I Corinthians 6:6 · Bible study
1 Corinthians 6:6 Commentary: Brother Against Brother
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Paul rebukes believers in Corinth for taking each other to court before unbelievers, exposing a failure to embody the church's identity as a community of
Research Summary
- Meaning: Paul rebukes believers for suing each other before pagan judges, calling it a scandal to the church's witness.
- Key words: Brother (ἀδελφός), goes to law (κρίνεται), unbelievers (ἄπιστοι).
- Main debate: Whether Paul forbids all lawsuits among Christians or only those brought before non-Christian courts.
- Theological theme: The church as an eschatological community that already anticipates the judgment of the age to come.
- Best use: A warning against letting personal rights destroy unity and damage the gospel's reputation before the world.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Instead, one brother goes to law against another, and this in front of unbelievers!
WEB World English Bible 2000
But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers!
KJV King James Version 1769
But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
but brother goeth to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
but brother with brother doth go to be judged, and this before unbelievers!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But brother prosecutes his suit with brother, and that before unbelievers.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But brother goeth to law with brother: and that before unbelievers.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Sino que el hermano con el hermano pleitea en juicio, y esto ante los infieles?
Mas irmão vai a juízo contra outro irmão, e isto perante incrédulos?
Mais un frère plaide contre un frère, et cela devant des infidèles!
sondern ein Bruder hadert mit dem andern, dazu vor den Ungläubigen.
Maar de ene broeder gaat met den anderen broeder te recht, en dat voor ongelovigen.
Ma il fratello processa il fratello, e lo fa dinanzi agl’infedeli.
Ale się brat z bratem prawuje, i to przed niewiernymi?
Но брат с братом судится, и притом перед неверными.
你們竟是弟兄 與 弟兄 告狀，而且 告在不信 主的人面前。
But a brother who has a cause at law against another takes it before Gentile judges.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Corinthians 6:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree this verse is a sharp reproof. Barnes notes that Paul intends to shame the Corinthians: they ought rather to suffer wrong than drag a brother to a pagan court. Clarke calls it 'almost as great a scandal as can exist in a Christian society.' The Greek construction places emphasis on the relationship (ἀδελφὸς μετὰ ἀδελφοῦ, 'brother against brother') and the setting (ἐπὶ ἀπίστων, 'before unbelievers'). The verb κρίνεται (krinetai, 'goes to law') is the same used in Matthew 5:40 for legal disputes, reinforcing that this is formal litigation, not merely conflict. Gill adds that 'unbelievers' are those with no faith in Christ, thus unsuitable judges for God's people. The consensus holds that Paul's concern is twofold: the church fails to resolve its own disputes, and it damages its witness by airing them before the world.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Paul condemns believers suing each other before unbelievers as shameful and inconsistent with their identity as future judges of the world.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Litigation before unbelievers | All agree Paul condemns the practice of believers suing each other in pagan courts. | Some argue Paul forbids any lawsuit between believers, even before Christian judges; others restrict the prohibition to lawsuits before non-Christian magistrates. |
| Identity of 'unbelievers' | The term refers to non-Christians, those without faith in Christ. | Whether it includes non-Christian Jews (due to Jewish permission to use secular courts) or refers only to Gentiles. |
| Nature of the disputes | Paul addresses private civil matters, not criminal cases. | Whether Paul would permit a believer to testify as a witness or bring a complaint about criminal activity before a secular court. |
| Role of church arbitration | Paul desires disputes to be settled within the church community. | Whether this implies a formal church court system or simply informal mediation by wise individuals (see v. 5). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Corinth in Paul's day was a prosperous Roman colony, a hub of trade and vice. The city's wealth and diversity created frequent legal disputes among its inhabitants. Jewish communities in the empire enjoyed the privilege of settling internal affairs through their own courts, a right the Romans respected (Barnes cites Josephus on this). Early Christians, still largely seen as a sect within Judaism, could have claimed similar leeway. But the Corinthians were taking their quarrels before pagan magistrates instead.
Pagan courts presented more than a public spectacle. The Cambridge Bible notes that court procedures often involved adjurations by Roman gods, forcing Christians into idolatrous acts. Bringing a dispute there exposed the church's internal divisions to those who mocked its message. It also contradicted the eschatological identity Paul lays out in verses 2, 3: the saints will judge the world and angels. If believers are destined to sit in judgment over the cosmos, how can they submit to the judgment of those who do not even know God?
The cultural pressure to assert one's rights in a litigious society was strong. Paul's rebuke cuts against the grain, demanding a posture of humble trust within the community of faith.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Greek text is stable across manuscripts.
Reception History
From the early centuries, this verse guided Christians away from pagan courts. The Geneva Bible (1599) placed marginal notes highlighting the shame of such actions. Matthew Henry (1710) emphasised that Christians should not contend because they are brethren. Adam Clarke (1826) considered such behaviour grounds for church expulsion. In modern application, the verse challenges believers to prioritise unity and witness over personal rights, and many Christian organisations advocate for conflict resolution within the church.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The scandal of the relationship: Brother goes to law against brother. The family bond that should mark the church is torn apart by contention (Psalm 133:1).
- The scandal of the venue: Before unbelievers. The watching world sees Christians unable to resolve their own conflicts, discrediting the gospel (Nehemiah 5:9).
- The scandal of the remedy: Paul points instead to suffering wrong, accepting loss, and seeking wise arbitration within the church (1 Corinthians 6:7).
Five-point outline
- The charge: Paul confronts the Corinthians with a blunt statement of fact.
- The relationship: 'Brother' appears twice, highlighting the broken bond.
- The action: Going to law (κρίνεται) indicates formal, adversarial litigation.
- The context: Before unbelievers, a public display of disunity.
- The implication: This behavior denies the church's identity as the people who will judge angels (v. 3).
Illustration hooks
- A church board meeting where personal grievances are aired in front of visiting non-Christian guests.
- Two Christian business partners unable to settle a dispute privately, so they hire secular lawyers and end up in court.
- A family conflict among believers over an inheritance that becomes public gossip in the community.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it ever acceptable for a Christian to sue another believer, even in a serious case like fraud or criminal behavior?
- How can we disagree strongly on a matter yet still maintain a witness to the world?
- What practical steps can our church take to help members resolve conflicts without legal action?
Leading a Discussion
Paul's words strike at the heart of Christian community. When believers drag each other into public court, the watching world sees not a family of reconciled people but a group just like everyone else. This passage calls us to examine how we handle conflict and whether we trust God's wisdom in the church more than the systems of the world.
Discussion questions
- What emotions did you feel when you first read Paul's accusation in verse 6?
- Why does Paul call the litigants 'brothers' twice? What does that repetition accomplish?
- What does the phrase 'before unbelievers' tell us about Paul’s concern for the church’s witness?
- In verses 2, 3, Paul says the saints will judge the world and angels. How does that future role connect to the present problem of lawsuits?
- What might 'taking wrong' or 'being defrauded' look like in a modern conflict between Christians?
- How can a church today create a culture where believers trust each other enough to settle disputes internally?
- What does this passage teach us about the relationship between this age and the age to come?
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)
| Genesis 13:7 | There was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land at that time. |
| Genesis 13:9 | Isn’t the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left.” |
| Genesis 45:24 | So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, “See that you don’t quarrel on the way.” |
| Nehemiah 5:8 | I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say. |
| Nehemiah 5:9 | Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? |
| Psalms 133:1 | A Song of Ascents. By David. See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity! |
| Psalms 133:3 | like the dew of Hermon, that comes down on the hills of Zion; for there Yahweh gives the blessing, even life forever more. |
| Acts 7:26 | “The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’ |
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
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke identifies a Christian taking another believer to court as a scandal nearly unmatched in the church. He insists that anyone who refuses to submit to arbitration by fellow believers forfeits their place in the Christian community and should be expelled.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that first-century Roman law allowed Jewish communities to settle private disputes internally, and Christians could have used that same permission. This made lawsuits between believers especially blameworthy: they had a legal alternative through arbitration, and they should have been willing to accept wrong rather than seek public judgment.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator stresses that the real issue is not about choosing between church or civil courts, but between litigation and Christian arbitration. The solution is more Christianity, not better legal systems, and taking disputes before unbelievers creates scandal and risks involvement in idolatrous practices.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note stresses the double disgrace: believers are suing one another in court, and they are doing it before unbelievers. The shame lies not only in Christians fighting each other but in airing their disputes before those outside the faith.The Geneva Note stresses the double disgrace: believers are suing one another in court, and they are doing it before unbelievers. The shame lies not only in Christians fighting each other but in airing their disputes before those outside the faith.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that "brother" here means a fellow believer in God's family under Christ. He finds it especially shameful that church members take disputes before unbelievers — people without faith or conscience — which makes the fault even worse.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the word "But" at the start of this verse is not a simple connector but an emphatic negative response to the rhetorical question Paul posed earlier. To bring out this force, they suggest translating it as "Nay," highlighting that the expected wise man to settle disputes is simply not there.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange’s focus is on the audacity — the “daring” — of Christians taking fellow believers before pagan judges, a conduct that their high dignity as saints ought to have prevented. For him, the root problem is not litigation itself but the earthly, stubborn spirit that disregards the church’s honor and the believers’ future role as judges of the world and angels.
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 highlights that the Greek word translated “goes to law” appears in contexts where it means taking a dispute to court rather than accepting arbitration. For him the sin is not merely suing but refusing a simpler, more conciliatory settlement.