1 Corinthians 6:1 Meaning and Explanation
“Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul rebukes believers for dragging fellow Christians into secular courts instead of resolving disputes among themselves.
What Does 1 Corinthians 6:1 Mean?
Having addressed a case of scandal in chapter 5, Paul turns to another fracture in the Corinthian church: members were suing one another before pagan judges. The word translated 'saints' means those set apart for God, the very people in whom His wisdom now dwells.
Paul's astonishment carries a pastoral charge. Those who belong to Christ share a new identity and a new family, and that bond should reshape how they handle grievances. To rush before outsiders who do not know God, while ignoring the counsel of the faithful, betrays how lightly the Corinthians prized their calling. Christ's people are meant to embody a different justice, one rooted in reconciliation rather than triumph.
1 Corinthians 6:1 in the Original Language
adikos (ἄδικος), 'unjust' -- those who are not in right standing, here meaning judges outside the faith.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 6:1
What does 1 Corinthians 6:1 mean?
Paul rebukes believers for dragging fellow Christians into secular courts instead of resolving disputes among themselves.