I was reading through First Corinthians recently when a verse stopped me cold. I had read it before. Many times, actually. But this time it landed differently.
Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, addressing some of the most contentious issues in the early church. And then, almost in passing, he dropped this sentence:
"Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!"
1 Corinthians 6:3Did Paul Really Say That?
Read it again. We will judge angels. Not the angels will judge us. Not the angels will stand in authority over us. We will judge them.
I genuinely wonder how many believers have sat with this verse long enough to let its meaning actually sink in. It is not a metaphor. It is not poetic language. Paul is making a straightforward declaration: the same people who struggle to pray with confidence, who feel unworthy of God attention, who wonder if they will ever be "enough" for Him, will one day sit in judgment over celestial beings.
We will judge angels. The word used here is krino, the same word used for judicial authority, for rendering verdicts, for sitting on a bench and rendering justice.
Who Are These Angels?
Paul is likely referring to the angels who fell. The ones who chose to rebel against God. The ones who, as Jude describes, left their proper dwelling and are kept in darkness, bound in chains for the judgment.
These are not cute guardian angels. These are powerful, ancient beings who, in their rebellion, became the enemies of God and humanity. And yet, Paul says, believers will have authority over them.
This is not a small thing. And yet I have never heard a sermon on it. Not once.
The Context Changes Everything
Why would Paul mention this? Look at the chapter. He is addressing a church that was taking each other to court. Believers suing believers before pagan judges.
His argument is essentially this: You are worried about who gets the better seat in a secular courtroom? Do you not realize that you have been given authority that dwarfs anything any earthly court could ever offer? You will judge angels. Why are you fighting over money?
It is almost like Paul is saying, "You have no idea what you have been given."
What This Means For You
Here is what strikes me most. This is not something we earn. It is not a reward for good behavior or spiritual maturity. It is part of our inheritance in Christ.
When God adopted us as His children, He did not give us a small inheritance. He gave us the whole thing. Everything that belongs to Christ belongs to us. And one day, we will exercise that authority alongside Him.
Let This Sink In
Before you close this page, sit with this: the God of the universe looked at you, chose you, died for you, and raised you to sit in judgment over the very beings who fell from heaven. You are not small. You were never small. You just forgot.
Why This Matters Now
Now, I want to be careful here. I am not suggesting we walk around as if we have some kind of superpowers. The enemy is real. The spiritual battle is real. We do not wage war as if we have already won every skirmish.
But here is what I am saying. When you understand who you are in Christ, when you grip even a fraction of what God has given you, it changes how you live. It changes how you pray. It changes how you walk through the hard days.
You are not a nobody who got lucky enough to get into heaven. You are a child of God, co-heir with Christ, and one day, you will judge angels.
That is who you are. That is who He made you.
"If we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
Romans 8:17Father, thank You for my inheritance in Christ, including the authority to judge angels. Help me to walk in that authority and understand who I am in You. Let me not forget how significant I am in Your kingdom. In Jesus Name, Amen.
With honesty and hope,
Claire