I Corinthians 6:5 · Bible study
1 Corinthians 6:5 Commentary: The Shame of No Wise Judge
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Paul shames the Corinthians for lacking a wise member to resolve disputes, challenging their pride and calling the church to handle its own conflicts.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Paul rebukes the Corinthians for lacking someone wise enough to arbitrate internal disputes, shaming them into action.
- Key words: ἐντροπή (entropē, shame), σοφός (sophos, wise), διακρῖναι (diakrinai, decide by arbitration).
- Main debate: Is the 'wise man' a specific spiritual gift of church government (JFB) or any prudent believer (Barnes, Cambridge)? Both agree Paul is ironic.
- Theological theme: The church as an alternative society that should resolve its own conflicts as a witness to the world.
- Best use: A call for wisdom and reconciliation in church conflicts; a corrective to pride in intellectual or spiritual gifts.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
I say this to your shame. Is there really no one among you wise enough to arbitrate between his brothers?
WEB World English Bible 2000
I say this to move you to shame. Isn’t there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers?
KJV King James Version 1769
I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
I say this to move you to shame. What, cannot there be found among you one wise man who shall be able to decide between his brethren,
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
unto your shame I speak: so there is not among you one wise man, not even one, who shall be able to discern in the midst of his brethren!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
I speak to you [to put you] to shame. Thus there is not a wise person among you, not even one, who shall be able to decide between his brethren!
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
I speak to your shame. Is it so that there is not among you any one wise man that is able to judge between his brethren?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Para avergonzaros|strong="G1791, G5213" lo digo. ¿ Pues qué, no hay entre vosotros sabio, ni aun uno que pueda juzgar entre|strong="G0303, G3319" sus hermanos;
Eu digo isto para vos envergonhar. Não há entre vós algum sábio, nem pelo menos um, que não possa julgar entre seus irmãos?
Je le dis à votre honte. Ainsi il n’ y a parmi vous pas un seul homme sage qui puisse prononcer entre ses frères.
Euch zur Schande muß ich das sagen: Ist so gar kein Weiser unter euch, auch nicht einer, der da könnte richten zwischen Bruder und Bruder?
Ik zeg u dit tot schaamte. Is er dan alzo onder u geen, die wijs is, ook niet een, die zou kunnen oordelen tussen zijn broeders?
Io dico questo per farvi vergogna. Così non v’è egli tra voi neppure un savio che sia capace di pronunziare un giudizio fra un fratello e l’altro?
Ku zawstydzeniu waszemu to mówię. Nie maszże między wami mądrego i jednego, który by mógł rozsądzić między braćmi swoimi?
К стыду вашему говорю: неужели нет между вами ни одного разумного, который мог бы рассудить между братьями своими?
我說 這話是要 叫你們 羞恥。難道 你們 中間 沒 有 一個智慧人 能 審斷 弟兄們的事嗎？
I say this to put you to shame. Is there not among you one wise man who may be able to give a decision between his brothers?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Corinthians 6:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Paul uses shame to expose the Corinthians' failure to live up to their own boasts of wisdom (1 Cor 3:18; 4:10). Calvin writes that Paul 'guards them against falling into reproach', the shame is meant to correct, not crush. Barnes notes the irony: a church that prides itself on intelligent members had to resort to pagan courts. Gill points to Jewish custom, where a single approved 'wise man' could arbitrate a case; Paul alludes to that practice, asking why no such person can be found among them. The verb διακρῖναι (diakrinai), as Vincent explains, means 'to decide by arbitration,' not merely to pass judgment. The shame (ἐντροπή, entropē) is Paul's deliberate tool: he confronts their pride to call them back to the integrity of the believing community.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Paul rebukes the Corinthians for failing to use their own members' wisdom to resolve disputes, thereby shaming the church before unbelievers.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Church role in dispute resolution | Christians should handle conflicts internally rather than take them before pagan courts. | Some traditions see this as a mandate for formal church courts; others view it as pastoral counsel encouraging informal arbitration. |
| Meaning of 'wise' (sophos) | Paul uses irony: the Corinthians boasted of wisdom but showed none in this area. | Jamieson-Fausset-Brown suggests it refers to those with the charism of church government; Barnes and Gill see it as a general appeal to any sensible believer. |
| Paul's use of shame | Shame is a corrective tool, not an end in itself. | Calvin emphasizes the loving motive ('guards them'), while others stress the sharp rebuke to wake them from complacency. |
Historical & Cultural Context
First-century Corinth was a Roman colony and commercial center, steeped in Greek rhetoric and philosophy. The Christian church there had been divided over loyalties to teachers (1 Cor 1, 3), and some members prided themselves on 'wisdom' in the manner of Greek philosophers (1 Cor 4:10). Paul had earlier expressed reluctance to shame them (1 Cor 4:14), but now he uses that very tactic.
The problem: believers were taking one another to civil court before pagan judges (1 Cor 6:1,6). Among Jews, it was considered a profanation of God's name to bring a dispute before Gentiles; Gill cites Talmudic rulings that allowed a single authorized arbitrator. The Romans permitted Jewish communities internal jurisdiction over civil matters, and the church likely had similar freedom. Paul's question, 'Isn't there even one wise man among you?', echoes the Jewish title chacham for a qualified judge. The Greek σοφός (sophos) had been a flashpoint earlier in the letter (1:5, 1:20-22). The Corinthians thought they had wisdom in abundance; Paul exposes the gap between their claim and their practice.
The future tense δυνήσεται (dunēsetai, 'will be able') suggests a capacity that was not being exercised. By failing to settle disputes internally, the church damaged its witness. Paul pushes them toward a solution that reflects their identity: a community that will one day judge angels and the world (vv. 2-3) should be able to judge these 'smallest matters.'
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Greek text is stable across manuscripts.
Reception History
Early Christian writers often cited 1 Corinthians 6:5 to support the church's authority to settle disputes among believers, viewing it as an extension of Jesus' teaching on reconciliation (Matt 18:15-20). During the Reformation, commentators like Calvin and Wesley emphasized the shame as a pastoral tool to restore the church's witness. In modern contexts, the verse is frequently used to encourage mediation and conflict resolution ministries within the local church, applying Paul's challenge to find wise arbiters from among the congregation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Shame of External Litigation, Paul says 'I speak to your shame.' Bringing disputes before unbelievers disgraces the church's witness. It denies the reality that believers are brothers and sisters in Christ.
- The Irony of Claimed Wisdom, The Corinthians valued 'wisdom' highly, yet among all their members, not one could be found to arbitrate a trivial matter. Paul turns their boast back on them.
- The Call to Internal Resolution, The solution: let the church handle its own conflicts. This is not merely pragmatic but theological: the saints will judge the world, so they ought to judge these 'smallest matters' (v. 2).
Five-point outline
- Paul's Shaming as Love, He embarrasses them to wake them up, not to crush them. Calvin says he 'guards them against falling into reproach.'
- The Existence of Competent Members, Surely among them there is at least one wise person. Paul is not denying their gifts; he is calling them out for not using them.
- The Nature of the Dispute, Matters of daily life, not doctrinal complexities. If they can handle deep truths, they can handle a property dispute.
- The Contrast with the World, Unbelievers are called 'unrighteous' (v. 1); the church has the Spirit and will judge the world. To submit to pagan judgment is to act beneath their calling.
- The Path Forward, Appoint from among themselves a wise arbitrator, someone with the charism of church government (JFB). This builds community and avoids scandal.
Illustration hooks
- A church that proudly debates theology but cannot resolve a disagreement over a church budget or a parking space.
- A Christian family that expects the state to settle inheritance disputes rather than seeking counsel from spiritual leaders.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it always wrong for a Christian to go to civil court?
- How do we identify a 'wise person' in our church to help settle disagreements?
- What does this passage say about the relationship between church and state in conflict resolution?
Leading a Discussion
Paul's words hit hard. He is not gentle here, he aims to shame the Corinthians into changing their behavior. But his goal is restoration, not condemnation. This passage invites us to consider how we handle disagreements within the body of Christ.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Corinthians 6:1-8. What is Paul's main concern about believers taking each other to court?
- In verse 5, Paul asks, 'Isn't there even one wise man among you?' Why does he phrase it as a question? What effect does it have?
- What does the word 'shame' (entropē) suggest about Paul's view of this situation? Is shame ever a useful tool in Christian community?
- How does the Corinthians' pride in wisdom (1 Cor 3:18; 4:10) make Paul's question even more pointed?
- What qualities would a 'wise man' need to have to arbitrate a dispute among believers? How would this differ from a civil judge?
- In what areas of church life today do we see similar failures to resolve conflicts internally? What prevents us from addressing them?
- How might this passage shape the way you handle a disagreement with another Christian?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Proverbs 14:8 | The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way, but the folly of fools is deceit. |
| Acts 1:15 | In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said, |
| I Corinthians 3:18 | Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool that he may become wise. |
| I Corinthians 4:10 | We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor. |
| I Corinthians 4:14 | I don’t write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. |
| I Corinthians 11:14 | Doesn’t even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? |
| I Corinthians 15:34 | Wake up righteously and don’t sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. |
| James 1:5 | But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke poses the question as a rebuke: were there truly no capable believers in Corinth who could settle disputes? His emphasis falls on the shame of needing pagan judges when the church should have possessed its own wise arbiters.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights the sting in Paul's rebuke: the Corinthians, who boast about their wisdom and intelligent members, cannot find even one person among them capable of settling a dispute. The shame is that their pride in wisdom is exposed as hollow by their reliance on pagan courts.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that Paul shames the Corinthians here not to humiliate them but to stop them from falling into disgrace. This kind of rebuke actually promotes their honor: they are giving unbelievers a right to settle disputes that they refuse to give their own brothers.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator reads Paul's words as sharp irony, not literal seriousness. Paul shames the Corinthians for overvaluing worldly affairs when they should have competent believers to settle disputes. Taking such cases to pagan courts contradicts their calling to live above these trivial concerns.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the sharp rebuke: Paul speaks this to shame the Corinthians because, despite the spiritual wisdom available among them, they act as if not a single person is capable of judging a dispute between brothers. The shame lies in their neglect of God-given resources within the church.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses the Corinthians' shame lay not in appointing unrighteous judges but in failing to appoint any wise believers at all, dragging disputes before unbelievers instead. Their boast in wisdom was hollow, since Jewish law already allowed a single qualified man to judge alone.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that Paul's sharp rebuke targets not legal action itself but the litigious spirit that ignores believers' high calling. Christians destined to judge the world and angels should not need to seek justice from unbelievers. The proper response to private disputes is willingness to suffer loss rather than betray the bond of brotherhood.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry's point is not that lawsuits are always wrong, but that Christians should never take each other to court. The bond of brotherhood in Christ ought to make quarrels unthinkable and settlement among believers the only natural course. Going to law with a fellow Christian is a betrayal of that relationship.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that Paul's phrase "to your shame" is intended to provoke a sense of shame, not merely to state it. He also draws attention to the Greek word for "judge" here, arguing it means to decide a dispute through arbitration rather than formal legal judgment
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights the irony that those who pride themselves on wisdom cannot find a single person among them capable of settling simple disputes. Their admiration of wisdom has not produced practical judgment in everyday matters.