1 Corinthians 6:7 Meaning and Explanation
“Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The lawsuits themselves are already a defeat; Paul asks why they would not rather accept being wronged.
What Does 1 Corinthians 6:7 Mean?
Paul declares that the very existence of these lawsuits is a moral failure, regardless of who wins. He then poses a startling question, asking why they would not simply bear the injury rather than retaliate through the courts.
Here the teaching of Jesus echoes clearly: it is better to suffer wrong than to insist on every right. Paul calls the Corinthians to a love that would rather absorb loss than wound a brother and shame the church. To be defrauded and still forgive is no weakness; it is the way of the cross, where Christ Himself bore wrong without retaliation that others might be saved.
1 Corinthians 6:7 in the Original Language
hettema (ἥττημα), 'fault' -- a defeat or coming short, a loss already suffered before any verdict.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 6:7
What does 1 Corinthians 6:7 mean?
The lawsuits themselves are already a defeat; Paul asks why they would not rather accept being wronged.