1 Corinthians 6:9–11, King James Version
Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.
1 Corinthians 6:9–11
Grace Names Wrong and Creates a New Communal Identity
The kingdom has a shape, and some of you were washed.
The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul tells them not to be deceived, and he names persistent harms: sexual, idolatrous, economic, addictive, and verbal. Then the gospel sentence arrives. Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
'Were' and 'washed' belong together. The list is not a stone for a church that still cheats and reviles. Disputed terms in this catalogue do not authorize slurs, outing, bullying, criminalization, conversion coercion, or the denial of housing, work, medical care, or safety to LGBTQ people. Grace tells the truth about wrong and creates a new communal identity; it does not create a hunt.
How this should shape us
If you need this text only as a weapon, you are not reading the 'were' or the 'washed.' If you need it to pretend a life cannot be wrong, you are not reading the list. Hold both: the kingdom has a way, and some of you already came from the other way by gift.
Teach it back
Explain 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 in your own words. Include its place in 1 Corinthians, the unit's logic, one material uncertainty, and one use the context rules out.
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Go deeper
The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.
Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties
Where do careful interpreters disagree?
Best judgment: Major readings range from broad male same-sex conduct to more specifically exploitative practices; malakoi may be sexual, moral, or status language. The package leaves the modern mapping disputed while keeping the text's call away from sexual and economic wrong.
How certain? probableResearch trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
1 Corinthians 6:9–11, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, repeated terms, and original-language discussion.
SBLGNT official text file 1Cor.txt, 6:9–11
Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, textual variants, and interpretive alternatives.
NET Bible 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 print view with translator, study, and textual notes
Supports: Independent morphology and lexical-range cross-check for material Greek claims.
STEP Bible Data repository morphology and lexical records for 1 Corinthians 6:9–11
Supports: Whole-letter movement, Corinthian setting, bibliography, major alternatives, and verse-level interpretation.
Redmond, The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary: 1 Corinthians, introduction and section on 6:9–11
Supports: Lexical and reception-history review of the vice list, including disputed sexual terms.
Nyarko, 'Vice List in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,' E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies 7.10 (2021), pp. 201–214
Sources for This Section
These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, repeated terms, and original-language discussion.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text file 1Cor.txt, 6:9–11
Open the 1 Corinthians Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible - 1 Corinthians with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, textual variants, and interpretive alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 print view with translator, study, and textual notes
Open the official NET 1 Corinthians PDFLexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Independent morphology and lexical-range cross-check for material Greek claims.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data repository morphology and lexical records for 1 Corinthians 6:9–11
Open source ↗modern open commentary
1 Corinthians
Eric C. Redmond
The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2023
Supports: Whole-letter movement, Corinthian setting, bibliography, major alternatives, and verse-level interpretation.
Exact location: Redmond, The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary: 1 Corinthians, introduction and section on 6:9–11
Open source ↗peer reviewed open access lexical and contextual article
Malakoi and Arsenokoitai: A Reflection on 1 Corinthians 6:9 from a Ghanaian (Akan) Perspective
Ernest Nyarko
E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies 7(12), 2021
Supports: Lexical and reception-history review of the vice list, including disputed sexual terms.
Exact location: Nyarko, 'Vice List in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,' E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies 7.10 (2021), pp. 201–214
Open source ↗