1 Corinthians 6:9-11 KJV
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
[10] Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
[11] And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
When we started this series on 1 Corinthians about 3 weeks ago, our introductory paragraph began with, “The church at Corinth had a lot of problems!”
One of the most glaring sins the Corinthian people indulged in was fornication. In 1 Corinthians chapters 5-7, the Apostle Paul addresses sexual sins within the Corinthian Church and the remedy.
As stated in our first article about the church at Corinth, the Christian Bible does not sugarcoat anything. At Corinth there were several people sleeping around.
Paul calls out one sexual sin that was so terrible that not even unconverted Gentiles would do such a thing. The Corinthians had further complicated this grievous sin of a prominent church leader, by approving it.
A number of other Corinthian church people were sleeping with temple prostitutes at the Greek temples. Too make matters worse, congregants within the Corinthian church said all this was okay, because God’s grace had set them free.
Paul gives them several reasons, with examples as to why this type of thinking is not acceptable for true Christians. He also instructed the Corinthians on how to handle unrepentant fallen leaders, accompanied by sound judgment.
Paul demonstrates that Jesus has not set them free to continue living in sin. Rather Jesus has set them free from sin and its consequence.
Paul explains the same thing to the Church at Rome in Romans 6:
Romans 6:1-7 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? [2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? [3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? [4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: [6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. [7] For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Paul goes on to explain why monogamous marriage is God’s honorable remedy for Christians with strong sexual desires. Paul gives them explicit instructions regarding meeting their spouses desires in the marriage relationship. He also warns against women abandoning their husbands, men putting away their wives and divorce. Paul, also discusses who should marry, when to marry and who should remarry.
Paul’s overarching message to the Corinthians is that the Church should govern itself in a manner that reflects Jesus Christ. In Acts 11, Luke records how Barnabas found Paul (called Saul), then brought him to Antioch. After a whole year of their teaching, the people at Antioch were the first to call the disciples “Christians.”
Paul spent so much attention on the Corinthians, because he wanted them to be called Christians. Are we living a life that would cause someone to call us Christlike?