1 COR 6:11 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Now some of you all were like that, but now you’ve been washed and declared guiltless, and been declared innocent by the authority of the master Yeshua Messiah, and by our god’s spirit.

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

UST Some of you used to behave in these ways. However, now God has cleansed you, he has made you holy, and he has declared you to be innocent. You experience these things because the Lord Jesus the Messiah and the Holy Spirit work powerfully to give them to you.

6:11 NA the Lord Jesus Christ; TH and WH our Lord Jesus Christ

BLB And some of you were such. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

AICNT And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus [Christ][fn] and in the Spirit of our God.

6:11, Christ: 𝔓11 𝔓46 ℵ(01) D(05) NA28 THGNT ‖ Absent from some manuscripts. A(02) SBLGNT BYZ TR

OEB Such some of you used to be; but you washed yourselves clean. You became Christ’s people! You were pronounced righteous through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the Spirit of our God!

WEBBE Some of you were such, but you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

WMBB Some of you were such, but you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of the Lord Yeshua, and in the Spirit of our God.

NET Some of you once lived this way. 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.

LSV And certain of you were these! But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were declared righteous, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

FBV Some of you were once like that, but you have been made clean and holy. You have been made right in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.

TCNT And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of [fn]the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

6:11 the Lord Jesus ¦ the Lord Jesus Christ NA ¦ our Lord Jesus Christ TH WH

T4T Some of you previously did things like that. But God has freed/cleansed you [MET] from your sinful behavior. He has set you apart for himself. He has erased the record of your sins because you trusted [MTY] in the Lord Jesus Christ and because of what the Spirit of our God has done for you.

LEB And some of you were these things, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus[fn] and by the Spirit of our God.

6:11 Some manuscripts have “of the Lord Jesus Christ”

BBE And such were some of you; but you have been washed, you have been made holy, you have been given righteousness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Moff Some of you were once like that; but you washed yourselves clean, you were consecrated, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Wymth And all this describes what some of you were. But now you have had every stain washed off: now you have been set apart as holy: now you have been pronounced free from guilt; in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the Spirit of our God.

ASV And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.

DRA And such some of you were; but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of our God.

YLT And certain of you were these! but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were declared righteous, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

Drby And these things were some of you; but ye have been washed, but ye have been sanctified, but ye have been justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our [fn]God.

6.11 Elohim

RV And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.
(And such were some of you: but ye/you_all were washed, but ye/you_all were sanctified, but ye/you_all were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. )

SLT And these were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were consecrated, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

Wbstr And such were some of you: but 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.

KJB-1769 And such were some of you: but 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.
(And such were some of you: but ye/you_all are washed, but ye/you_all are sanctified, but ye/you_all are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. )

KJB-1611 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are iustified in the Name of the Lord Iesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)

Bshps And such were some of you: but ye are wasshed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus, and by the spirite of our God.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)

Gnva And such were some of you: but yee are washed, but yee are sanctified, but yee are iustified in the Name of the Lord Iesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
(And such were some of you: but ye/you_all are washed, but ye/you_all are sanctified, but ye/you_all are justified in the Name of the Lord Yesus/Yeshua, and by the Spirit of our God. )

Cvdl And soch haue some of you bene, but ye are wasshed, ye are sanctified, ye are made righteous by the name of the LORDE Iesus, and by the sprete of oure God.
(And such have some of you been, but ye/you_all are washed, ye/you_all are sanctified, ye/you_all are made righteous by the name of the LORD Yesus/Yeshua, and by the spirit of our God.)

TNT And soche ware ye verely: but ye are wesshed: ye are sanctified: ye are iustified by the name of the Lorde Iesus and by the sprete of oure God.
(And such ware ye/you_all verily/truly: but ye/you_all are washed: ye/you_all are sanctified: ye/you_all are justified by the name of the Lord Yesus/Yeshua and by the spirit of our God. )

Wycl And ye weren sum tyme these thingis; but ye ben waischun, but ye ben halewid, but ye ben iustefied in the name of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, and in the spirit of oure God.
(And ye/you_all were some time these things; but ye/you_all been washing, but ye/you_all been hallowed/consecrated, but ye/you_all been justfied in the name of our Lord Yhesu Christ, and in the spirit of our God.)

Luth Und solche sind euer etliche gewesen; aber ihr seid abgewaschen, ihr seid geheiliget, ihr seid gerecht worden durch den Namen des HErr’s JEsu und durch den Geist unsers Gottes.
(And such are your(pl) several been; but you(pl)/their/her are abgewash, you(pl)/their/her are sanctified, you(pl)/their/her are just/fair been through the name(s) the LORD’s Yesu and through the spirit ours God’s.)

ClVg Et hæc quidam fuistis: sed abluti estis, sed sanctificati estis, sed justificati estis in nomine Domini nostri Jesu Christi, et in Spiritu Dei nostri.[fn]
(And these_things some you_weres: but abluti you_are, but sanctificati you_are, but justificati you_are in/into/on by_name Master our Yesu Christi, and in/into/on By_Spirit of_God our. )

6.11 Sed sanctificati estis. Nota sed, repetitam conjunctionem, non parvum pondus dare sententiæ.

6.11 But sanctificati you_are. Note but, repeatsam conjunction, not/no parvum weight dare sentences.

UGNT καὶ ταῦτά τινες ἦτε; ἀλλὰ ἀπελούσασθε, ἀλλὰ ἡγιάσθητε, ἀλλὰ ἐδικαιώθητε, ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν.
(kai tauta tines aʸte; alla apelousasthe, alla haʸgiasthaʸte, alla edikaiōthaʸte, en tōi onomati tou Kuriou Yaʸsou Ⱪristou, kai en tōi Pneumati tou Theou haʸmōn.)

SBL-GNT καὶ ταῦτά τινες ἦτε· ἀλλὰ ἀπελούσασθε, ἀλλὰ ἡγιάσθητε, ἀλλὰ ἐδικαιώθητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου ⸀Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν.
(kai tauta tines aʸte; alla apelousasthe, alla haʸgiasthaʸte, alla edikaiōthaʸte en tōi onomati tou kuriou ⸀Yaʸsou kai en tōi pneumati tou theou haʸmōn.)

RP-GNT Καὶ ταῦτά τινες ἦτε· ἀλλὰ ἀπελούσασθε, ἀλλὰ ἡγιάσθητε, ἀλλ' ἐδικαιώθητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν.
(Kai tauta tines aʸte; alla apelousasthe, alla haʸgiasthaʸte, all' edikaiōthaʸte en tōi onomati tou kuriou Yaʸsou, kai en tōi pneumati tou theou haʸmōn.)

TC-GNT Καὶ ταῦτά τινες ἦτε· [fn]ἀλλὰ ἀπελούσασθε, [fn]ἀλλὰ ἡγιάσθητε, [fn]ἀλλ᾽ ἐδικαιώθητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου [fn]Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν.
(Kai tauta tines aʸte; alla apelousasthe, alla haʸgiasthaʸte, all edikaiōthaʸte en tōi onomati tou Kuriou Yaʸsou, kai en tōi pneumati tou Theou haʸmōn. )

6:11 αλλα ¦ αλλ NA²⁸

6:11 αλλα ¦ αλλ NA²⁸ PCK

6:11 αλλ ¦ αλλα ANT NA²⁷ SBL TH WH

6:11 ιησου ¦ ιησου χριστου NA ¦ ημων ιησου χριστου TH WH

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Holiness and Sexual Purity

The Bible emphasizes the importance of being holy in our sexual relations. God created humanity as sexual beings, and the first command that he gave Adam and Eve was to “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28). But after sin entered the world, the good that God had created—including sex—became prone to distortion, and the pages of Scripture are filled with examples of sexual sin. God’s people were called to holiness, and the Israelites were given numerous commands that connected sexuality to their holiness (see, e.g., Lev 18:1-30). The sexual purity of God’s people would be seriously tested in the land of Canaan where illicit sexual practice abounded. Over and over again, the Israelites would fail to live up to God’s standards for sexual purity.

The believers to whom Paul wrote likewise found themselves living in environments where illicit sexual activity was commonplace. In contrast to the so-called sexual freedom of the Greco-Roman world, the sexual life of God’s people was to be characterized by faithfulness and purity (1 Thes 4:3-8). Sexual relationships are to be restricted to marriage alone (1 Cor 7:1-9, 36-37).

God has made Christians holy by the work of his Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:11; 2 Thes 2:13). They are therefore called to live as his own holy people (1 Cor 1:2). God has given them everything they need to live a holy life in this world (2 Pet 1:3-4). As a result, their way of life is to be distinctly different from that of the unholy world around them. Every part of their life is to reflect the transforming work of the Holy Spirit (Rom 12:2).

It is inappropriate for anyone who is united to Christ to have sexual relations with anyone outside of marriage. Such relations violate the Christian’s body, which has become a sanctuary of the living God and therefore belongs to God (1 Cor 6:12-20).

Though homosexual activity was accepted in Greco-Roman culture, it is condemned throughout the Bible. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, homosexual activity is viewed as a perversion of God’s intentions for men and women (Lev 18:22; 20:13; Rom 1:25-27; 1 Cor 6:9-11; 1 Tim 1:8-11).

Paul strongly warns that those who freely give themselves to illicit sexual relations, whether homosexual or heterosexual, will not inherit the Kingdom of God but will suffer God’s judgment (1 Cor 6:9-10; Gal 5:19-21; Col 3:5-6; see also 2 Pet 2:1–3:13). As with all sin, though, forgiveness and cleansing are available for those who turn to Christ with faith and repentance (Acts 2:38; Rom 3:21-26; see 1 Cor 6:11). In every way, God’s people are to live in holiness and godliness (see 2 Pet 3:11-13), in accord with the desires of their Creator and Judge.

Passages for Further Study

Gen 2:18-25; Lev 18:1-30; 20:10-24; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Cor 1:2; 6:9-20; 7:1-9, 14; Gal 5:16-24; Col 3:1-6; 1 Thes 4:3-8; 1 Pet 1:13-16; 2 Pet 1:3-4

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 6:1–11: Believers must not take fellow believers to court before unbelieving judges

In this section Paul discussed another problem in the church in Corinth. At least one of the believers had taken another believer to a pagan/civil court to settle a dispute. Paul told the Corinthian believers that this was unwise and harmful to the church. He taught them what they as believers should do if another believer wronged them.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Believers should not go to law before unbelievers

Christians should not sue other Christians in pagan courts

Advice about lawsuits

Paragraph 6:9–11

This paragraph is another basis for Paul’s appeal to the Corinthian believers not to take each other to court. The basis is that the unrighteous will not enter God’s kingdom (verse 9). Some of the Corinthian believers had been very unrighteous in the past, but Paul reminded them that they should now live righteous lives because of what Christ has done for them (verse 11). Therefore they should no longer take each other to court.

6:11a

And that is what some of you were.

And this is what some of you used to be.
It is true, some of you used to live/behave like that.

And: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as And introduces the concluding part or stage of Paul’s argument. Many English versions do not explicitly translate this conjunction. Consider how in your language it is natural to introduce the next part of Paul’s argument.

that is what some of you were: This clause indicates that before they became believers in Jesus some of the Corinthian believers used to sin in the ways just mentioned. God had made them his own people, and so now they should behave differently. Other ways to translate this include:

Some of you used to be like that. (CEV)

In the past, some of you were like that. (NCV)

6:11b-d

But: In the Greek text the word But occurs three times, once in each verse part. This gives emphasis to the contrast with the previous verse part. The NASB follows the structure of the Greek:

but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified…. (NASB)

The BSB translates this word once only, as this is more natural in English. You should consider if it is natural to repeat this word in your language.

you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified: These three verbs are all in the past tense. Paul was talking about what happened to the Corinthian believers when they first believed in Jesus. All three verbs are passives. The implied agent in each case is God. He is the one who washed, sanctified, and justified the Corinthians. So there are two ways to translate these verse parts:

using passive verbs. For example:
your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God. (NLT)
you were washed clean. You were made holy, and you were made right with God (NCV)
using active verbs. For example:
God washed you, sanctified you, and justified you.

6:11b

But you were washed,

But you have been washed/cleansed/purified,
But you are no longer like that. Now God has taken away your sin,
But now you no longer do those things because God has made you clean on the inside,

you were washed: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as you were washed is a metaphor. It refers to God cleansing a believer from sin.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

you have been washed clean (REB)

you have been purified from sin (GNT)

God has made you pure/clean by taking away your sins.

6:11c

you were sanctified,

you have been made holy/pure,
he has made you one of his holy people,
and he has caused you to belong completely to himself,

you were sanctified: The Greek word that the BSB translates as sanctified means “made holy,” or “set apart for God,” that is, made part of God’s own holy people. It is the same word that Paul used in 1:2b. See the note on 1:2b. Some other ways to translate this are:

you have been dedicated to God (GNT)

You were made holy (NCV)

you have been set apart for God (NLT)

6:11d

you were justified,

and you have been made/put right with God.
and he has made you just/upright/acceptable in his sight.
and he has taken away your guilt.

you were justified: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as you were justified means “you were made right.” To justify someone is to declare them not guilty. In this context Paul was saying that God had declared the believers not guilty. God had put them right with himself. See also, for example, Romans 3:24, 3:26, 3:28, 5:1, and Galatians 2:16. Other ways to translate this include:

you have been put right with God (GNT)

made…acceptable to God (CEV)

6:11e

in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ

God did that by means of the Lord Jesus Christ,
The Lord Jesus Christ made all that possible.
God did this through the Lord Jesus Christ,

6:11f

and by the Spirit of our God.

and he did it by means of his Spirit.
and he did that by sending his Spirit to work powerfully in you.
and through his Holy Spirit.

6:11e-f

in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God: These two phrases are related to all three verbs in 6:11b-d. That is, God washed us, sanctified us, and justified us, and he did it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: There are several ways to interpret the Greek phrase that the BSB translates as in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.Here are some ways that different scholars have suggested to reword 6:11e: “by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ,” “because of our union with the Lord Jesus Christ,” “on the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ,” and “in the domain where the Lord Jesus Christ rules.” See Ellington and Hatton. The two main ways to understand this are:

God washed, sanctified, and justified us by means of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was the instrument or agent that God used to save us. For example, this could be translated as:
through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
God washed, sanctified, and justified us because of the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, it was because of what Jesus did for us that God was able to save us. For example:
because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you (NLT)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), since it has stronger translation and commentary support. Also, interpretation (1) is probably closer to Paul’s meaning, since it fits in better with 6:11f (“by the Spirit of our God”).

the Lord Jesus Christ: There is a textual problem here.

Some Greek manuscripts say the Lord Jesus Christ. For example:
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (NCV) (BSB, NCV, CEV, NASB, RSV, GNT, NJB, NET, ESV, NLT, GW)
Some Greek manuscripts say the Lord Jesus. For example:
through the name of the Lord Jesus (REB) (REB, KJV)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with the majority of English versions.

by the Spirit of our God: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as by the Spirit of our God here probably means “you were washed…by means of the Spirit of our God.” God washed, sanctified, and justified us by means of the power of the Holy Spirit.

the Spirit of our God: This means the Holy Spirit. In some languages it is not normal to say our God. In those languages it is better to translate this phrase some other way, for example: “the God whom we worship.” The entire phrase, the Spirit of our God, can be translated “the Holy Spirit who is from our God,” or “the Spirit whom our God sent/gave to us.”

General Comment on 6:11b-f

Since God is the implied agent of the verbs in 6:11b-d, you may want to use the phrase “our God” as the subject in 6:11b. For example:

^11aSome of you used to behave in those evil ways. ^11bBut our God washed you clean. ^11cHe made you his own holy people ^11dand freed you from your sins. ^11eHe did all this through the Lord Jesus Christ ^11fand the power of his own Spirit.

Notice in this translation that the words “our God” are in 6:11b, and in 6:11f it says “his own Spirit.” The “his” in 6:11f refers back to “our God” in 6:11b rather than to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in order to make this clear that the word “own” has been supplied.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

ταῦτά

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ταῦτα τινές ἦτε ἀλλά ἀπελούσασθε ἀλλά ἡγιάσθητε ἀλλά ἐδικαιώθητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καί ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν)

Here, that refers to the list of unrighteous behaviors that Paul gave in [6:9–10](../06/09.md). Paul identifies some of the Corinthians as people who behaved in those ways. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate that by more clearly referring back to the list of unrighteous behaviors. Alternate translation: [those kinds of people are what]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

ἀλλὰ ἀπελούσασθε, ἀλλὰ ἡγιάσθητε, ἀλλὰ ἐδικαιώθητε

Here Paul repeats But you were in order to emphasize the contrast between what the Corinthians were and what they have now experienced. If your language does not use repetition in this way, you can use But you were once and express the strong contrast in another way. Alternate translation: [But now you have been washed, sanctified, and justified]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἀπελούσασθε & ἡγιάσθητε & ἐδικαιώθητε

˱you_all˲_washed_away & ˱you_all˲_˓were˒_sanctified & ˱you_all˲_˓were˒_justified

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on you, who are washed, sanctified, and justified, rather than the person doing the “washing,” “sanctifying,” and “justifying.” If you must state who does the actions, Paul implies that “God” does them. Alternate translation: [God washed you … God sanctified you … God justified you]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἀπελούσασθε

˱you_all˲_washed_away

Here Paul speaks as if the Corinthians had been washed with water. By speaking in this way, Paul emphasizes that they have been cleansed from sin, just like washing with water cleanses a person from dirt. Paul may have baptism in mind. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this figure of speech with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [you were washed clean] or [you were purified]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ

in the name ˱of˲_the Lord Jesus Christ

When something is done in the name of a person, it is done with the authority or power of that person. Here the cleansing, sanctification, and justification are done with the authority or power of Jesus, since they are done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express in the name of with a comparable idiom or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ] or [by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τῷ Πνεύματι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν

the the Spirit ˱of˲_the God ˱of˲_us

Here Paul uses the possessive form to identify the Spirit as our God, that is, as the Holy Spirit. He does not mean that the Spirit is something that belongs to our God. If your language would not use that form to identify the Spirit as our God, you could use a word or phrase that does identify the Spirit as our God or the “Holy Spirit.” Alternate translation: [the Spirit who is our God] or [the Holy Spirit, our God]

Parallel 1 COR 6:11