BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.
After having founded the church in Corinth, while in Ephesus the Apostle Paul received word from a member of the household of Chloe that the church was being divided over personalities (see I Corinthians 1:11) which he addressed in chapters 1- 4. Apparently, some of the Corinthian believers had not changed much, for they were still carnal (see I Corinthians 3:1-3). In chapter 5, Paul addresses another issue that had been brought to his attention involving fornication by one of the members. This person was guilty of having sex with “his father’s wife” or his stepmother (see I Corinthians 5:1). In the remainder of chapter 5, Paul rebukes the church for not addressing this issue and told them that they should’ve taken action and removed this believer from their congregation. In chapter 6, the apostle turns to another subject. Christians were taking other believers to secular courts to resolve problems. Paul stated that they should’ve consulted godly church leaders about their problems instead of opening the church to public disgrace (see I Corinthians 6:1-8). Paul then listed some negative behaviors that if the Corinthians consistently demonstrated would prove that they were not God’s children (see I Corinthians 6:9-10). Then in I Corinthians 6:11, Paul tells his readers why they were different from non-believers. He said that before they were saved, they did the same things the unsaved did, but now “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.” The three verbs, washed, sanctified, and justified describe what happened to the Corinthians when they trusted in Christ as Saviour. These same three things also happen to all who trust in Christ. Our lesson now begins with verse 12.