1 Corinthians 6:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Some say that here he means priests. But no, he is speaking of demons. If he were speaking of wicked priests, he would have meant them earlier, when he said, “The world will receive judgment by you,” because Scripture commonly calls wicked men the world. Nor would he have spoken of the same thing a second time. Still less would he have spoken of it after the first as though it were something more important. He speaks here of those angels of whom Christ says: “Depart into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt 25:41). Paul himself says: “His angels take the form of ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor 11:15). When these bodiless powers prove to be worse than we who are clothed with flesh, they will undergo a heavier punishment.

By angels he means the demons. Therefore we shall condemn even demons if, although clothed in flesh, we prove more perfect than those who have no flesh.

Or do you not know that we shall judge angels? He speaks of his companions, the Apostles, who judge the priests called angels. If the great future judgments have been handed over to us, how much more the earthly disputes of this world?

The Apostle says something greater: that we shall judge angels, that is, spiritual powers, of which elsewhere he speaks as working in spiritual things. In the same way the angels by whom the world will be judged will be judged by us.

The Apostle again used the expression "we shall judge" in place of "we shall condemn." By angels he means demons, because they were formerly angels. The saints will condemn them because, while burdened with a body, they cared for divine service. But they, in a bodiless nature, loved wickedness.

Here Paul calls angels not those who are angels by nature, but ministers and priests, teachers of the people. Since they taught about Christ, it is likely that they will be judged by the saints.

Who is able to understand such a wonder? Who is able to grasp so great a glory with the mind? ...All judge together with Christ, all who do not reject His commandments. For what is pleasing to Him, they themselves also accept with pious will.

“How dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the impious, and not before the saints?” The Apostle Paul presents it as possible, though undesirable and even humiliating (v. 7), for Christians to have lawsuits among themselves (vv. 7 and 8). It could also become unavoidable for them to turn to judgment in these lawsuits. He does not deny the necessity of judgment. He only desires that Christians be judged by Christians, and that for examining matters arising among them they choose judges from among themselves. These should be prudent persons, able to judge between brethren, and possessing standing in the Church (vv. 4 and 5). By contrast, he strictly censures Christians when, though they are to judge the world, they turn for judgment in insignificant matters (v.

"Do you not know that we shall judge angels, how much more matters of this life?" Blessed Theodoret explains these apostolic words thus: "The Apostle again used the expression 'we shall judge' in place of 'we shall condemn.' He called demons angels, because they were formerly angels. The saints will condemn them because, while burdened with flesh, they cared for divine service. But they, in a bodiless nature, loved wickedness."

Having established the internal, ecclesiastical judgment, the holy Apostle Paul rebukes Christians for lawsuits before unbelievers. He expresses the desire that, by mutual yielding, Christians should prevent every lawsuit, since lawsuits in general do not correspond to the Christian duty of enduring wrongs and oppression. The Apostle first proves the impropriety of Christians being judged by pagans from the profound moral distinction between them and the pagans. Christians are holy, or at least sanctified, and in baptism they are bound to keep every righteousness and do every good. Pagans are unrighteous, and therefore are always ready for a biased and unjust judgment. Consequently, it is unworthy for Christians to go for judgment into pagan courts.

“The Apostle again used the expression ‘we shall judge’ in place of ‘we shall condemn.’ By angels he meant demons, because formerly they were angels. The saints will condemn them because, although clothed with flesh, they cared for divine service, while those in a bodiless nature loved wickedness” (Theodoret). Chrysostom refutes the opinion of those who suppose that by angels the Apostle here means priests. The Apostle, he says, contrasts angels with worldly matters, βιωτικα, worldly things, worldly affairs. Such matters are not opposed to priests, for they too are men living in the world. But they are opposed to angels in the sense that, by their nature, angels have no need of worldly things.