Podcast Introduction

Today we’re going to read Corinthians 6, and I’m calling the episode “Who Owns You?”

Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 6

Corinth was an extremely hedonistic city, and had been that way for hundreds of years. It was prosperous and bustling. Much like a large metropolitan city today. It was famous for its pottery, brass, sports and military. There were temples built to honor many different Greek gods, with the largest one being for Aphrodite, which had more than a thousand female prostitutes and priestesses to serve her.

The Corinthian people had a reputation for being drunkards and partyers and having extremely lax sexual morals. 

In other words, they were like many people are today.

In chapter five, Paul chastised the Corinthian church because they didn’t call out the one in their church who was having an ongoing affair with his father’s wife, most likely his stepmother. They had allowed this because they were immersed in this culture of sexual immorality. They thought nothing of it. So Paul told them how to deal with the issue. 

Here in chapter six Paul again addresses them regarding their behavior. He says, “7The very fact that you have legal disputes among yourselves shows that you have failed completely. Would it not be better for you to be wronged? Would it not be better for you to be robbed? 

8Instead, you yourselves wrong one another and rob one another, even other believers! 9Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God’s Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts 10or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves—none of these will possess God’s Kingdom. 

Paul listed these specific sins in order to make it very clear to the Corinthians that the very culture they were in was full of things that were detestable to God, and they must reject these behaviors if they were to live lives pleasing to Him. They had become desensitized to the sin. He was saying that you cannot live a life given over to these behaviors and expect to be part of God’s Kingdom.

So the elephant in the room is the reference to homosexuality. Our culture today is doing everything possible to normalize “the gay lifestyle”. “Love is love, right?” Well, no, it isn’t. In the original Greek, there are actually two words used in the verse that our translation today rendered as “homosexual perverts.” One is *malakoi* which literally refers to male prostitutes. The other word is *arsenokoitai* (ahr-SAY-no-KOI-tye), which refers to men having sex with men. So whether the behavior is a business arrangement or not has nothing to do with whether it is acceptable in the sight of God. It isn’t.

But neither are the other sins in this list. People who practice immorality, who worship idols, who are adulterers, who steal, who are greedy, who are drunkards, who slander others, who are thieves. They’re all on the list, too. Homosexuality is not a worse sin than these. It’s just one on this particular list. Why did Paul list these sins? Because they were so common in Corinth. It certainly is not an exhaustive list of the sins that people commit, or that God hates.

Remember the saying that those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones? Or better yet, Jesus’ remark to the crowd who found the woman in the act of adultery. “He that is without sin, let him cast the first stone.”

So people who are immoral, adulterers, thieves or drunkards have no room to condemn homosexuals. 

Look at how Paul followed these verses: 11Some of you were like that. But you have been purified from sin; you have been dedicated to God; you have been put right with God by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

He said that some of the Corinthians had been living like that, doing those things. But they had been purified, made clean from sin. And they were set apart, or sanctified, dedicated to God. And they were put right, or declared to be “just” in the eyes of God by His grace. All of this was made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. 

So the good news is that the people described on that list can be made clean in the eyes of God. That list is not meant to demoralize and condemn, but to give hope and motivation to give one’s life to Jesus. To have a better life and a better eternity.

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 6 GNT

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The Team

Transcript Correction: Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Denise
Podcasting 2.0 Chapters: Lifespring Family Berean, Brother Sean of San Pedro and Lifespring Family Berean, Brother Michael Haner
Show Art: Lifespring Family Berean, Brother Scott Snider and Lifespring Family Berean Jason Paschall
Newsletter Publisher: Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Brittaney

Transcript

Transcript not corrected.