Why are believers referred to as "saints" in 1 Corinthians 6:2? Continuity with Old Testament Holiness God alone is intrinsically holy (Isaiah 6:3). Everything holy in Scripture derives holiness from proximity to Him—Sabbath, Temple, sacrifices, and covenant people. The New Covenant fulfills these shadows: “By one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Thus, the title “saints” rests on Christ’s finished work, not human merit. Positional Sanctification in Christ At conversion, believers are united with Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5). Paul opens the same letter: “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints” (1 Corinthians 1:2). The perfect participle ἡγιασμένοι (“having been sanctified”) stresses a completed act with abiding results. Sanctity is a legal status—justification—grounded in Jesus’ resurrection (Romans 4:25). Progressive Sanctification and Ethical Outworking While positional holiness is definitive, holiness of life is imperative. Paul moves from identity to behavior: “Such were some of you. But you were washed… you were sanctified… you were justified” (1 Corinthians 6:11). Being “saints” obligates believers to abstain from the lawsuits of verses 1-8 and to settle disputes within the covenant community. The moral imperative flows from ontological transformation. Eschatological Role: Judging the World and Angels 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 anchors the title “saints” in future authority: believers will participate in Christ’s judgment at His return (Daniel 7:27; Revelation 20:4). Paul reasons from the greater to the lesser: if saints will adjudicate cosmic matters, they should handle mundane quarrels now. The appellation therefore signals both dignity and responsibility in God’s redemptive program. Corporate Identity of the Church “Saints” is consistently plural. Holiness is lived in community, mirroring the Triune fellowship (John 17:21-23). The church is the “body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27); each member’s sanctity contributes to corporate witness (Ephesians 2:19-22). Thus lawsuits fracture the testimony of a unified holy people. Contrast with Later Notions of Canonization Centuries after Paul, “saint” was narrowed to post-mortem veneration. Scripture, however, applies the title to every living believer, including the immature Corinthians (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). The biblical use dismantles the idea that sainthood is a reward for exceptional piety; it is the baseline identity of all who are “in Christ.” Early-Church Testimony Clement of Rome (1 Clement 46:4) echoes Paul, urging harmony “among the saints.” Polycarp (Philippians 12:2) greets believers as “the elect and holy.” These first- and second-century writings show uninterrupted usage of “saints” as the common designation for Christians, matching the canonical pattern. Pastoral and Behavioral Implications for 1 Corinthians 6 1. Identity: Lawsuits deny who believers are—holy siblings, not adversaries. 2. Witness: Public litigation sullies the church’s reputation before a watching world. 3. Accountability: Internal adjudication exercises the future judging role, rehearsing for eternity. 4. Discipline: The church, as a holy body, safeguards purity by resolving sin and conflict (Matthew 18:15-17). Ultimate Purpose: Glorifying God God’s design from creation forward is to claim a people who reflect His holiness (Leviticus 11:45; 1 Peter 2:9). The title “saints” encapsulates that telos. By calling believers holy, Scripture declares God’s power to transform rebels into reflections of His character, culminating in a new heaven and earth where “nothing unclean will ever enter” (Revelation 21:27). Believers are therefore labeled “saints” in 1 Corinthians 6:2 because, in Christ, they are already set apart, empowered for righteous living, and destined for eschatological authority—all to magnify the holiness of the God who saves. |
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