1 Corinthians 6 – Lawsuits and Holiness
“Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” (1 Corinthians 6:2, NKJV)
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.” (v. 12)
“You are not your own… For you were bought at a price.” (vv. 19–20)
🔍 CAPTURE THE SCENE (What do I see?)
- Believers were suing one another in secular courts
- Paul calls them out for their lack of wisdom, unity, and witness
- He reminds them of their destiny to judge the world and angels
- The chapter shifts from lawsuits to moral purity, especially sexual sin
- Paul highlights that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit
- Believers are called to glorify God in both body and spirit
📖 ANALYZE THE MESSAGE (What does it mean?)
1. Lawsuits Among Believers (vv. 1–8)
“Dare any of you… go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?”
Paul is stunned — why would you air family matters before unbelievers?
“Is there not a wise man among you?”
There should be godly counsel in the church to handle disputes
“It is already an utter failure… Why do you not rather accept wrong?”
It’s better to suffer loss than damage the witness of Christ’s body
2. You Were Washed (vv. 9–11)
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?”
Paul lists sins that characterize the unrepentant — not those being sanctified
“And such were some of you…”
Powerful words of grace and transformation
“But you were washed… sanctified… justified in the name of the Lord Jesus…”
Jesus cleanses — no sin is too great, but we must walk in newness
3. Honor God with Your Body (vv. 12–20)
“All things are lawful… but not all things are helpful.”
Paul pushes back against misused freedom — just because you can doesn’t mean you should
“The body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord…”
Our bodies have purpose — and they belong to Jesus
“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?”
Joining Christ’s body with sin is a deep spiritual contradiction
“Flee sexual immorality…”
Don’t argue with it — run from it
“You are not your own… you were bought at a price…”
You belong to Jesus — glorify Him in your body and spirit
🔁 COMPARE THIS CHAPTER WITH THE REST OF SCRIPTURE
- Handling Conflict:
- Matthew 18:15–17 – Go privately to a brother before going public
- Proverbs 19:11 – It is one’s glory to overlook an offense
- Sexual Purity:
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 – This is God’s will: your sanctification
- Hebrews 13:4 – Marriage is honorable… but God will judge the sexually immoral
- You Are Bought with a Price:
- Romans 12:1 – Present your bodies as a living sacrifice
- 1 Peter 1:18–19 – Redeemed… not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ
🙌 EXECUTE (So what? How does this affect my life?)
Principle: Live like you’ve been bought by Christ — with humility, purity, and honor.
- Settle Disputes Internally
Church is family — don’t go to war in front of the world - Walk in Grace, Not Shame
“Such were some of you” — let God’s forgiveness define you, not your past - Don’t Abuse Freedom
Use your liberty to build up, not to indulge - Flee Sexual Sin
Don’t flirt with it — run from it and run to Jesus - Honor God with Your Body
It’s not just your soul He redeemed — your body is His temple
🗣️ GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Why is it damaging for believers to sue one another in public courts?
- How should we handle serious conflicts inside the church family?
- What does Paul mean by “such were some of you”?
- How can we honor God with our bodies in today’s sexualized culture?
- What does it practically look like to “glorify God in your body and spirit”?