The big picture
1 Corinthians 6 opens in verse 1 with “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 10 with “Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit…”, and closes in verse 20 with “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit…” Repeated or prominent terms include body, know, judge, Lord, fornication. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
1 Corinthians · King James Version · 201 Corinthians 6:1-7
1–7: Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the…
1 Corinthians 6:1–7 opens with “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before…” and reaches “Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Corinthians 6 develops its own movement around body, know, judge, Lord, fornication, with particular weight carried by judge, brother, know.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 5 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
1 Corinthians 6:1-7
King James Version1Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
2Do 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?
3Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
4If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
5I 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?
6But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
7Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
1 Corinthians 6:8-14
8–14: Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
1 Corinthians 6:8–14 opens with “Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.” and reaches “And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Corinthians 6 develops its own movement around body, know, judge, Lord, fornication, with particular weight carried by Lord, belly, body.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.” Naming Nay keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
1 Corinthians 6:8-14
King James Version8Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
9Know 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,
10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11And 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.
12All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
13Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
14And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
1 Corinthians 6:15-20
15–20: Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then…
1 Corinthians 6:15–20 opens with “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ…” and reaches “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Corinthians 6 develops its own movement around body, know, judge, Lord, fornication, with particular weight carried by body, know, members.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 3 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
1 Corinthians 6:15-20
King James Version15Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
1 Corinthians 6:1 begins with “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?”
Where the chapter turns
1 Corinthians 6:9 forms a natural hinge: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate…”
The final note
1 Corinthians 6:20 leaves the reader with “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words body, know, judge, Lord, fornication, members help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What repeated description explains the judgment?
The earth is corrupt and filled with violence, especially in verses 11-13.
What does obedience look like here?
Detailed preparation, gathering provisions and constructing what God commands.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.