1 Corinthians 6:11
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
1 Corinthians 6:11
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Chapter Context
1 Corinthians 6 is a pastoral epistle chapter in the New Testament that explores themes of truth, obedience, sacrifice. Written during Paul's third missionary journey (c. 55 CE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: The church existed in a prosperous, cosmopolitan, morally permissive Roman colony.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
This chapter is significant because it illustrates divine judgment and mercy in response to human actions. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within 1 Corinthians and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
1 Corinthians 6:11
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Analysis
And such were some of you (kai tauta tines ēte, καὶ ταῦτα τινες ἦτε)—the hinge verse, dripping with redemptive power. Ēte (ἦτε) is past tense: 'you were,' no longer! Tauta ('these things') points back to the whole sordid catalog—fornicators, idolaters, thieves, drunkards. Some Corinthian Christians were these things. The gospel doesn't attract the righteous but transforms the wicked.
Then three glorious passives: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified (alla apelousasthe, alla hēgiasthēte, alla edikaiōthēte, ἀλλὰ ἀπελούσασθε, ἀλλὰ ἡγιάσθητε, ἀλλὰ ἐδικαιώθητε). Passive voice—God acts, they receive. Apelousasthe ('washed') evokes baptism, cleansing from defilement (cf. Acts 22:16). Hēgiasthēte ('sanctified') means set apart, made holy—a positional change. Edikaiōthēte ('justified') is forensic: declared righteous, acquitted. All three occur in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God—Trinitarian salvation: Father's agency, Son's authority, Spirit's power.
Historical Context
Corinthian converts included slaves, freedmen, merchants, and perhaps some aristocrats—people embedded in systemic vice (sexual, economic, religious). The gospel didn't merely reform morals but re-created identity. 'Such were some of you' became the church's testimony—a living demonstration of resurrection power. Critics mocked Christianity as a religion of slaves and prostitutes; Paul says, 'Yes, and look what God did with them.' Transformation validates the gospel.
Reflection
- What 'such were some of you' testimony do you carry—what sins or brokenness did Christ rescue you from?
- How does the threefold washing-sanctifying-justifying prevent both legalism (it's all God's work) and antinomianism (we're called to holiness)?
- Why is it essential that some church members have dramatic conversion stories from deep sin—what does this reveal about grace?
Word Studies
- Spirit: πνεῦμα (Pneuma) G4151 - Spirit, wind, breath
Cross-References
- References Lord: Acts 22:16, Ephesians 5:8
- Righteousness: 1 Corinthians 1:30, Romans 5:1, 8:30
- Holy: 1 Corinthians 1:2, Acts 26:18
- Spirit: 1 Peter 1:2
- Parallel theme: Ephesians 5:26, Hebrews 10:22