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,
What does 1 Corinthians 6:9 mean?
The Corinthians are warned against many great evils, of which they had formerly been guilty.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 6:9
- The apostle introduces the declaration in this verse to show the evil of their course, and especially of the injustice which they did one to another, and their attempt to enforce and maintain the evil by an appeal to the pagan tribunals. He assures them, therefore, that the unjust could not be saved. The unrighteous - The unjust αδικοι adikoi - such as he had just mentioned - they who did injustice to others, and attempted to do it under the sanction of the courts. Shall not inherit - Shall not possess; shall not enter into.
Key words
- inherit
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Shall not inherit - Shall not possess; shall not enter into.
Context in 1 Corinthians 6
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1 Corinthians 6 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as discipline and sexuality. First Corinthians is a pastoral and doctrinal letter correcting divisions while teaching about holiness, worship, gifts, and resurrection. Read this chapter with the wider themes of the cross, church order, and holiness in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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