What does "washed, sanctified, justified" mean in 1 Corinthians 6:11? Text and Immediate Context “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed; you were sanctified; you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11) Verses 9-10 have just listed habitual sins that disqualify from the kingdom. Paul now reminds the Corinthian believers that, in Christ, their former identity has been decisively replaced by a new one marked by three past-tense, divinely accomplished realities. Washed 1. Ceremonial Background: Under the Law, priests washed before entering service (Exodus 30:18-21). Levitical washings symbolized removal of defilement. 2. Prophetic Anticipation: “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean” (Ezekiel 36:25). 3. New-Covenant Fulfilment: The verse echoes Titus 3:5, “the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit,” and Ephesians 5:26, where Christ cleanses His bride “by the washing of water with the word.” The internal cleansing is effected by the Spirit, publicly signified in baptism (Acts 22:16). 4. Moral Reversal: The perfect tense in Revelation 1:5 (“He has freed us from our sins by His blood”) shows the same accomplished cleansing that severs believers from the vices just listed. Sanctified 1. Meaning: To sanctify (hagiazō) is to set apart as holy, belonging exclusively to God. 2. Positional Aspect: Hebrews 10:10—“we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” At conversion the believer is transferred from common to sacred use (Colossians 1:13). 3. Progressive Aspect: 1 Thessalonians 4:3 calls believers to ongoing holiness; yet the foundation is the once-for-all positional sanctification already granted (Acts 20:32). 4. Agent: “by the Spirit of our God.” The Spirit indwells (1 Corinthians 3:16), writes the law on the heart (Jeremiah 31:33), and empowers growth (Galatians 5:16-23). 5. Corporate Dimension: In Corinth—a city saturated with temple prostitution—believers formed a counter-culture called “saints” (1 Corinthians 1:2), evidencing sanctification’s communal thrust. Justified 1. Courtroom Image: To justify (dikaioō) means to declare righteous, not merely to pardon. Romans 3:24 links justification to redemption “in Christ Jesus.” 2. Basis: The resurrection authenticated Christ’s atoning death (Romans 4:25). Historical evidence for the resurrection—early creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7, empty-tomb testimony by hostile witnesses, conversion of Paul and James—confirms the objective ground of justification. 3. Imputation: Believers receive Christ’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Double imputation—our sin to Him, His righteousness to us—satisfies divine justice while displaying mercy (Isaiah 53:11). 4. Legal Security: Because justification is forensic and past-tense, condemnation is forever removed (Romans 8:1,33-34). Triune Coordination “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” identifies the meritorious cause; “by the Spirit of our God” points to the effective Agent. Elsewhere Scripture attributes the saving plan to the Father (Ephesians 1:3-5), showing that salvation is Trinitarian from initiation to consummation. Order and Unity The verbs appear syntactically as a unit; Paul does not lay out an ordo salutis but a composite snapshot of conversion. All three acts occur together when one embraces Christ through faith: • Washed – internal renewal (regeneration). • Sanctified – positional holiness. • Justified – legal acquittal. Together they define the believer’s new status, explaining why former lifestyles are incongruent with kingdom inheritance. Historical-Cultural Note First-century Corinth hosted the Isthmian Games and the temple of Aphrodite; ritual washings were common in pagan cults. Paul repurposes the language of cleansing to contrast gospel reality with futile pagan rites. Archaeological digs on the Acrocorinth have uncovered inscriptions attesting to temple prostitution tariffs, underscoring the radical change Paul celebrates. Pastoral Applications • Identity: The primary answer to temptation is remembering, “You were washed….” • Assurance: Because cleansing, sanctification, and justification are God’s completed acts, the believer rests secure. • Mission: A cleansed life testifies to outsiders that the gospel changes what psychology alone cannot—heart allegiance (2 Corinthians 5:17). • Worship: Recognition of being set apart fuels the chief end of man—to glorify God (Psalm 115:1). Summary “Washed, sanctified, justified” declares the comprehensive, definitive transformation granted at conversion: inner cleansing from defilement, consecration to God’s service, and legal right standing before Him—all accomplished through the finished work of Christ and applied by the Holy Spirit. |
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