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"Or know ye not that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world is judged by
you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge
angels? how much more, things that pertain to this life?" (6: 2, 3 R.V.).
Here is what is known as a majori ad minus argument. If at some future time God's
children are going to join with Him, not only in the tremendous task of judging the world,
but angels too, then what a poor thing if they could not settle their petty differences
amongst themselves here and now! These angels doubtless include those who are being
reserved in everlasting chains for the future judgment of "the great day" (II Pet. 2: 4;
Jude 6). Not only are the sinning angels being reserved for this future judgment, but
Peter assures us that the unrighteous (adikoi) are being likewise reserved for the day of
judgment to be punished (II Pet. 2: 9), and he gives a vivid description of some of these
throughout the chapter.
When the Corinthians realized that they were to take part in such future judgment as
that of angels, Paul hopes that they would be ashamed of themselves in their resort to
heathen courts:
"I say this to move you to shame. Is it so, that there cannot be found among you one
wise man, who shall be able to decide between his brethren, but brother goeth to law with
brother, and that before unbelievers?" (6: 5, 6 R.V.).
Such conduct was absolute failure in Christian practice (`fault' A.V., `defect' R.V.). It
would have been much better for them to suffer wrong and put up with the consequences.
If it meant being defrauded, this was better than bad spectacle of believers quarreling in a
public court before a pagan, unbelieving world. To do wrong is the greater evil, to suffer
wrong the less. The Apostle could have referred to the Sermon on the Mount as
confirmation of this (Matt. 5: 39-42), but he does not do so. In any case he spoke with
the Lord's authority. They were indeed `doing wrong' (8), and now he vividly reminds
them in verse 9 that wrong doers such as he lists in verses 9 and 10 cannot look forward
to possessing any future inheritance in the Kingdom of God. Some of them in their
pre-conversion days had been in this category.
"But ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God" (6: 11 R.V.).
The R.V., as is often the case, is more accurate in rendering the Greek tenses, for the
cleansing, sanctification and justification look back to the moment of salvation and
quickening into spiritual life, resting, as it does, upon the finished work of the Lord Jesus
at Calvary. Paul now works back to the theme of sexual license which he left at the end
of chapter 5::
"All things are lawful for me; but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful
for me; but I will not be brought under the power of any" (6: 12 R.V.).
"All things are permitted me." It would seem that this was a phrase used at Corinth
and it seems very up to date! Paul quotes it with certain definite reservations. He was
the first to champion Christian freedom (Gal. 5: 1) but this was always to be encircled by
Christian love, and never meant that the believer was free to do just whatever he liked