SERMON: “The Viced Turned to Virtue” (1 Cor. 6:9–11)
“The
Viced Turned to Virtue” (1 Cor. 6:9–11)
Series: “1 Cor: Holiness from Messes” #20 Text: 1
Corinthians 6:9–11
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: March 1, 2026
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
Introduction
This is becoming one of the more controversial passages in
Scripture, which is a shame. This contentiousness
arises from two words in v. 9, “effeminate” and “homosexuals.” Many take exception with the first word, that
there should be anything wrong with a man who is in touch with his feminine side
(as it were), and they argue that the second word is a complete mistranslation. There are books and films being produced which
falsely propose that there is a conspiracy afoot to make things a sin which God
never forbade. Of course, this contention
is wrong, as we will see.
I say that it’s a shame that this passage should be so controversial,
for it is a message of grace to everyone — no one must stay as they are. As we continue our series through 1
Corinthians, we are seeing that God can make “holiness from messes.” No matter what the issue is that we face, God
can transform us. That’s good news.
Of course, before we can get to the good news of the gospel,
we must understand the bad. In these
verses, the Apostle Paul delivers a stark warning to a church riddled with
division, immorality, and worldly thinking.
For instance, this section flows naturally from chapter 5’s call for
church discipline; David Prior helpfully observes, “The subject-matter is still mainly sexual
morality. It is plain that blase
arrogance about an unpleasant case of incest in fact represents but the tip of
a lethal iceberg in an ocean of highly dubious attitudes towards things
physical and sexual.”[1] We’ll see that in these verses, as well.
You see, starting with v. 1 in this chapter, Paul condemned believers
for taking each another to court before unbelieving judges. He’s not only saying that unbelievers are not
going to uphold a righteous standard, he’s condemning the Corinthians for living
like the unrighteous. As Andrew David
Naselli notes, Paul is essentially saying, “Do not think you can get away with
an unrepentantly sinful lifestyle. You
are acting like the unrighteous. Do not
think you can live that way and still be a citizen of God’s kingdom. Unrepentantly sinful lifestyles do not
characterize citizens of God’s kingdom.”[2] Christians need this reminder, not simply
unbelievers.
Yet, Paul’s words also resonate with life. Christians not only need to hear reminders
about the bad news, but also about the transformative power of the gospel. So, this morning, the teaching here is both
as simple as it is deep. First, we’ll
see that the kingdom is not for the unrighteous (vv. 9–10). Second, we’ll see that the kingdom is for those
God changes (v. 11). Let’s consider the
gospel afresh this morning.
First, the Kingdom is not for the Unrighteous (vv. 9–10)
Or do you not know
that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually
immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor
thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will
inherit the kingdom of God.
Paul begins this section with a rhetorical question that evokes
self-examination. This is Paul’s third
reminder in this chapter of what the Corinthians have already learned (cf. vv.
2–3), which is really a gap between what they have learned and what they
practice.[3]
These are truths that all Christians
should know and do, but if you don’t, they are here in Holy Scripture for our
reflection.
To put Paul’s question in the indicative, “The unrighteous
will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The
word “unrighteous” literally means lacking in righteousness, indicating someone
who lacks a connection with the righteous Lord.
The term echoes back to verse 1, where it describes ungodly judges, and
verse 8, where Paul accuses the Corinthians themselves of doing wrong or unrighteous
activities.[4]
Now, there are certain words associated with the gospel,
such as “inheritance” and “kingdom of God.”
Part of the good news is that are promised to receive an inheritance (cf.
Acts 20:32), and we consider ourselves as part of His kingdom, the “spiritual
sphere of salvation where God rules as king over all who belong to Him by faith.”[5] However, Paul explains that mere “flesh and
blood” cannot receive the inheritance of the kingdom of God (1 Cor.
15:50). This is why Paul warns in these
kinds of vice lists that those who are living unrighteously will not inherit
the kingdom of God (Gal 5:21; Eph 5:5).
God is building His kingdom, but only those who ultimately choose God
over sin are worthy of the kingdom.
Unfortunately, unrighteousness can be quite deceptive, a
great void that seems to drain all truth and knowledge from us. Of course, it carries itself as knowledge; we
saw that the Corinthian Christians were seeking out unbelieving judges rather
than rendering judgment within the church.[6] Some of these church members were harming one
another, and their unrighteousness was tricking them into thinking that was
okay, too.
So, Paul issues that passive command, “Do not be deceived.” We are responsible at some level for the
deception we receive, and we can even invite deception to cover up the truth. For instance, Jesus warns His disciples not
to be misled by false Christs in the Olivet Discourse (Luke 21:8). Paul will later warn of the deception that
one can be in bad company and keep good morals (1 Cor 15:33). Some people think that God can be mocked
through their actions (Gal 6:7). Invited
self-deception can come in many ways.
This deception can lead people to think they will inherit
the kingdom when all evidence points to the contrary. The evidence isn’t subjective; Paul gives us
a clear list here. Of course, this isn’t
meant to be an exhaustive catalog of sins,[7] but
it does help us to see whether there is deception going on in our hearts or
churches. These are faults which
characterize the unrighteous.
He begins first with the “sexually immoral.” This is from the term pornos, from
which we get “pornography.” This refers to fornicators, encompassing all sexual
immorality outside of marriage. Paul had
just discussed this in chapter 5, and it’s a general category covering chapters
5–7. Our society presents it as normal
in media, but God did not create us to live in fornication.[8] All believers might stumble here, but those
who have no problem with it, even devoting money to things like “Only”
subscriptions, evidence an unrighteousness of heart.
Paul then moves on to idolaters. This may be, on the surface, the most obvious
prohibition for entry in the kingdom.
After all, who acknowledging another God could partake in the kingdom of
God? Still, Christians can be guilty at
times of putting our own wants and desires above those of God, an act of
essential idolatry. The world may be
enamored with cults and false religion,[9] but
the professed Christian who is always putting sin above God might be signaling
an unregenerate heart.
Paul then comes to “adulterers.” This is a particular kind of sexual sin, an married
person indulging in sexual acts outside of marriage.[10] It not only harms spouses, but it can also
negatively impact children, potentially destroying whole households.[11]
This is such a violation that God placed
it as one of the Ten Commandments, making it the marker of all sexual sin.[12] Some of what you might think about with sexual
immorality in general, such as watching pornography or reading smutty novels,
become adulterous in the context of marriage.
This is such an important issue that Paul address it more specifically
in vv. 12–20.[13]
Now, it’s within that vein of thought that we come to two other
kinds of sexual immorality and our debated terms: “effeminate” and “homosexuals.” Some of your Bible translations here will only
have the term “homosexuals,” and others link these terms together. The NET Bible has “passive homosexual
partners” and “practicing homosexuals” here.
There is evidence that these two words should be understood together,
but let’s consider them separately.
The first word in the LSB, again, is “effeminate,” and it
comes from the Greek word malakoi. The term literally means “soft,”[14]
but it isn’t talking about men who might be more artistic, or who have a softer
demeanor or voice. This also obviously doesn’t
condemn the minors who might have been victims of pedophiles and pederasts of
Greek and Romans cultures.[15]
Rather, this refers to men who intentionally
make their features feminine, often through cosmetics or gender-bending acts. There were men in the ancient world who, like
today, twisted male characteristics to represent something more feminine, and
some joined the temple cults and purposefully emasculated themselves. This certainly condemns any man who wants to
be a passive partner in a homosexual act,[16]
then.
That means that the full meaning of this term goes beyond men
who might be advertising themselves for prostitution (see NIV84/NLT, “male
prostitutes”). This is condemning all sex
confusion as well as genderbending, including transgenderism, androgyny, or
non-binary identities. By implication,
it applies even to women taking on male traits, as Scripture condemns
cross-dressing (Deut. 22:5). Social,
chemical, or surgical transitions are bad for people, bad for society, and
sinful at the core.
The modern LGBTQ+ community would not like to hear this from
Paul, and he isn’t stating this to condemn anyone as being without hope. However, folks need the bad news if they are
to hear the good news. And part of the bad
news is that the term “homosexuals” is rightly here.
This is the second debated term in the modern progressive
movement. Some similarly believe this
term to refer to prostitution or those who sodomize youths, and those could be
subcategories of this term. While this
could refer to a dominant role, that does not necessarily require this word to
imply non-consensual behavior (i.e., rape).[17] In general, this word literally refers to “men
who have sex with men” (NIV).
Paul seems to have built this particular compound word from two
words which refer to “man” and “sexual intercourse.” His term seems to arise from the language of
the Greek translation of Leviticus. The
term here is arsenokoitēs, and the words arsen and koite
both appear in Leviticus 18:22 (which says, “And you shall not lie with a male
as one lies with a female; it is an abomination”) and Leviticus 20:13 (which
says, “If there is a man who lies
with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed an
abomination”).[18] Paul is making this very clear, especially
with his pairing the term malakoi or “effeminate.”[19] Those who claim condemnations of homosexual
acts is a modern invention are wrong; both Jews and Christians uniformly looked
at the homosexual acts of Greeks and Romans as sinful.[20]
Those who accept any of these acts are deceived. Some churches might fly flags and claim that
God is “accepting,” but they are like the false prophets of old who spoke, “Peace,
peace!” when there was no peace. We must
understand that these things are not “love,” nor are they evidence of a sanctified
life. They are acts of unrighteousness,
as are the items of the next verse.
Paul begins v. 10 by talking about “thieves.” Of course, this moves us from the sexual
immorality category, but not from the idolatrous one. These were those who might be involved in
petty crime. They sometimes hung around
the public baths and gyms of those days, waiting for people to disrobe so they
could make off with clothing and money.
There were, of course, those who broke into houses at night for theft, but
that was considered a capital offense under Roman law.[21]
Those who commit theft are not only idolatrous, they are
also covetous, bringing us to the next term.
Paul also talks about the greedy here.
Even the desire to steal, even when not acted upon, is sinful.
The next term is “drunkards.” This isn’t about mere alcohol consumption,
which was common and even commanded in temple services. Wine disinfected water, served medicinal purposes,
and was even allowed for leisure. The
issue is drunkenness — regular intoxication as a coping mechanism. This extends to narcotics or medications used
to escape reality. While the Bible
allows for some license in regards to alcohol and medications, the believer
should never use these as a substitute to apply biblical, Spirit-empowered
thinking to life. As Ephesians 5:18 says
to believers, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be
filled with the Spirit.” Paul will go on
in 1 Corinthians 6, although all things are lawful, he will be mastered by none
of them — the Holy Spirit is to have ultimate control in a believer’s life. As such, the Bible doesn’t present “alcoholism”
as a disease, but as a sinful choice.
Next, Paul condemns “revilers.” This applies to people who actively tear down
or abuse others with their words.[22] This definitely falls under the category of
cussing or uttering curses against other people, wishing them hell and the
like. Other words that don’t necessarily
classify as “cuss” words, such as fool or clown, also apply here. Christians must take care to avoid speaking
like the fallen world when addressing issues.
Finally, Paul condemns “swindlers” or extortioners. These are those “who steal indirectly, taking
unfair advantage of others for their own financial gain.”[23] People may make big business out of scams and
the like, but God has no more patience for this than those who take from others
by force.
Paul repeats that none of these “will inherit the kingdom of
God.” All these categories (and more)
fall well short of God’s glory. As a
result, they cannot come into the glorious kingdom of our God. As Robertson puts it, this “is a solemn roll
call of the damned even if some of their names are on the church roll in
Corinth whether officers or ordinary members.”[24] Those who think otherwise are deceived.
Now, that is bad news.
The only relief I can give at this point is that such a list indicates
people who are identified with these ten sins.
There are Christians who struggle in each of these categories, but they
seek to overcome and not live in rebellion to God. Yet, then there are those for whom the items
on this list are not a temporary lapse but an identity — they are the lost.[25] Even so, hope remains, and Paul gives it in
the next verse:
Second, the Kingdom is for Those God Changes (v. 11)
And such were some
of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Paul pivots with hope here.
He says there were some of the Corinthians who, though maybe not guilty
of every one of these sins, maybe one of these things could be said of them. Now, the world wants us to believe that there
is no deliverance; we hear statements like “once a thief, always a thief,” “alcoholic
for life,” and “you can’t pray the gay away.”
While Satan wants to convince the world that there is no hope for
change, many verses of God’s word emphasizes our past bondage to sin (1 Cor.
12:2; Eph. 2:2–3; Col. 3:5–7; Titus 3:3–7).
Paul testifies of this for Corinthians. He then follows this with three strong “buts,”
whether in English or in Greek, to detail the causes for these changes. He essentially says, “You were this way, but
you have been changed in these three ways.”
God’s grace has transformed their lives, giving them new life,[26]
forgiveness, and salvation.[27]
He begins with “but you were washed.” Now, it’s easy to think about baptism here,
but that is only the symbol of what Paul is talking about. The context here is spiritual realities, so
this must refer to spiritual cleansing.[28] This refers to one being cleansed “from the
guilt and power of sin (see Titus 3:5).”[29] This gives a believer the knowledge that the
stain of unrighteousness does not remain, knowing that there is true washing
available in Jesus Christ!
Paul then says that “you were sanctified.” Paul mentioned sanctification early in this letter
(1 Cor. 1:2, 30). Now, while we might
think about “progressive” sanctification here, where God is slowly transforming
us into His holy image through cleansing and renewal, Paul has another kind of sanctification
in mind. This is known as “definitive”
sanctification, the initial, one-time, past-tense transformation that makes
progressive sanctification possible.[30] This is a moment in time where God first
transforms us from sinners into saints, from those who are born of Adam to
those who are also born again. We can
then begin to live holy lives, for God removes us from our unholy estate
and makes us holy. As believers, if we know
that we have this past-tense sanctification in Christ Jesus, then we can be
assured that we can live differently.
Finally, Paul says “but you were justified.” All who are predestined and called by God are
also justified (Rom 8:30). This refers
to a judicial standing before God, where the account of our sins is wiped away
in the righteousness of Christ.[31] Believers are “declared righteous,”[32]
vindicated before God.[33] There is no more sin debt.
This is not because of the works of the Corinthians, I don’t
say that because of what we’re read previously about them. None of us deserve this grace from
God! This washing, sanctification, and
justification are all in the name of Christ.
Paul adds here that this is through the Holy Spirit. This is how the truths of the gospel come into
our hearts: the Holy Spirit regenerates us, and He applies these things to us
through faith. That means that God is
working in a trinitarian way to bring about salvation, working completely on
our behalf.[34]
Those who understand the gospel will live differently as a
result. They will stop being ungracious
for one, hauling one another to court.
They will also begin overcoming the sin that besets them.
Conclusion
Paul’s message here is clear. The kingdom of God is not for those who
persist in unrighteousness, but for those transformed by His grace. There are many sins that the world may excuse,
but true Christians do not. Christians
should live according to the changed life that God has given us, for those who
continue to excuse such sins evidence that they are not true believers.
If you find yourself characterized by these vices, repent
and turn to Christ. If you are in Him, though,
know what He has given you and live according to it in faith. You are washed, sanctified, and justified, so
live like it, by the power of the Holy Spirit!
[1] David Prior, The Message of 1 Corinthians: Life in the Local Church,
The Bible Speaks Today, (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1985), 86.
[2] Andrew David Naselli, Romans–Galatians, 2020, X, 265.
[3] David K. Lowery, The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 515.
[4] Ibid., 516.
[5] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible,
electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1736.
[6] F. Alan Tomlinson, CSB
Study Bible: Notes, 2017, 1819.
[7] MacArthur.
[8] John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Corinthians, MacArthur New
Testament Commentary, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), 141.
[9] Ibid.
[10] MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible.
[11] MacArthur, 1 Corinthians.
[12] Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter
to the Corinthians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, (Grand
Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010),
241.
[13] Prior, 89–90.
[14] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study Bible, (Bellingham, WA:
Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), 1 Co 6:9.
[15] Robert W. Yarbrough, Andrew David Naselli, Dane
Ortlund, and Frank Thielman, Romans–Galatians, eds. Iain M. Duguid, James
M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, ESV Expository Commentary, (Wheaton, IL:
Crossway, 2020), X.
[16] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible.
English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible, (Biblical Studies Press,
2005).
[17] Ibid.
[18] Naselli, 266.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Ciampa and Rosner, 241–242.
[21] Prior, 90.
[22] Biblical Studies Press.
[23] MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible.
[24] A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament,
(Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), 1 Co 6:9.
[25] Ciampa and Rosner, 243.
[26] MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible.
[27] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study
Bible, (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), 1 Co 6:11.
[28] Ciampa and Rosner, 244.
[29] J. I. Packer, Wayne Grudem, and Ajith Fernando, Eds., ESV Global Study
Bible, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 1612.
[30] Packer, et. al.
[31] MacArthur, The
MacArthur Study Bible.
[32] Packer, et. al.
[33] Ciampa and Rosner.
[34] Ibid.