1 Corinthians 6:9

9 Don't you know that people who are unjust won't inherit God's kingdom? Don't be deceived. Those who are sexually immoral, those who worship false gods, adulterers, both participants in same-sex intercourse,

1 Corinthians 6:9 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 6:9

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the
kingdom of God?
&c.] A way of speaking much like that in the Talmud, (Myqydul ala ywve wnya abh Mlwehv edwy ywh) "know thou, that the world to come is not made but for the righteous?" ^F8 Without a righteousness there will be no entrance into the world of bliss and happiness hereafter; and this must be a better righteousness than what a sinful creature is capable of working out, and no other than the righteousness of Christ. It was a loss and want of righteousness that cast the angels down from heaven, and turned Adam out of paradise; and whoever of his posterity: are destitute of one, will fall short of enjoying the glory of God; for it is not agreeable to the holy nature of God, to his infinite justice and righteous law, to admit any into heaven without a righteousness: hence a judgment seat is erected, before which all must stand; and those that will be found without a righteousness, will be for ever excluded the kingdom of heaven; and could any unrighteous persons be received there, it would spoil the pleasure and happiness of the saints. Now this is said, partly to dissuade the Corinthians from going to law with each other before unrighteous persons, who have no right to the kingdom of God, and living and dying as they are, will have no share in it; and therefore since they are not to be fellow heirs and companions with them in another world, they should not bring their causes before them in this; and partly to reprove them for their injurious and unrighteous actions among themselves, their tricking and defrauding of one another, with other sins they were guilty of; which, if not repented of, would show, that notwithstanding their profession, they were destitute of the grace of God, were unfit to be in the kingdom of God, in a Gospel church state here below, and would be shut out of the kingdom of heaven hereafter.

Be not deceived
imagining, that through your knowledge and profession you shall be saved, live as you will:

neither fornicators,
such as are guilty of uncleanness with persons in a single state:

nor idolaters;
who worship more gods than one, and not the true God; who do service to them that are not gods, and perform what the Jews call (hrz hdwbe) "strange service": and not only fall down to stocks and stones, but serve divers lusts and pleasures, the idols of their own hearts:

nor adulterers:
such as have criminal conversation with persons in a married state:

nor effeminate;
or "soft", or, as the Syriac renders it, (albxm) , "corrupters"; that is, of themselves, by voluntary pollution, such as are guilty of the sin of Onan, ( Genesis 38:8 Genesis 38:9 ) .

Nor abusers of themselves with mankind;
sodomites.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 T. Bab. Yebamot, fol 47. 1.

1 Corinthians 6:9 In-Context

7 The fact that you have lawsuits against each other means that you've already lost your case. Why not be wronged instead? Why not be cheated?

8 But instead you are doing wrong and cheating—and you're doing it to your own brothers and sisters.

9 Don't you know that people who are unjust won't inherit God's kingdom? Don't be deceived. Those who are sexually immoral, those who worship false gods, adulterers, both participants in same-sex intercourse,

10 thieves, the greedy, drunks, abusive people, and swindlers won't inherit God's kingdom.

11 That is what some of you used to be! But you were washed clean, you were made holy to God, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or submissive and dominant male sexual partners