1 Corinthians 6:4 is Paul’s sharp question to the church in Corinth: if they must settle ordinary disputes about daily life, why would they bring those cases before people who are not part of the church community? Paul is rebuking believers who were taking one another to secular courts, and he asks why the church, which will one day share in judging the world, cannot handle these smaller matters itself. The words come from the apostle Paul, written in a letter to the believers in the city of Corinth.
If then, you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly?
1 Corinthians 6:4 (WEB)
What 1 Corinthians 6:4 Means
The verse begins with “If then,” which ties it to what Paul has just said about the saints judging the world and even angels. He is reasoning from a larger truth to a smaller practical case. The phrase “things pertaining to this life” refers to everyday affairs such as property, money, debts and contracts, the sort of disputes that ordinary people deal with every week.
The core of the question is in the phrase “do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly?” Paul is describing the people of the church as those who are, in the eyes of the world’s courts, unimportant. He is turning the expected order upside down. The verse does not promise that every dispute will be resolved quickly or fairly, and it does not forbid all contact with civil authorities. It is a pointed challenge to a community that was ignoring its own resources for peacemaking.
The Context of 1 Corinthians 6:4
First Corinthians was written by Paul to a church he had founded in Corinth, a busy port city known for its commerce and its mix of cultures. The believers there were dealing with divisions, moral failures and confusion about how faith should shape daily conduct. Chapter 6 falls within a section where Paul corrects behavior that was damaging the unity of the church.
Read in context, verses 1 through 7 form a single argument. Paul begins by asking why a brother would take a matter before unrighteous judges instead of the saints. He then states that the saints will judge the world, so they should be fully able to settle small disputes. Verse 4 is the middle of that reasoning, and verse 7 finishes it by suggesting that being wronged might be better than fighting in court. The verse makes the most sense when you see it as part of Paul’s appeal for reconciliation.
Key Phrases in 1 Corinthians 6:4
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
(WEB)
Jesus blesses the peacemakers, and this shows the heart behind Paul’s concern in 1 Corinthians 6:4. The church is meant to be a place where people pursue reconciliation rather than winning cases against one another.
Matthew 18:15-17
15 “If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother. 16 But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.
(WEB)
Jesus gives a step-by-step pattern for resolving a sin between brothers, beginning in private and then involving the church. It shows that the community of faith has a real role in addressing conflict among its members.
A Short Prayer From 1 Corinthians 6:4
Lord, you know the disputes I carry and the quiet anger I sometimes hold toward people who have wronged me. Teach me to bring my conflicts to you first and to trust your people to help me think clearly. Give me the humility to seek wise counsel in your church rather than rushing to win my case. Let my desire for justice be shaped by love, and help me to be a peacemaker in my home, my work and my friendships. Amen.
