1 Corinthians 6:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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?

NIV: Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?

NASB: Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to form the smallest law courts?

CSB: Or don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the trivial cases?

NLT: Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves?

KJV: Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

NKJV: 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?

Paul has raised another issue that demonstrates how—and perhaps why—the Corinthian church is divided into factions (1 Corinthians 1:11–12). Paul is concerned over members taking one another to secular court over a minor dispute. In fact, Paul is outraged by this. The secular Roman courts of that era grossly tipped in favor of the rich and powerful. Proceedings relied heavily on bitter attacks on the personal character of both parties to try to win a favorable verdict.

Paul now asks the first of several "do you not know" questions found in this chapter. Perhaps he has previously taught the believers in Corinth that the saints will, at the end times, serve as judges of those who are in the world. Paul does not stop to explain this powerful idea, and the Bible doesn't provide much detail about how those who are in Christ on this side of eternity will judge those who are not. In Revelation 2:25–26, Christ is quoted as saying that those who conquer and keep His word to the end will be given a share of His authority over the nations and rule over them.

Whatever that will look like, Paul's point here is that the Corinthian Christians are living as if this was not their destiny. They are acting as if they are incompetent to judge the smallest issue! If they understood that in Christ they would be the ultimate judges of the world, would they be taking each other to court to be judged by the world (1 Corinthians 2:14–15)?

Paul asks if it is an issue of competence or ability. If Christ will give to them such grand authority over others in eternity, shouldn't they be able right now to demonstrate the ability to serve as judges of "trivial" issues between themselves? This phrasing leaves open the possibility that Paul is not condemning court involvement in major problems, which might require the involvement of government.

As he does throughout this letter, Paul will urge these Christians to stop living as if they are merely citizens of their culture and to live up to who they are in Christ right now and who they will be in Christ forever.

First Corinthians 6:1–11 details Paul's objections to Christians taking another to secular court over a minor issue. Believers will one day judge the world and angels. They should be able to judge small disputes amongst themselves. It would be better for a believer to be defrauded than to ask unbelievers to settle an argument between brothers in Christ. After all, unbelievers will not inherit God's kingdom. They are known by all the sins they do. Christians, though, have been cleansed from those sins and are now known only as belonging to Christ. This passage includes a passionate, powerful reminder that no person's sins are beyond Christ's power to forgive.

First Corinthians 6 continues Paul's confrontations of the Corinthian Christians over issues in the church. Earlier passages discussed problems of division into factions, and tolerance of heinous sexual sin. Paul is also outraged that they would take one another to court in a lawsuit over minor issues. Instead of suing each other before unbelievers, they should settle trivial issues in the church. Second, Paul urges them to live up to their new identities in Christ instead of living down to the sexually immoral standards of the culture. This sets up discussions of marriage in chapter 7.

Paul confronts two major issues happening in the church at Corinth. First, he is outraged that one of them has brought a lawsuit against a brother in Christ over a minor dispute. It is absurd to think that Christians—those who will judge the world and angels—cannot even judge a small matter between themselves. Second, Paul warns his readers to run from sexual immorality. Sex creates a powerful bond intended only for marriage. Since our bodies belong to and are part of Christ, we have no right to bring Him into a one-body union with someone to whom we're not married.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.