1 Corinthians 6:8

Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) Nay, ye do wrong.—Better, No, but you yourselves do wrong.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

6:1-8 Christians should not contend with one another, for they are brethren. This, if duly attended to, would prevent many law-suits, and end many quarrels and disputes. In matters of great damage to ourselves or families, we may use lawful means to right ourselves, but Christians should be of a forgiving temper. Refer the matters in dispute, rather than go to law about them. They are trifles, and may easily be settled, if you first conquer your own spirits. Bear and forbear, and the men of least skill among you may end your quarrels. It is a shame that little quarrels should grow to such a head among Christians, that they cannot be determined by the brethren. The peace of a man's own mind, and the calm of his neighbourhood, are worth more than victory. Lawsuits could not take place among brethren, unless there were faults among them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Nay, ye do wrong ... - Instead of enduring wrong patiently and cheerfully. they were themselves guilty oi injustice and fraud.

And that your brethren - Your fellow Christians. As if they had injured those of their own family - those to whom they ought to be attached by most tender ties. The offence in such cases is aggravated, not because it is in itself any worse to injure a Christian than another man, but because it shows a deeper depravity, when a man overcomes all the ties of kindness and love, and injures those who are near to him, than it does where no such ties exist. It is for this reason that parricide, infanticide, etc. are regarded everywhere as crimes of special atrocity, because a child or a parent must have severed all the tenderest cords of virtue before it could be done.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

8. ye—emphatic. Ye, whom your Lord commanded to return good for evil, on the contrary, "do wrong (by taking away) and defraud" (by retaining what is entrusted to you; or "defraud" marks the effect of the "wrong" done, namely, the loss inflicted). Not only do ye not bear, but ye inflict wrongs.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The apostle riseth higher in his charge against them; he had before only charged them for want of self-denial, that they could not bear or suffer wrong; he now chargeth them for doing wrong and defrauding, and that not heathens, (which yet had been bad enough), but Christians that were their brethren, whom they had the highest obligations upon them imaginable to love, and to do good to. And indeed this charge followeth directly upon the other: for as in war, one army always are murderers, or guilty of the blood which they spill; so in suing at law, (which is a civil war between the two parties), either the one or the other party suing must do wrong, either putting his brother to trouble and expense, to recover of him what is not his right, or that he might withhold from him what is truly and indeed his right, either of which is indeed a doing of wrong or defrauding.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Nay, you do wrong and defraud,.... So far were they from taking and acting up to the advice given, that instead of taking wrong, they did wrong; and instead of suffering themselves to be defrauded, they defrauded others:

and that your brethren; that were of the same faith, of the same religion, and in the same church and family: in short, neither party, not the plaintiff, nor the defendant, sought anything more or less than to wrong, trick, and defraud each other; such a sad corruption and degeneracy prevailed among them: hence the apostle thought to deal plainly and closely with them, as in the following verses.

Geneva Study Bible

Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

1 Corinthians 6:8. The question beginning with διατί in 1 Corinthians 6:7 still continues: Why do ye not rather allow yourselves to suffer wrong, etc., and not, on your part, do wrong, etc.? This view, instead of the ordinary one, which makes 1 Corinthians 6:8 an independent sentence like 1 Corinthians 6:6, is necessary, because ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε in 1 Corinthians 6:9 has its logical reference in διατί. The reference, namely, is this: “There is no ground conceivable for your not,” etc. (διατί … ἀδελφούς),” unless that ye knew not,” etc. (ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε).

καὶ τοῦτο ἀδελφούς] to whom nevertheless, as your brethren, the very opposite was due from you! With respect to the climactic κ. τοῦτο, and that, see on Romans 12:11, and Baeumlein, Partik. p. 147.

Expositor's Greek Testament

1 Corinthians 6:8. ἀλλὰ ὑμεῖς κ.τ.λ.: “Nay, but you commit wrong and robbery—this too (cf. 6) upon your brothers!” Mr[951] reads this, like the parl[952] ἀλλὰ clause of 1 Corinthians 6:6, as a further question; it is the answer to the question of 1 Corinthians 6:7—the sad fact contrasted with the duty of the Christian. The spiritual kinship which heightens the duty of submission to wrong, aggravates its commission.

[951] Meyer’s Critical and Exegetical Commentary (Eng. Trans.).

[952] parallel.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. Nay, you do wrong, and defraud, and that (your) brethren] Not only are you not willing to suffer injury, but you inflict it, and you inflict it upon those with whom you are conjoined in relations as affectionate as the ties of blood. ‘One is your Master upon earth and all ye are brethren.’ And this was not to be a convention or a sentiment, but a fact; witnessed to by the affectionate name “the brethren” by which everywhere Christians were known.

Bengel's Gnomen

1 Corinthians 6:8. Ὑμεῖς, ye) Emphatic. The Antithesis is to those, from whom they ought rather to suffer injury.—ἀδικεῖτε, ye do injury) by taking away.—ἀποστερεῖτε, ye defraud) by refusing [to give back a trust] and retaining.—ἀδελφοὺς, brethren) This increases the fault.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 8. - Nay, ye do wrong and defraud. Thus they violated a rule which Paul had laid down to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 4:6), and incurred God's anger. 1 Corinthians 6:8