I Corinthians 6
Church Talk – A Study of I and II Corinthians
Pastor Brandon Ball
05/10/2023
1. Lawsuits in the Church
1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? —1 Corinthians 6:1 (ESV)
“Another” is directly referring to a “brother” in Christ.
Problems with pursuing lawsuits against one another in the church:
- The Church will judge the
. 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 incompetent to try trivial cases? —1 Corinthians 6:2 (ESV)
- The Church will judge
. 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! —1 Corinthians 6:3 (ESV)
“Eschatological (end-time) realities should determine present behavior”
- The Church forsook
. If you are capable of judging the world and angels, you are capable of handling issues within the church and not pursuing lawsuits against one another.
The Church tolerated certain sins within the church, but didn’t tolerate other sins; and in fact, took those “other sins” before unbelievers to judge the matter (ironic).
The Church was unwilling to suffer
and be . 5 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, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? —1 Corinthians 6:5–7 (ESV)
- The Church spoils their
in the world. 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! —1 Corinthians 6:8 (ESV)
12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. —1 Peter 2:12 (ESV)
2. Sexual Immorality in The Church
One for sure and possibly two Corinthian mottos we will deal with:
Flee Sexual Immorality
12 “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. 13 “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. —1 Corinthians 6:12–13 (ESV)“All things are lawful for me.”
“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food.”The first probably is circulated within the church and most likely relates to Christian liberty.
- i.e., Meat offered to idols.
The alcohol question.
8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. —1 Corinthians 8:8–9 (ESV)
10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. —1 Corinthians 8:10–13 (ESV)
“Arguments from liberty completely miss the point! It’s not about what you CAN get away with, it’s about what may CAUSE your brother to stumble.”
“All things may be lawful, but all things are NOT helpful”.
“All things may be lawful, but I will not beby anything”. Paul makes a two-fold argument here:
- I choose NOT to do, in the instance that my brother might stumble.
- I choose NOT to do because of the possibility that my liberty becomes slavery (addiction).
Paul expands/narrows the argument to another particular Corinthian issue:
. 13 “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. 14 *And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power*. —1 Corinthians 6:13–14 (ESV)
“Eschatological realities should determine present behavior.”
- Your body is His temple!
- You are meant for Him and He chooses to abide in you.
That same Spirit that resurrected Christ will do the same in you!
- “So, why are you joining yourselves with prostitutes?”
15 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! 16 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 will become one flesh.” —1 Corinthians 6:15–16 (ESV)
3. Your Body is
17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 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, 20 for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body. —1 Corinthians 6:17–20 (ESV)
Notes: