1 Corinthians 6:8 Meaning: You Yourselves Do Wrong
No, but you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and that against your brothers.
Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
Nay, but ye yourselves do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
but ye--ye do injustice, and ye defraud, and these--brethren!
But ye do wrong, and defraud, and this [your] brethren.
Meaning in one sentence
Paul rebukes Christians who defraud their own brothers in Christ. What makes this sin so serious? And what does it mean for us today?
Context
The Christians in Corinth were taking each other to court. Not just any court, they were airing their disputes before pagan judges, dragging the church’s name through the mud. Paul has already told them it would be better to be cheated than to do that (v. 7). But now he turns a corner. The problem isn't just that they sue each other. It's that they are actively wronging and defrauding one another. Paul pulls back the curtain: these are not innocent victims defending themselves. They are the aggressors. And the people they are hurting are their own brothers and sisters in Christ. Those who were washed and sanctified and justified (v. 11) are acting like the unrighteous.
Key Words
Paul uses two Greek verbs that overlap but each carry their own sting. Adikeō (do wrong) covers any kind of injustice, taking what isn't yours, breaking trust, acting crookedly. It's a broad word, and Paul uses it to say: whatever form your sin takes, it's still wrong. Then he adds apostereō (defraud), which is narrower and sharper. It means to deprive someone of what belongs to them, withholding wages, keeping a deposit, cheating on a deal. Jesus lists it alongside murder and adultery (Mark 10:19). So this isn't a grey area. It's a clear violation of God's law. And Paul drives the point home with the emphatic pronoun humeis, you yourselves. Not someone else. Not the pagans. You, the people who bear Christ's name. And the final word, adelphous, brothers. The ones you sit next to at the Lord's table.
How Christians Read This Verse
Commentators across traditions agree that Paul is compounding the offence. John Calvin notes that if it's wrong not to endure injuries patiently, how much worse to inflict them, and on brothers. Matthew Henry sees here a reproof of all vexatious lawsuits and a call to suffer loss rather than harm the church's witness. John Wesley observes a distinction: the Corinthians did wrong openly and defrauded privately, showing the reach of their sin. The Cambridge Bible ties the word “brethren” to the deep affection that should mark Christian relationships, a bond that makes betrayal especially grievous. Each tradition emphasises the same startling truth: those called to be saints can still act like sinners.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think Paul is saying Christians should never go to court, period. In fact, Paul does not forbid all lawsuits. He says it is better to be wronged than to take a brother before unbelievers. But here the problem is far worse: the Corinthians are not just taking each other to court, they are actively defrauding each other. The deeper sin is the heart that cheats a brother rather than suffers loss.
Living This Out
Maybe this week you face a choice in a business deal with a fellow believer. You could take a small advantage and no one would know. Or perhaps in a church disagreement, you have the chance to spread a story that makes you look better and them worse. Paul points to the person across from you and says: that is your brother. Your sister. You have been made righteous in Christ, but that does not make you immune to sin. This verse asks you to stop and check your hands. Are you taking something that is not yours? Are you depriving someone else of what they deserve? If so, make it right, even if it costs you.
Main takeaway: Our identity in Christ does not cancel our capacity to sin; we can still wrong our brothers, and that grieves the heart of God.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes we want something so much that we take it from someone else. That's called stealing. God wants us to be kind and share instead. If you hurt a friend, tell them you are sorry.
For ages 9, 12
Paul is talking to Christians who were cheating each other in business deals and then taking each other to court. That might seem normal, but for followers of Jesus it is a serious problem. When you cheat a fellow believer, you are hurting family. Before you take advantage of someone, remember that they are your brother or sister in Christ. It is better to lose a little money than to damage a relationship.
Questions People Ask
What does it mean to defraud a brother in this verse?
To defraud (apostereo) means to deprive someone of what is rightfully theirs, like withholding wages, cheating in business, or keeping something you owe. Paul says Christians were doing this to their own brothers and sisters in Christ, which made the sin even worse.
Is Paul forbidding all lawsuits among Christians?
Paul does not forbid all lawsuits outright. He says it would be better to be wronged than to take a fellow believer before pagan courts (v. 7). But the deeper problem in verse 8 is that the Corinthians are actively defrauding each other. The issue is not just the court, but the sin behind it.
How could Christians who have been washed and justified still do wrong?
Paul teaches that Christians have been sanctified and justified through Christ (v. 11). But that does not mean they are incapable of sinning. They can still act in ways that contradict their new identity. That is why Paul warns them so strongly, they need to live out what they have become.
Why is defrauding a brother worse than defrauding an unbeliever?
Many commentators, like Calvin and Barnes, say that harming a fellow Christian is worse because it violates the sacred bond of brotherhood. The same ties of love and shared faith that should protect each other are being broken. It shows a deeper hardness of heart.
What does the phrase 'and that your brethren' add to the verse?
The phrase 'your brethren' (adelphous) shows that the victims are fellow believers. Paul uses it to underline the betrayal. These are not strangers, they are family in Christ. To wrong a brother is to harm someone for whom Christ died and to whom you are joined forever.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study