What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 6:5? I say this to your shame Paul is not trying to embarrass the Corinthians for entertainment; he is sounding an alarm to awaken their consciences. Like a loving but firm father (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:14), he exposes sin so that repentance can follow. • The church had allowed civil courts to settle internal disputes, displaying to the watching world a practical disbelief in God’s wisdom (James 1:5; Psalm 119:24). • Scripture often uses shame positively—to jolt believers back to obedience (2 Thessalonians 3:14; Titus 2:8). • By openly naming their failure, Paul reminds them that holiness is communal, not merely individual (Hebrews 12:14). The verse teaches that it is a disgrace, not a minor misstep, when believers ignore Spirit-given resources and let unbelievers judge family matters (1 Corinthians 6:1). Is there really no one among you wise enough The question drips with irony. Corinth prided itself on being spiritual and enlightened (1 Colossians 1:5; 4:10), yet could not produce a single person recognized for godly wisdom. • True wisdom, Paul has already argued, is “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Colossians 1:24). • Such wisdom is spiritually discerned (1 Colossians 2:15-16), rooted in the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10), and evident in good conduct (James 3:13). • If even one mature believer walked in that wisdom, petty lawsuits would not have escalated (Galatians 6:1-2). The line exposes a gap between the church’s claims and its practice, challenging every congregation to cultivate recognized, Spirit-led peacemakers. to arbitrate between his brothers? Arbitration here means settling conflicts inside the covenant family rather than dragging them before secular judges. • Jesus laid out a clear, step-by-step process for resolving disputes within the body (Matthew 18:15-17). • The early church already appointed Spirit-filled people to handle practical conflicts (Acts 6:3-5), modeling internal accountability. • Even under the Old Covenant, capable men were set over smaller groups to judge everyday issues (Exodus 18:21-22). By using “brothers,” Paul re-centers the relationship: litigants are family, not opposing parties. Legal victory must never outrank unity (Ephesians 4:3; Colossians 3:13). The church, equipped with the Word and the Spirit, possesses all it needs to mediate fairness and foster reconciliation. summary 1 Corinthians 6:5 rebukes a church that had surrendered its God-given authority to govern family matters. Paul shames them to awaken repentance, questions their supposed wisdom, and insists that Spirit-led believers are fully capable of settling disputes internally. The verse calls every congregation to cultivate mature, trusted counselors who prize unity above personal rights, demonstrating to the world that Christ’s body lives by a higher standard of justice and love. |
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