And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the {f} name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

(f) In Jesus.

People's New Testament

6:11 And such were some of you. Some of the worst classes had been converted.

Ye are washed. Were washed, as in the Revised Version. These verbs are all past tense. The rite of baptism is probably referred to.

Ye are sanctified. To be sanctified is to be set apart to God.

Ye are justified. That is, their sins were blotted out and they were counted righteous. Sinners as they were before, the gospel had washed, hallowed, and justified them.

By the Spirit of our God. The work was consummated by the gift of the Holy Spirit (Ac 2:38).

Wesley's Notes

6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed - From those gross abominations; nay, and ye are inwardly sanctified; not before, but in consequence of, your being justified in the name - That is, by the merits, of the Lord Jesus, through which your sins are forgiven. And by the Spirit of our God - By whom ye are thus washed and sanctified.

Scofield Reference Notes

Margin are washed

were, and Song throughout the verse.

Margin justified

Justification. Gal 2:16 Lk 18:14 Rom 3:28.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

11. ye are washed-The Greek middle voice expresses, "Ye have had yourselves washed." This washing implies the admission to the benefits of Christ's salvation generally; of which the parts are; (1) Sanctification, or the setting apart from the world, and adoption into the Church: so "sanctified" is used 1Co 7:14; Joh 17:19. Compare 1Pe 1:2, where it rather seems to mean the setting apart of one as consecrated by the Spirit in the eternal purpose God. (2) Justification from condemnation through the righteousness of God in Christ by faith (Ro 1:17). So Paræus. The order of sanctification before justification shows that it must be so taken, and not in the sense of progressive sanctification. "Washed" precedes both, and so must refer to the Christian's outward new birth of water, the sign of the inward setting apart to the Lord by the inspiration of the Spirit as the seed of new life (Joh 3:5; Eph 5:26; Tit 3:5; Heb 10:22). Paul (compare the Church of England Baptismal Service), in charity, and faith in the ideal of the Church, presumes that baptism realizes its original design, and that those outwardly baptized inwardly enter into vital communion with Christ (Ga 3:27). He presents the grand ideal which those alone realized in whom the inward and the outward baptism coalesced. At the same time he recognizes the fact that this in many cases does not hold good (1Co 6:8-10), leaving it to God to decide who are the really "washed," while he only decides on broad general principles.

in the name of . Jesus, and by the Spirit-rather, "in the Spirit," that is, by His in-dwelling. Both clauses belong to the three-"washed, sanctified, justified."

our God-The "our" reminds the that amidst all his reproofs God is still the common God of himself and them.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

6:9-11 The Corinthians are warned against many great evils, of which they had formerly been guilty. There is much force in these inquiries, when we consider that they were addressed to a people puffed up with a fancy of their being above others in wisdom and knowledge. All unrighteousness is sin; all reigning sin, nay, every actual sin, committed with design, and not repented of, shuts out of the kingdom of heaven. Be not deceived. Men are very much inclined to flatter themselves that they may live in sin, yet die in Christ, and go to heaven. But we cannot hope to sow to the flesh, and reap everlasting life. They are reminded what a change the gospel and grace of God had made in them. The blood of Christ, and the washing of regeneration, can take away all guilt. Our justification is owing to the suffering and merit of Christ; our sanctification to the working of the Holy Spirit; but both go together. All who are made righteous in the sight of God, are made holy by the grace of God.