I Corinthians

Chapter 6
{Carnality in Litigation - first half of Chapter 6}
1~~ Do any of you have the nerve,
having a matter against another,
to go to law before an unbelieving judge,
and not before the saints?

{Note: This verse implies a dispute between two believers.}

2~~ Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world?
And, if you shall judge the world,
are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

3~~ Do you not know that we shall judge angels?
How much more things that pertain to this life?

4~~ If then you have judgments of things
pertaining to this life {altercations}
- maybe you will maybe you won't -
why do you appoint judges
who are the most contemptible in the church?

{Note: Paul is referring to a specific case where they put a knucklehead to rule over a Spiritual dispute in the Corinthian
Church - it was so bad they then went to Civil court}

5~~ I speak to your shame.
Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you?
No, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

{Note: A Wise Man is one who has maximum doctrine and can apply it.}

{Pattern of lawsuit carnality - verse 6-8}
6~~ But brother goes to law with brother
and that before the unbelievers!

7~~ Now therefore there keeps on being utterly a failure among you - to your disadvantage -
because you keep on having lawsuits among yourselves.
Why do you not rather take wrong?
Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

{Note: One believer cheated another. So, Paul says stay out of God's way . . . He will discipline the sinner.}

8~~ No! You do wrong!
And rob him {of discipline from God},
and that {to} your brethren!

{Note: Principal here is two wrongs do not make a right.}

9-10~~ Do you not know that the unbeliever
  {does not have the imputed righteousness of Christ}
shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
Be not deceived! Neither
  fornicators {in phallic cult}, nor
  idolaters {extremely religious judges}, nor
  adulterers {outside of phallic cult sex}, nor
  homosexual, nor
  abusers of themselves with mankind {another Greek word
  for a type of homosexual or pedophile}, 10~~ nor
  thieves {these judges could be bought}, nor
  covetous, nor
  alcoholics, nor
  revilers {abusive type}, nor
  extortioners,
shall inherit the kingdom of God.

{Note: These are categories of the unbelieving judges in Corinth with their areas of weakness. These judges shall not go to heaven ONLY because they do not believe . . . period . . . not because of their specific weaknesses. Must keep in context with entire Chapter 6.}

11~~ And such were some of you!
  {means when they were unbelievers now 3 changes
  at the point of salvation.}
But you are one and for all washed {cleansed from all sin}
- for your advantage.
But you are sanctified
  {Union with Christ. Positional sanctification.}
But you are once and for all vindicated {justified - declared
  righteousness -share Christ's perfect righteousness }
in the name/person of the Lord Jesus
and by the Spirit of our God.

{Note: God the Holy Spirit does the work and puts us in union with Christ.}

{Carnality in lasciviousness- verses 12-20}
12~~ All things {refers to divine production in context}
are lawful unto me {refers to the law of liberty which is toward
  yourself - freedom to serve the Lord or not}.
But all things are not worthwhile {expedient- refers to the law of
  expediency toward unbelievers}.
All things are lawful unto me,
but I will not be brought under the power of any!

{Note: Paul will not be influenced by the law of expediency so Paul would be distracted from the law of liberty which allows him to serve the Lord.}

{Note: Verses 13-14 is the introduction to the next section of Corinthians. Remember, Paul was addressing this epistle to a specific people- the GREEKS.}

{Note: Homer described the Greeks as tall, fair, blond, blue eyed, and ox eating people. The unbelieving Greeks thought you had to BEAT the human body for salvation through one of 2 methods: either starve it (asceticism) or gorge it (lasciviousness).}

{Note: Paul had to discuss 3 problems with the Greeks:
  1) Eating is normal,
  2) Sex is normal, and
  3) Does the body have a future in eternity (Plato told the Greeks that the body is evil and will be left behind).}

13~~ Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food.
But God shall destroy both it {the stomach}
and them {those who eat - human race}.
Now the body is not for fornication {porneia}.
But {the body is} . . . for the Lord.
And, the Lord is for the body.

{Note: Eating is permitted and necessary. The subject of eating is now held until Chapter 8. Paul moves on to the subject of sex. And here, 'porneia' is a very important technical term. In the Greek language, porneia referred specifically to sex in a heathen temple. Porneia means having sex with an unbeliever in connection with idolatry.}

14~~ And God has both raised up the Lord,
and will also raise up us by means of His own power.

{Note: Problem with sex is the subject of the rest of Chapter 6 and Chapter 7. In Greek culture, fornication was as normal an activity as eating. All kinds of perversion . . . bestiality, homosexuality, etc. And all Greek worship was centered on sex. So Corinthians were saved but they kept going back into the heathen temples for their great food, liquor and unlimited sex with the priests and priestess of the temples.}

15~~ Do you not know {usable bible doctrine in your soul}
that your bodies absolutely keep on being
the members of Christ {positional truth - for believers only}?
Shall I then take the members of Christ,
and make them the members
of a temple priestess/prostitute? God forbid.

16~~ What? Do you not know
that who is joined to a 'temple prostitute' is one body?
"For two", said He, "shall be one flesh".

{Union with Christ through principal of positional truth}
17~~ But he that is joined forever unto the Lord is one spirit.

18~~ Flee fornication {this is still the concept of sex mixed in
  with religion - in the temple}!
Every sin that a man does is outside the body
but he that commits fornication,
sins against his own body.

{Note: Sex is a union of two bodies. Therefore sex with a heathen priest or priestess is a union of the heathen with the 'Body of Christ'}

19~~ What? Do you not know not
that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit . . .
WHO IS IN YOU . . .
Who you keep on having from God . . .
and you are not your own?

20~~ For you are bought with a price!
Therefore, glorify God in your body.

{Note: Jesus Christ paid the price for YOU from the slave market of sin. He paid with His spiritual death on the cross!}