1 Corinthians 6:9 Meaning and Explanation
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul names the patterns of life that keep us from God's kingdom, and warns us not to be fooled into thinking they cost us nothing.
The Context of 1 Corinthians 6:9
Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, a busy port city where many kinds of indulgence were simply ordinary and unquestioned. He has just been pleading with believers there to stop suing one another and to leave behind the old ways they were converted out of.
What Does 1 Corinthians 6:9 Mean?
Paul opens with a question meant to wake us up: do we not know this already? He lists a string of sins, sexual and idolatrous, the kinds of living that quietly become a whole direction for a life. His warning, "Be not deceived," tells us how easily we talk ourselves into believing these things are harmless. Sin is not weighed by how common it is around us. A way of life that turns from God will not, on its own, lead us home to Him.
Paul does not leave us standing under that list. In the very next verses he says that some of the Corinthians had lived exactly this way, "but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus" (verse 11). The door he names is the same door Christ opens. No pattern of the past is too deep for Him to wash clean, and the kingdom we could not inherit on our own He freely gives.
1 Corinthians 6:9 in the Original Language
kleronomeo (κληρονομέω), 'inherit' -- to receive as an heir, to come into a possession given by a father.
How to Apply 1 Corinthians 6:9 Today
This verse asks us to be honest about the direction of our lives rather than measuring ourselves against what everyone around us accepts. Its hope is that no past disqualifies us: the same Lord who names these sins is the one who washes them away. In Christ we are given a kingdom we could never have earned.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 6:9
What does 1 Corinthians 6:9 mean?
Paul names the patterns of life that keep us from God's kingdom, and warns us not to be fooled into thinking they cost us nothing.
What is the context of 1 Corinthians 6:9?
Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, a busy port city where many kinds of indulgence were simply ordinary and unquestioned. He has just been pleading with believers there to stop suing one another and to leave behind the old ways they were converted out of.
How can I apply 1 Corinthians 6:9 today?
This verse asks us to be honest about the direction of our lives rather than measuring ourselves against what everyone around us accepts. Its hope is that no past disqualifies us: the same Lord who names these sins is the one who washes them away. In Christ we are given a kingdom we could never have earned.