1 Corinthians 6:10
in 1 Corinthians 6nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
KJV
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 6
Commentary
12 notes on this verseNor thieves,.... Who take away another man's property, secret or openly, by fraud or force. Nor covetous: insatiable, in the lust of uncleanness; or greedy of worldly gain, bent upon increasing their substance at any rate, by circumvention, fraud, and deceit; and do not use the things of this life as they should, for their own good, and that of others. Nor drunkards who are strong to drink strong liquors; who give up themselves thereunto: who sit down on purpose to intoxicate themselves, and are frequent in the commission of this sin.
This site's exposition
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?
on 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
The list puts sins Corinth might have counted respectable, the greedy, drunkards and verbal abusers, beside the sexually immoral and idolaters. Its warning falls on a settled, unrepented pattern of any of these sins.
This site's exposition
will inherit the kingdom of God
Several names repeat the list of 5:10 and 5:11, and Barnes remarks that Paul always ranks the greedy with the worst offenders. Cyprian joins the verbal abusers to the Lord's warning against contemptuous words at Matthew 5:22. Verse 11 then names the washing that changed such people.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON 1 CORINTHIANS 2.27.67-69 · Written before 253.
proposed
The kingdom of God must be purified of all sin and immorality, so that God may reign in it.
If someone says that he does not want the kingdom of God, only eternal rest, he should not deceive himself. For there are only two places, and not a third. If a person does not deserve to reign with Christ, then he will most assuredly …
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 10 -- On Gluttony · Written before 523.
proposed
"Gluttons and drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God;" and read the passage, O disciple, and see unto what vices the Apostle compareth this wickedness—with soothsayers and destroyers, and other things like thereunto. And although the lust of the belly is not these, yet …
For since it is written, "Neither shall revilers inherit the kingdom of God," and again the Lord says in His Gospel, "Whosoever shall say to his brother, Thou fool; and whosoever shall say, Raca, shall be in danger of the Gehenna of fire," how can they evade the rebuke of the Lord the avenger, who heap up such expressions, not only on their brethren, but also on the priests, to whom is granted such honour of the condescension of God, that whosoever should not obey his priest, and him that judgeth here for the time, was immediately to be slain?
Paul did not say this because the Corinthians did not know it already. He was rather reawakening their reverence for the divine commandment and bringing them closer to readiness for the kingdom of heaven.
4 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Many ask why he placed drunkards and revilers alongside idolaters and those who commit abominable deeds? Because Christ also declared worthy of gehenna the one who says to his brother "fool" (Matt. 5:22), and because again the Jews went from drunkenness to idolatry. Furthermore, the …
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Nor covetous; - See the note at 1Co 5:10. It is remarkable that the apostle always ranks “the covetous” with the most abandoned classes of people. Nor revilers - The same word which in 1Co 5:11, is rendered railer; see the note at that place. Nor extortioners - See the note at 1Co 5:11. Shall inherit - Shall enter; shalt be saved, 1Co 6:9.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2661: “A Marvelous Change” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
THE Gospel is as holy as the Law. The Gospel is full of mercy to sinners, but it shows no mercy to sin. The Gospel speaks most tenderly to the ungodly, but it speaks most sternly to ungodliness. There is a great difference made, in the New Testament, between the sinner and the sin. And while the sinner is, in Infinite mercy, spared, encouraged to hope, and wooed by almighty love, sin is denounced as a dreadful thing, an abominable thing which God hates and must punish.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2661: “A Marvelous Change” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
THE Gospel is as holy as the Law. The Gospel is full of mercy to sinners, but it shows no mercy to sin. The Gospel speaks most tenderly to the ungodly, but it speaks most sternly to ungodliness. There is a great difference made, in the New Testament, between the sinner and the sin. And while the sinner is, in Infinite mercy, spared, encouraged to hope, and wooed by almighty love, sin is denounced as a dreadful thing, an abominable thing which God hates and must punish. Ah, dear Friends, it is not from Sinai, alone, that we have need to shrink if we are lovers of sin, for, if we are resolved to keep on sinning, Calvary also condemns us and, at last, even from the lips of Jesus Christ, Himself, willful sinners, continuing in their sin, shall hear the awful sentence, "Depart from Me, you that work iniquity." Let no man say, when we proclaim God's message of mercy to the very chief of sinners, that, therefore, we think lightly of sin! No, it is because of the shedding of the precious blood of Him whom we call Master and Lord, without whose agonizing death not a single sin could ever have been put away, that we are able to freely preach the mercy of God to those who truly repent of their transgressions. But, at the same time, we never hesitate to declare in the plainest possible terms, that God will not spare the guilty ones who refuse to repent, for only through the blood of His dear Son will He have mercy upon the ungodly sons and daughters of men, who turn unto Him, with full purpose of heart, trusting in the great atoning Sacrifice of Jesus! The highest standard of holiness is set forth under the Gospel.
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὔτε | oute | nor | G3777 → | 87 times |
| κλέπται | kleptai | thieves | G2812 → | |
| οὔτε | oute | nor | G3777 → | 87 times |
| πλεονέκται | pleonektai | coveters | G4123 → | 4 times |
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| μέθυσοι | methusoi | drunkards | G3183 → | |
| οὐ | ou | nor | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| λοίδοροι | loidoroi | revilers | G3060 → | |
| οὐχ | ouch | nor | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἅρπαγες | harpages | swindlers | G727 → | 5 times |
| βασιλείαν | basileian | [the] kingdom | G932 → | 162 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| κληρονομήσουσιν. | kleronomesousin | will inherit. | G2816 → | 18 times |
οὔτεnor
outeG3777 →87 times
κλέπταιthieves
kleptaiG2812 →
οὔτεnor
outeG3777 →87 times
πλεονέκταιcoveters
pleonektaiG4123 →4 times
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
μέθυσοιdrunkards
methusoiG3183 →
οὐnor
ouG3756 →1664 times
λοίδοροιrevilers
loidoroiG3060 →
οὐχnor
ouchG3756 →1664 times
ἅρπαγεςswindlers
harpagesG727 →5 times
βασιλείαν[the] kingdom
basileianG932 →162 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
κληρονομήσουσιν.will inherit.
kleronomesousinG2816 →18 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Galatians 5:21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 6:9–10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual…
- Romans 13:13
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
- Romans 8:13
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
- Ephesians 5:5–6
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9–10
Through
1 Corinthians 5:11But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler.…
it leads to
- Romans 16:17
Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:14
Take note of anyone who does not obey the instructions we have given in this letter. Do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received…
- Matthew 18:17
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
- Romans 16:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
About 1 Corinthians

This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 47.5; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2661: “A Marvelous Change” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Cyprian, Epistle LIV; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON 1 CORINTHIANS 2.27.67-69; Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 10 -- On Gluttony and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.
