1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before
the unrighteous, and not before the saints?
Continuing from the last chapter,
Paul speaks about the difference between gentiles and Believers. He suggests
believers should not stand before a gentile judge over disputes between each
other, but rather stand before another believer to resolve the issue.
2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the
world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
The saints, that is believers,
will judge the whole world. That being said, why do you suppose you cannot
decide a small disputes among you?
3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things
that pertain to this life?
Believers will even judge angels,
so why not the things related to this world?
4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life,
do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?
Why do you give approval for
those to judge you to those who should never be allowed to judge those within
the church?
5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man
among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?
Paul is trying to shame these men
for doing this. Then he mocks them saying, is there not even one man wise
enough to make lawful decisions among the whole body of the church?
6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!
By going before the gentile
judges, other gentiles now see the disputes between those within the church.
7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to
law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not
rather let yourselves be cheated?
First of all, you should not be
going to the law to solve disputes among you, you should accept that you were
wronged or cheated.
8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to
your brethren!
But no, you choose instead to do
wrong and cheat each other. (This is a problem when men try to preach the
Gospel to unbelievers but the unbelievers see a lot of squabbling among the
believers)
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of
God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Sinful, wicked people will not
inherit the Kingdom of God. Do not allow anyone to deceive you about this.
Fornicators, with the Greek word being Strong's G4205 – pornos is a person who
A. sells their body for sex, such as prostitution or pornography, or B. a
person who engages in unlawful (outside of Torah) sexual acts, will not inherit
the kingdom of God. Adulterers, this has two meanings in the Greek, one is a
person who breaks marriage vows and has sex with someone outside of their
marriage, the other is used metaphorically and means to be faithless toward
God, these people will not inherit the kingdom of God. Idolaters- this one is
significantly interesting. The Greek word used here is Strong's G1496 – eidōlolatrēs
and its meaning is a worshipper of false gods with an extended explanation as used
of any one even Christian, participant in any way in the worship of the
heathen, esp. one who attends their sacrificial feasts and eats of the remains
of offered victims. No one participating in these things will inherit the
kingdom of God. Homosexuals and men submitting themselves to unnatural lewdness
will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Thieves, with the Greek word
being Strong's G2812 – kleptēs and its meaning being an embezzler, pilferer
with the extended definition being false teachers, who do not care to instruct
men, but abuse their confidence for their own gain. This is interesting because
this seems to take place often in many churches today. Covetousness, basically
the greedy and the ones who want what belongs to others will not inherit the
kingdom of God. Drunkards, which are those who continually and perpetually are
drunk will not inherit the kingdom of God. Revilers, those who verbally attack
others with intent to hurt that person will not inherit the kingdom of God. And
finally, extortioners, who are excessively greedy or covetous, and they too,
will not inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were
sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the
Spirit of our God.
Some of these teachers used make
up this group of people. Fortunately, these men have been set apart by Yeshua
and the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is the Holy Spirit. It is the name of
Jesus and the Holy Spirit that sets men apart from the rest of the world. To be
set apart means to be different and not to partake in the things of this world,
but rather partake in the things of God.
12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All
things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
Now Paul goes into what is
commonly mistaken in terms of the law. Paul mention all things are lawful and
it is used as a statement that God no longer has restrictions for His people.
However, Paul is referring to the gentile laws of Corinth. Remember back to the
beginning of this chapter where he was referring to the gentile judges. He is
saying, according to the law of the land, yes, all these things may not break
the gentile laws, but that does not mean all these things are beneficial for
you. Then he says even if they are okay according to this law, he will not
allow himself to be subjected to the power of these sinful acts.
13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will
destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the
Lord, and the Lord for the body.
You have food for the stomach,
and you have a stomach for food, but both will be destroyed. The body is not
made for sexual immoral behavior, but instead it is made for God, and God is
for the body. The body is the temple of God.
14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His
power.
It is God who raised Yeshua and
He will also raise us just the same.
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 harlot? Certainly not!
Each of us makes up a portion of
the body of Christ. In knowing this, do you still think it is okay to
prostitute a part of the body of Christ? Of course not!
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body
with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”
Genesis 2:24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his
wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Don’t you understand that when a
man joins himself to another, including prostitutes, that prostitute becomes
part of that man. The two shall become one, Paul quotes from the Torah.
17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
The man joined to Yeshua, has the
same Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of God. This means we have
the same Spirit working in us the Yeshua had working in Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the
body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
Do not be sexually immoral the
Greek used here is Strong's G4202 - porneia. The meaning is illicit sexual
intercourse including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism,
intercourse with animals, sexual intercourse with close relatives, sexual
intercourse with a divorced man or woman. This is also used metaphorically, and
it refers to the worship of idols such as the defilement of idolatry, as
incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols. Doing these things defiles
your own body. Run away from this sin.
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?
Again, Paul says, your body is
the temple of the Holy Spirit, who you received from God. You are no longer
your own.
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body
and in your spirit, which are God’s.
You were bought at a price. Use
your body and Spirit to Glorify God, they are His.
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