“Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
Read without context—and according to the typical fundamentalist interpretation of the vice lists (1 Cor. 6:9–11; Gal. 5:19–21; Rom. 1:29–32)—it can appear as though Paul is warning his readers that greed, drunkenness, disobedience to parents, or even gossip might condemn a person to eternal torment in some cosmic furnace. In other words, if you struggle with gossip, jealousy, lying, or alcoholism, you could end up in hell.
But can anyone completely stop being jealous? Can a person with anger issues truly eliminate every outburst for the rest of their life? And what about gossip—a sin that, if we’re honest, many Christians indulge in without much remorse? Will God really burn gossiping believers forever? At what moment does God supposedly declare, “Enough is enough!”? How could anyone ever know when they’ve crossed that invisible line?
What makes this even more unsettling is that Paul concludes his lists with phrases like “things such as these” and “things like these” (Gal. 5:19; Rom. 1:32). If one embraces the fundamentalist perspective, that will mean our eternal destiny is forever uncertain—perhaps we’ve done, or will do, something that falls somewhere in that vague, invisible category of “such” and “like.” Or perhaps, more reasonably, the point is that Paul’s lists were never intended to serve as exhaustive catalogs of damnable sins, but rather as illustrative warnings about the kinds of behaviors that erode faithfulness and spiritual maturity.
Fundamentalists usually mean well; their aim is to promote godly living. Yet this interpretive approach often breeds fear, anxiety, and spiritual exhaustion, because believers can never feel certain whether they will spend eternity with God.
So, how does Paul actually use the vice lists? The key lies in understanding what he meant by “inheriting” and “entering.” In biblical language, to inherit or enter the kingdom refers not to being rescued from hell, but to receiving honor, reward, and divine approval (e.g., James 2:5; Acts 14:22). In the ancient world, honored guests entered a kingdom through its main gate, welcomed with recognition and celebration.
Likewise, the Greek word klēronomeō (“inherit”) does not mean “to escape hell,” but “to receive a reward or inheritance.” Salvation is a free gift (Eph. 2:8–9), but inheritance in Scripture is conditional—it must be earned through faithfulness. For instance, Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5), promising a future reward for a certain character. Similarly, Colossians 3:23–24 teaches that those who serve Christ faithfully will receive “the reward of the inheritance.” Even Hebrews 12:17 shows that Esau, though still Isaac’s son, forfeited his inheritance through disobedience—demonstrating that inheritance can be lost without losing sonship.
Thus, in 1 Corinthians 6, Paul’s warning is not that believers who sin will be condemned to hell, but that persistent unrighteousness leads to the loss of one’s inheritance—the honor, rulership, and rewards associated with faithfulness in the world to come. Salvation is by grace, but inheritance depends on obedience.
In conclusion, Paul’s vice lists are not threats of eternal damnation but sober reminders that only the faithful will inherit its rewards. These passages call us not to fear losing God’s love, but to live in such a way that we do not forfeit the fullness of our eternal reward.(who avoid the vices listed) will be rewarded accordingly—they will inherit the Kingdom’s rewards.
