Observations on 1 Cor. 6:9-11
More Practical Matters in Corinth
By Jonathan Mitchell
9. Or have you not seen so as to know that unfair (unjust; inequitable; wrongly-turned) folks will not proceed to inherit a kingdom from God (or: receive an allotment in God's sovereign reign or activities)? Do not be repeatedly misled or constantly caused to wander (or: be deceived). Neither sexually licentious folks (paramours; fornicators; [note: may also refer to men associating at idol temple-feasts]), nor idolaters, nor adulterers [may = participation in pagan religions; cf Isa. 1:21; Ezk. 16:15], nor unmanly (men who wear soft clothes [Mat. 11:8]; soft, delicate, weak folks; = untrained and undeveloped, so unable to bear a load?), nor men who lie in beds (= lazy folks? or: sex-traffickers? [note: meaning uncertain; cf LXX: Lev. 18:22; 20:13 have been associated with these passages; = those following an off-target direction?]),
10. nor thieves, nor greedy (covetous) ones; not drunkards, not verbal abusers, not people who ravenously snatch, swindle or extort, will proceed to inherit a kingdom from God (or: will continue in receiving an allotment in God's sovereign reign and activities).
Both vss. 9 and 10 use the term
"inherit (receive an allotment)."
This concept is an allusion Israel's history, in many situations, but the most notable is what the Land of Israel was allotted among the twelve tribes. The creation of Israel as a nation, with God as their King, was the first manifestation of God's kingdom, among the nations of the earth. Israel's exiles had removed the kingdom from them, and so Jesus has his followers pray,
"Make Your reign and kingdom come. Make Your will (the effect of Your intent and purpose) come into existence (happen; come to be; be birthed) - as within heaven (or: [the] atmosphere), so also upon earth" (Mat. 6:10).
Earth is to be the central focus of the manifestation of God's kingdom, even though it is not a part of the organized systems of empires or religions (Jn. 18:36). Instead,
"The reign (or: kingdom) of the dominating, ordered System (of the world of religion, culture, government and economy; or: of the realm of the religious and secular; or: of the aggregate of humanity) suddenly came to belong to our Lord [= Yahweh or Christ] and to the anointed of Him, and so He will continue reigning (ruling as King) on into the ages" (Rev. 11:15b).
In Lu. 12:32, Jesus told His disciples,
"Stop fearing (or: Do not continue being wary), little flock, because it delights the Father (or: because the Father thought it good, and thus, approved) to give the reign (rule; kingship; kingdom; sovereign influence and activities) to you folks."
These traditions and teachings lie behind Paul's reference to inheriting a kingdom from God. In 15:50, below, Paul further explains what he is saying here in vss. 9-10:
"Now I am saying this, brothers (= fellow members and believers), that flesh and blood (= humans in their estranged condition; = people of dust who have not been resurrected) have no power and continue unable to inherit or receive and participate in an allotted portion of God's reign (kingdom or sovereign action) - neither is corruption and decay (the perishable) continuing on to inherit (participate in the allotment of) the Incorruption (Imperishability)."
In that passage Paul had been contrasting the two Adams, the two Humanities (vss. 45-49). These two also represented the two covenants (one of slavery, the second of freedom) and so in Gal. 5:30 he concludes his allegory in saying,
"by no means will the son of the servant girl (the slave-girl; the maid) be an heir (take possession of and enjoy the distributed allotment) with the son of the freewoman."
In Mat. 5:5, Jesus gave this characterization:
"'The kind, considerate, gentle, mild-tempered, humane and nonviolent folks (people who do not use force)' [are] happy and blessed because they, themselves, 'will proceed to be inheriting the Land (or: be receiving and enjoying the earth as an allotment)!'" [Ps. 37:11]
Then in Mat. 25, He said that the sheep - those who lived love and mercy to others:
"At once come into possession of the inheritance of, and enjoy the allotment of, [the place of, or realm of] the reign (or: kingdom; influence and activity of sovereignty) having been prepared and made ready from a founding (a casting down [as of a foundation; or: of seed]) of a system (or: of [the] aggregate of humanity; of an arranged order; of [the] world)."
Another view of this whole new arrangement is seen in Rev. 21:7,
"The one habitually being victorious (or: progressively overcoming) will proceed inheriting (acquiring by lot) these things, and I will continue being a God for him (in him; to him) and he will continue being a son for (to; in; with) Me."
Much more could be said concerning "inheriting the kingdom of God," but that is a study in itself.
Take note that Paul brings up the "kingdom from God; God's sovereign reign and activities." They had been acting like prodigals that had left the Father's house (Lu. 15:13ff). We are reminded of Jesus' words in Lu. 14:27,
"Whoever is not habitually picking up and carrying his own execution stake (or: the cross of himself; the suspending-pole which pertains to, or is, himself) and then continuing in coming behind Me - he has no power and is unable to be My disciple (apprentice)!"
Those who are "constantly committing wrong" (vs. 8, above), "being licentious," and the rest of the list in vss. 9-10, disqualify themselves from discipleship - i.e., being active in God's reign and representing Him - because they are living lives that are centered in themselves, rather than in Christ. They had been eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now this has nothing to do with any "heaven or hell" false dichotomy, it is about being a living branch within the Vine; it is about being a living stone of His Temple (1 Pet. 2:5) - here and now. It is about being a "sheep" (one who is following the Shepherd and knows His voice - Jn. 10:3-5), rather than a "kid" (Mat. 25:34, 41-46). Cf Gal. 5:21
11. And some of you were these things. But now you folks bathed yourselves off (took a bath to cleanse things away). Even more than that, you were set apart (made holy; sanctified). But yet more, you were eschatologically delivered, rightwised and placed in the Way pointed out (turned in the right direction, made just, and then joined in right, covenantal relationship with God and mankind) in union with and within the midst of the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ - even in union with and within the midst of the Spirit of our God (or: that is, centered in the Breath-effect from our God and the Attitude which is our God)!
The turn-around, begun in the second clause, is an echo of Isa. 1:16a,
"You folks at once bathe and wash yourselves: become (birth yourselves to be) clean! Take away (separate and remove) the painful labor (or: bad condition; unsound situation; unprofitable or malicious deed) from your souls..." (LXX, JM)
Paul has in the previous verses set the dark, contrasting background; now he reminds the "disciples" in Corinth of who they really are now. Some had been a part of the dark background, but were now transformed. They had:
a) "bathed" themselves - as figured in Rev. 7:14, "washed their robes;" they had experienced "a bath of and from a birth-back-again (or: [the] bathing of a regeneration) - Tit. 3:5; they had gone through, "cleansing (purging) by the bath of the Water [that is] within a result of a flow (or: in union with a gush-effect; or: in the midst of a spoken word, a declaration, or an utterance)" (Eph. 5:26);
Observe that both Isa. 1:16 and this present clause are in the middle voice. Because of the passive voice in the following clauses, most translations (and most scholars) render this clause as being passive - but it is not. Isaiah was writing to Israel: God's people. So is Paul. Isaiah used the imperative mood and the middle voice; Paul the indicative, middle - since he was referring to a past action. Paul said the same thing as Isaiah, but just used different metaphors, in Rom. 13:12,
"We should put, then, the acts of the Darkness (works from the realm of the shadows; actions that belong to dimness and obscurity) away from ourselves (or: take off and put away the deeds pertaining to darkness; = ignorance; that which was before the light arrived), and clothe ourselves with the instruments (tools; weapons; implements; [some MSS: works; deeds]) of Light (or: The Light)."
Here in his letter to Corinth, Paul is simply referring to a past act of those who were already in Christ: they had cleansed away prior behaviors from their lives, through the work of the Spirit. This is not referring to a ritual of "baptism." These folks had done what Paul directed in Eph. 6:11, but there using a different metaphor:
"you folks must at some point, for yourselves, enter within (or: clothe yourselves with) the full suit of armor and implements of war (panoply; the complete equipment for men-at-arms) which is God (or: which comes from and belongs to God), in order for you to be continuously able and powerful to stand..."
But the following clauses speak of what God, in Christ, had done to and for these folks. All three clauses begin with a strong, adversative conjunction indicating contrast and difference. Because of the different statements of these clauses, I rendered them:
"But now... Even more than that... But yet more,"
in order to emphasize the nuances of the rhetorical construction. The first clause notes the contrasting change since they had cleansed themselves by acting upon the implanted Logos (the message of the cross). The second and third clauses remind them of what the Christ Event had done to, and for, them:
b) they had BEEN
"eschatologically delivered, rightwised and placed in the Way pointed out (turned in the right direction, made just, and then joined in right, covenantal relationship with God and mankind);"
- But yet more...
c) they had BEEN
"put in covenant in union with and within the midst of the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ;"
- and THUS...
d) they were,
"in union with and within the midst of the Spirit of our God (or: that is, centered in the Breath-effect from our God and the Attitude which is our God)!" Cf 1 Thes. 4:1-2.
Now, it doesn't get much better than that. They were back in the Garden; they were the New Jerusalem. With this affirmed, Paul moves on in his arguments...
Jonathan
Return To Jonathan Mitchell's Page