◄ 1 Corinthians 6:9 ►
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,
Study Bible
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Persistent, unrepentant rebellion against God is incompatible with life in His kingdom. The kingdom of God includes His present rule over those who submit to Christ and the future inheritance of eternal life in His presence. Corinth’s public life was marked by idolatry, sexual immorality, greed, and social corruption, yet Paul’s warning reaches every generation. Jesus likewise taught that entrance into the kingdom belongs not to those who merely profess His name, but to those who do the will of His Father (Matthew 7:21–23).

Gal 5:21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.…
Eph 5:5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure,…
1Co 15:50 Now I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood…

Do not be deceived:

Neither religious profession, cultural approval, nor false teaching can remove God’s moral standards. God is not mocked; each person will reap what he sows (Galatians 6:7). The warning confronts the tendency to excuse sin while expecting the blessings of salvation apart from repentance and obedient faith.

Jas 1:16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked.…
Eph 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words,…

Neither the sexually immoral,

Sexual sin violates God’s purpose for the body and for marriage. God established sexual union within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, and Scripture calls His people to holiness rather than conformity to the practices of the surrounding world (Hebrews 13:4).

Eph 5:3 But among you, as is proper among the saints,…
1Th 4:3 For it is God’s will that you should be holy:…
Rev 21:8 But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable…

nor idolaters,

Corinth contained many temples and images devoted to false gods, but idolatry also includes giving ultimate devotion to wealth, desire, power, status, or any created thing. God alone is worthy of worship, for He commanded His people to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3). Covetousness itself becomes idolatry when possessions and desires rule the heart (Colossians 3:5).

Rev 22:15 But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers,…
1Jn 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
Col 3:5 Put to death, therefore, the components…

nor adulterers,

Adultery breaks the covenant faithfulness God ordained for marriage and distorts the union meant to reflect Christ’s faithful love for His church. Jesus taught that sinful desire is not merely an outward matter, since lust in the heart also violates God’s purity (Matthew 5:27–28).

Heb 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed…
Mat 5:27-28 You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’…
Mrk 10:11-12 So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife…

nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,

God created humanity male and female and ordained marriage as a one-flesh union between a husband and wife (Genesis 1:27; 2:24). Practices contrary to that design were known in the Greco-Roman world and are consistently forbidden in Scripture (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26–27). Paul’s warning does not place any sin beyond Christ’s power to forgive and transform. The following words remind the Corinthian believers that some had formerly lived in such sins, but had been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 6:11).

1Ti 1:9-10 We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous,…
Rom 1:26-27 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions.…
Lev 20:13 If a man lies with a man as with a woman,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Corinth
A major city in ancient Greece known for its wealth and moral decadence. The church in Corinth faced many challenges related to the surrounding culture.

2. Paul the Apostle
The author of 1 Corinthians, addressing issues within the Corinthian church, including moral and ethical behavior.

3. Corinthian Church
The recipients of Paul's letter, struggling with issues of immorality and division within their community.
Teaching Points
Understanding Inheritance in the Kingdom of God
The concept of inheritance in the kingdom of God is central to Christian hope. It is not merely about entering heaven but living under God's rule both now and in eternity.

The Deceptive Nature of Sin
Paul warns against deception, highlighting that cultural acceptance does not equate to divine approval. Christians must discern and adhere to biblical standards.

Repentance and Transformation
The list of sins is not exhaustive but illustrative of behaviors that require repentance. The gospel offers transformation and renewal through Christ.

The Role of the Church in Moral Guidance
The church is called to uphold biblical teachings and provide guidance and support for those struggling with sin, fostering a community of accountability and grace.

Living Counter-Culturally
Christians are called to live in a way that reflects God's holiness, often standing in contrast to societal norms. This requires courage and reliance on the Holy Spirit.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the cultural context of Corinth help us interpret Paul's message in 1 Corinthians 6:9?

2. In what ways can the church today address issues of immorality while maintaining a spirit of grace and truth?

3. How do the additional scriptures (Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:5, Romans 1:26-27) reinforce the message of 1 Corinthians 6:9?

4. What practical steps can individuals take to avoid being deceived by cultural norms that contradict biblical teachings?

5. How can believers support one another in pursuing holiness and resisting the temptations listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Galatians 5:19-21
This passage lists the works of the flesh, similar to the list in 1 Corinthians 6:9, emphasizing that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:5
Reinforces the message that no immoral, impure, or greedy person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Romans 1:26-27
Discusses the consequences of turning away from God, including engaging in behaviors that are contrary to His design.
Sermons
Inheriting the KingdomR. Tuck 1 Corinthians 6:9
Civil Relations and Church Membership; Litigation Before Heathen CourtsC. Lipscomb 1 Corinthians 6:1-11
Before and After: Two PicturesH. Bremner 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
DrunkennessCanon Diggle.1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Genuine ReformationD. Thomas, D. D.1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Our Inheritance in PerilW. E. Hurndall, M. A.1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Our Inheritance in PerilE. Hurndall 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Persistent Self-DeceptionScientific Illustrations and Symbols1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Who Shall Enter into the Kingdom of GodJ. Lyth, D. D.1 Corinthians 6:9-11
People
Corinthians, Paul, Sodomites
Places
Corinth
Topics
FALSE, Abusers, Adulterers, Astray, Cherish, Crime, Deceived, Delusion, Desires, Effeminate, Err, Evil-doers, Flesh, Fornicators, Gives, God's, Goes, Guilty, Homosexual, Homosexuals, Ideas, Idolaters, Images, Immoral, Inherit, Kingdom, Led, Less, Makes, Male, Mankind, Married, Offenders, Persons, Perverts, Prostitutes, Reign, Sexual, Sexually, Sodomites, Themselves, Unnatural, Unrighteous, Untrue, Whoremongers, Women, Worship, Wrong
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Corinthians 6:9

     5729   one flesh
     6242   adultery
     8245   ethics, incentives
     8299   love, in relationships

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

     2377   kingdom of God, entry into
     4436   drinking, abstention
     5705   inheritance, spiritual
     5866   gluttony
     5870   greed, condemnation
     5943   self-deception
     5951   slander
     5978   warning
     6026   sin, judgment on
     6040   sinners
     6134   coveting, prohibition
     6147   deceit, practice
     6201   imperfection, and God's purposes
     6206   offence
     6238   homosexuality
     8777   lust

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

     5311   extortion
     5555   stealing
     5735   sexuality
     6166   flesh, sinful nature
     6188   immorality, sexual
     6237   sexual sin, nature of
     6239   prostitution
     6678   justification, Christ's work
     7478   washing
     8311   morality, and redemption
     8846   ungodliness
     8847   vulgarity

Library
First Sunday in Lent
Text: Second Corinthians 6, 1-10. 1 And working together with him we entreat also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain 2 (for he saith, At an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee, and in a day of salvation did I succor thee: behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation): 3 giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our ministration be not blamed; 4 but in everything commending ourselves, as ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

March the Tenth Exaltation by Separation
2 CORINTHIANS vi. 11-18. When we turn away from the world, and leave it, we ourselves are not left to desolation and orphanhood. When we "come out from among them" the Lord receives us! He is waiting for us. The new companionship is ours the moment the old companionship is ended. "I will not leave you comfortless." What we have lost is compensated by infinite and eternal gain. We have lost "the whole world" and gained "the unsearchable riches of Christ." And therefore separation is exaltation. We …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

"Bought with a Price"
You will notice that in this chapter the apostle Paul has been dealing with sins of the flesh, with fornication and adultery. Now, it is at all times exceedingly difficult for the preacher either to speak or to write upon this subject; it demands the strictest care to keep the language guarded, so that while we are denouncing a detestable evil we do not ourselves promote it by a single expression that should be otherwise than chaste and pure. Observe how well the apostle Paul succeeds, for though …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

"Therefore, Brethren, we are Debtors, not to the Flesh, to Live after the Flesh; for if Ye Live after the Flesh, Ye Shall Die,"
Rom. viii. s 12, 13.--"Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh; for if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die," &c. Was that not enough to contain men in obedience to God--the very essential bond of dependence upon God as the original and fountain of his being! And yet man hath cast away this cord from him, and withdrew from that allegiance he did owe to his Maker, by transgressing his holy commandments. But God, not willing that all should perish, hath confirmed …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

First Epistle of St John, Ch. Ii. Part of the 1St and 2D Verses.
If any Man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the Propitiation for our Sins. IN this Passage; the Apostle declares that it is for the sake of Jesus Christ, and on account of his sufferings, that the Sins committed by his Disciples will be forgiven by Almighty God. Now from this, and the like Declarations in the New Testament, many professed Christians have taken occasion to frame to themselves such Notions concerning the Merits of Christ, and the Sacrifice …
Benjamin Hoadly—Several Discourses Concerning the Terms of Acceptance with God

On Communion in the Lord's Supper.
1. If the reader has received the Ordinance of Baptism, and; as above recommended, dedicated himself to God.--2. He is urged to ratify that engagement at the Table of the Lord.-- 3. From a view of the ends for which that Ordinance was instituted.--4. Whence its usefulness is strongly inferred.--5. And from the Authority of Christ's Appointment; which is solemnly pressed on the conscience.--6. Objections from apprehensions of Unfitness.--7. Weakness of grace, &c. briefly answered.--8. At least, serious …
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul

Made One
"He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit."--1 Cor. vi. 17. Mechthild of Hellfde, 1277. tr., Emma Frances Bevan, 1899 The mouth of the Lord hath spoken, Hath spoken a mighty word; My sinful heart it hath broken, Yet sweeter I never heard; "Thou, thou art, O soul, My deep desire And My love's eternal bliss: Thou art the rest where leaneth My breast, And My mouth's most holy kiss. Thou art the treasure I sought and found, Rejoicing over thee; I dwell in thee, and with thee am I crowned, And thou …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen and Others (Second Series)

It is Finished
V. M. C. I Cor. vi. 11 He found me the lost and the wandering, The sinful, the sad, and the lone; He said, "I have bought thee, beloved, For ever thou art Mine own. "O soul, I will show thee the wonder, The worth of My priceless Blood; Thou art whiter than snow on the mountains, Thou art fair in the eyes of God. "O vessel of living water, From the depths of the love divine, The glorious life within thee Flows from My heart to thine. "O soul altogether lovely, O pearl for which Christ was given, …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

The End of the Journey
C. P. C. I Cor. vi. 17 One with Christ--within the golden City Welcomed long ago, When for me He passed within the glory From the depths below. Still the gladness of that blessed welcome, Mystery of that kiss, Meeting of the Son and of the Father, Floods my soul with bliss. That sweet welcome mine--and mine for ever That eternal Home, Whereunto when all these wanderings over, I shall surely come-- There my heart is resting, and is joyful, With a joy untold-- Earth's dark ways lit up with that …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

It Follows in the Creed, "And in the Holy Ghost. ...
13. It follows in the Creed, "And in the Holy Ghost." This Trinity, one God, one nature, one substance, one power; highest equality, no division, no diversity, perpetual dearness of love. [1795] Would ye know the Holy Ghost, that He is God? Be baptized, and ye will be His temple. The Apostle says, "Know ye not that your bodies are the temple within you of the Holy Ghost, Whom ye have of God?" [1796] A temple is for God: thus also Solomon, king and prophet, was bidden to build a temple for God. If …
St. Augustine—On the Creeds

Lo, There is Your Good Compared to that Good...
4. Lo, there is your good compared to that good, which the Apostle calls his own, if faith be present: yea, rather, because faith is present. Short is this teaching, yet not on this account to be despised, because it is short; but on this account to be retained the more easily and the more dearly, in that in shortness it is not cheap. For it is not every kind of good soever, which the Apostle would here set forth, which he hath unambiguously placed above the faith of married women. But how great …
St. Augustine—On the Good of Widowhood.

Thou Art Beautiful, O My Love, Sweet and Comely as Jerusalem, Terrible as an Army Set in Array.
The Bridegroom finding His bride entirely free from self, dissolved and prepared for the consummation of the marriage, and to be received into a state of permanent and lasting union with Himself, admires her beauty; He tells her that she is beautiful because He finds in her a certain charm and sweetness which approaches the divine. Thou art comely, He continues, as Jerusalem; for since thou hast lost everything of thine own to devote it wholly to Me, thou art adorned and embellished with all that …
Madame Guyon—Song of Songs of Solomon

That Clerics be not Compelled to Give Testimony in Public Concerning the Cognizance of their Own Judgment.
That clerics be not compelled to give testimony in public concerning the cognizance of their own judgment. It should be petitioned also that they deign to decree, that if perchance any shall have been willing to plead their cause in any church according to the Apostolic law imposed upon the Churches, and it happens that the decision of the clergy does not satisfy one of the parties, it be not lawful to summon that clergyman who had been cognitor or present, [459] into judgment as a witness, and that …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

Concerning Justification.
Concerning Justification. As many as resist not this light, but receive the same, it becomes in them an holy, pure, and spiritual birth, bringing forth holiness, righteousness, purity, and all those other blessed fruits which are acceptable to God: by which holy birth, to wit, Jesus Christ formed within us, and working his works in us, as we are sanctified, so are we justified in the sight of God, according to the apostle's words; But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in …
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity

Concerning Worship.
Concerning Worship. [780] All true and acceptable worship to God is offered in the inward and immediate moving and drawing of his own Spirit which is neither limited to places times, nor persons. For though we are to worship him always, and continually to fear before him; [781] yet as to the outward signification thereof, in prayers, praises, or preachings, we ought not to do it in our own will, where and when we will; but where and when we are moved thereunto by the stirring and secret inspiration …
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity

Tempest and Trust
And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. 14. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. 15. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 16. And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: 17. Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Death to Sin through Christ
"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."-Romans 6:11. THE connection of this passage will help us to understand its meaning. Near the close of the previous chapter Paul had said, "The law entered that the offence might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord." He speaks here of …
Charles G. Finney—Sermons on Gospel Themes

Twenty-Eighth Day that all God's People May Know the Holy Spirit
WHAT TO PRAY.--That all God's People may know the Holy Spirit "The Spirit of truth, whom the world knoweth not; but ye know Him; for He abideth with you, and shall be in you."--JOHN xiv. 17. "Know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Ghost?"--1 COR. vi. 19. The Holy Spirit is the power of God for the salvation of men. He only works as He dwells in the Church. He is given to enable believers to live wholly as God would have them live, in the full experience and witness of Him who saves …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession

"But Ye are not in the Flesh, but in the Spirit, if So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now, if any Man
Rom. viii. 9.--"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Application is the very life of the word, at least it is a necessary condition for the living operation of it. The application of the word to the hearts of hearers by preaching, and the application of your hearts again to the word by meditation, these two meeting together, and striking one upon another, will yield fire. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Indwelling Spirit Fully and Forever Satisfying.
The Holy Spirit takes up His abode in the one who is born of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul says to the believers in Corinth in 1 Cor. iii. 16, R. V., "Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" This passage refers, not so much to the individual believer, as to the whole body of believers, the Church. The Church as a body is indwelt by the Spirit of God. But in 1 Cor. vi. 19, R. V., we read, "Know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Ghost which is …
R. A. Torrey—The Person and Work of The Holy Spirit

We are not Binding Heavy Burdens and Laying them Upon Your Shoulders...
37. We are not binding heavy burdens and laying them upon your shoulders, while we with a finger will not touch them. Seek out, and acknowledge the labor of our occupations, and in some of us the infirmities of our bodies also, and in the Churches which we serve, that custom now grown up, that they do not suffer us to have time ourselves for those works to which we exhort you. For though we might say, "Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the …
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

For, Whereas that Natural Use, when it Pass Beyond the Compact of Marriage...
12. For, whereas that natural use, when it pass beyond the compact of marriage, that is, beyond the necessity of begetting, is pardonable in the case of a wife, damnable in the case of an harlot; that which is against nature is execrable when done in the case of an harlot, but more execrable in the case of a wife. Of so great power is the ordinance of the Creator, and the order of Creation, that, in matters allowed us to use, even when the due measure is exceeded, it is far more tolerable, than, …
St. Augustine—On the Good of Marriage

Whence, Also, what the Apostle Paul Said of the Unmarried Woman...
8. Whence, also, what the Apostle Paul said of the unmarried woman, "that she may be holy both in body and spirit;" [2237] we are not so to understand, as though a faithful woman being married and chaste, and according to the Scriptures subject unto her husband, be not holy in body, but only in spirit. For it cannot come to pass, that when the spirit is sanctified, the body also be not holy, of which the sanctified spirit maketh use: but, that we seem not to any to argue rather than to prove this …
St. Augustine—On the Good of Widowhood.

The Blessed Hope and Its Power
PHILIPPIANS iii. 17-21 The problem of the body--Cautions and tears--"That blessed hope"--The duty of warning--The moral power of the hope--The hope full of immortality--My mother's life--"He is able"--The promise of his coming The Apostle draws to the close of his appeal for a true and watchful fidelity to the Gospel. He has done with his warning against Judaistic legalism. He has expounded, in the form of a personal confession and testimony, the true Christian position, the acceptance of the …
Handley C. G. Moule—Philippian Studies

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