1st Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 3 Holy Bible
Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more, things that pertain to this life?
read chapter 6 in ASV
Is it not certain that we are to be the judges of angels? how much more then of the things of this life?
read chapter 6 in BBE
Do ye not know that we shall judge angels? and not then matters of this life?
read chapter 6 in DARBY
Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
read chapter 6 in KJV
read chapter 6 in WBT
Don't you know that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?
read chapter 6 in WEB
have ye not known that we shall judge messengers? why not then the things of life?
read chapter 6 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 3. - That we shall judge angels. Angels, i.e. some who belong, or once did belong, to that class. The statement furnishes no data for further speculation. It can hardly mean "evil spirits," for where the word is entirely unqualified it always means good angels; otherwise we might refer it to the "angels which kept not their first estate" (Jude 1:6). It is impossible, and not straightforward, to explain away the word "angels" as meaning Church officials, etc., or to make the word "judge" mean "involve a condemnation of them by comparison with ourselves." All that we can say is that "God chargeth even his angels with folly, and in his sight the very heavens are not clean" (Job 4:18); and that "to angels hath he not subjected the world to come" (Hebrews 2:5). We must take the plain meaning of the apostle's words, whether we can throw any light on his conceptions or not. The only alternative is to suppose that the word means "those who once were good angels," but are now fallen spirits. It was so understood by Tertullian, Chrysostom, etc. How much more; rather, to say nothing of. The accurate rendering of these verses is a matter of some difficulty, but not to an extent which affects the material sense, or which can be explained without a minute knowledge of Greek.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(3) We shall judge angels.--Many conjectures have been made as to the exact significance of the word "angels" here. Some suggest that it must signify bad angels; but this would be an unusual use of the word without any qualifying adjective. It is better, perhaps, to regard the passage as a climax arising out of the Apostle's intense realisation of the unity of Christ and His Church triumphant--a point which seems ever present to the mind of St. Paul when he speaks of the dignity of Christianity. In this sense, redeemed humanity will be superior to, and judges of, the spiritual world. That the words have some such large significance, and are not the expression of a hard and literal fact regarding some members of the angelic host, is, I think, borne out by the subsequent words, where the contrast to "angels" is not "men," but "things" relating to this life.
