to go to law before the authorities, but only before unbelievers with offense and scandal; even as he also does not forbid when anyone is oppressed by others, or sued at law, that he might not defend himself by the help of unbelieving authorities. For he himself also in such a case appealed unto unbelieving authorities, and made use of their help, not only against the Gentiles, but also against the Jews. See Acts 22:25, and 23:17, and 25:10.
7Now therefore there is utterly a 14fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Whyb do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
14 Gr. hettema, which here signifies a want of love or of courage, whereby evil inclinations are overcome.
b Prov. 20:22; Mat. 5:39; Rom. 12:17; 1 Thes. 5:15; 1 Peter 3:9.
8Nay, 15ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
15 That is, some among you.
9Know ye not that the 16unrighteous shall not inherit 17the kingdom of God? 18Be not deceived: neitherc fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
16 That is, they who do others wrong or injustice.
17 That is, that eternal glory in heaven, which is here called an inheritance, because it is given not of merit, but to those only whom God by grace has accepted as His children
18 Or, Deceive not yourselves.
c Gal. 5:19; Eph. 5:5; Rev. 22:15.
10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, 19shall inherit the kingdom of God.
19 Namely, except they repent, and leave off to be such anymore, Mat. 21:31, 32, as the following verse implies.
11Andd such were 20some of you: but 21ye are washed,e but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified 22in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
d Eph. 2:2; Col. 3:7; Titus 3:3.
20 Namely, one in the one, and another in the other. For, although all these sins were not always manifest in all Gentiles, nevertheless the root of all (sins) was in them, and upon occasions the one or the other always breaks forth; and they were all idolaters, see Rom. 1:29; Eph. 2:1, 2, 3; 4:17, 18.
21 That is, purged from the reigning power of such sins, namely, by your sanctification or regeneration, and by your justification, consisting in the forgiveness of sins, and imputation of the righteousness of Christ, whereof baptism is a sign and seal. See Mark 1:4; Acts 22:16; Rom. 6:4; Eph. 5:26; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 3:21.
e Heb. 10:22.
22 That is, for the sake of Jesus Christ and His merits. For the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all our sins, 1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5.
1223Allf things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought 24under the power of any.
23 Namely, which are indifferent, and not forbidden in God’s Word, of the use whereof he here speaks briefly, and shall speak more largely hereafter in chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and shall distinguish them from others.
f 1 Cor. 10:23.
24 That is, that I should suffer myself to be bound by any human command by not making use of that which the Lord has allowed me, when I can do it without offense to others. See Rom. 14:14; 1 Cor. 7:23, and 10:23; or, I will not suffer myself to be dominated by anything, namely, so that I would bring myself subservient to things indifferent by not using them for the edification of my neighbor.
13Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both 25it and them. Now the body is not 26for fornication, but 27for the Lord; and 28the Lord for the body.
25 Namely, belly; not in respect of its being, which is a part of man’s body, which shall arise whole, but in respect of its use in this temporal and natural life, which shall then no more be needful. See Mat. 22:30; 1 Cor. 15:44; Rev. 7:16, 17.
26 Namely, which the Gentiles held for an indifferent thing, and which at Corinth itself, where a public temple was erected for this sin, was very common. Therefore the apostle treats thereof first and particularly before he comes to other things, which they also held for indifferent, and in which they laid needless snares for themselves, or sinned grievously.
27 That is, to use the same for the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.
28 That is, the Lord is also a Lord of the body, seeing He not only gave up Himself for the redemption of the soul, but also of the body, verse 20.
14Andg God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up 29us by his own power.
g Rom. 8:11; 2 Cor. 4:14.
29 That is, our bodies to glory; Rom. 8:11; Philip. 3:21
15Know ye not that 30your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
30 That is, your bodies also. For, seeing true believers are entirely united to Christ as their Head, 1 Cor. 12:12, 27, their bodies are also a part of His spiritual body.
16What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? forh31two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
h Gen. 2:24; Mat. 19:5; Mark 10:8; Eph. 5:31.
31 This place, taken from Gen. 2:24, is properly spoken of the bond of marriage; but Paul applies it also to fornication, because such dishonest love and carnal union bind these persons one to another dishonestly and unlawfully, even as marriage binds them lawfully and honestly.
17But he 32that is joined unto the Lord is 33one spirit.
32 Namely, by true faith and sincere love.
33 That is, spiritual; or, united unto Him by His Spirit, 1 Cor. 12:13.
18Flee fornication. 34Every sin that a man doeth 35is without the body; but he that committeth fornication 36sinneth 37against his own body.
34 Namely, which is done by a man in the external act.
35 That is, abuses something or does hurt to something, which is outside a man himself.
36 This must be understood comparatively, namely, more than any other sin. For though a drunkard, being a gluttonous person, abuses his body also, yet nevertheless it is done by something that is no part of his body, as meat and drink; and does likewise much hurt and shame to his body, but not so great as fornication.
37 Or, in.
19What? know ye not thati your body is 38the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, 39which ye have of God, and ye are not 40your own?
i 1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21; Heb. 3:6; 1 Peter 2:5.
38 Which therefore must be kept pure and clean, and wherein God will be served; which the apostle testifies also of the entire man, 2 Cor. 6:16.
39 Namely, to assure you of your adoption, Rom. 8:11, 15; 2 Cor. 1:22.
40 Namely, to do your own will, but the will of Him to Whom you belong.
20Forj ye are bought 41with a price: therefore glorify God 42in your body, and in your spirit, 43which are God's.
j 1 Cor. 7:23; Gal. 3:13; Heb. 9:12; 1 Peter 1:18.
41 Gr. by price, namely, by the precious blood of Christ, 1 Peter 1:18, 19; Rev. 5:9.
42 That is, with body and soul, which is renewed by the Holy Spirit.
43 Namely, not only by the right of creation, but also by the right of redemption.