Will we judge angels?
Question 8026
Paul’s question in 1 Corinthians 6:3 stops readers short: “Do you not know that we are to judge angels?” It is tucked into an argument about Christians resolving disputes in secular courts rather than within the church, but its implication reaches far beyond that immediate context. It is one of those verses that rewards careful attention precisely because it says something so unexpected about the future role of God’s people.
The Text and Its Context
The broader argument in 1 Corinthians 6 is that the Corinthian believers should be capable of judging matters among themselves rather than taking disputes before unbelieving judges. Paul’s reasoning escalates from the immediate to the cosmic. In verse 2, he states that “the saints will judge the world.” In verse 3, he intensifies the point: “Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!” The rhetorical force depends on the judgement of angels being considered more significant than judicial authority over worldly matters.
Paul treats this as something his readers should already know — “Do you not know…?” — which suggests it was part of early apostolic teaching about the believer’s future role, even though it is rarely preached today.
Which Angels?
The question of which angels are in view matters. The holy angels who have remained faithful to God serve His purposes and will not require judgement in any punitive sense. The most natural reading is that Paul has in mind the fallen angels, those who followed Satan in his rebellion. Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4 both describe fallen angels “kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgement of the great day.” These are awaiting a judgement that has not yet been executed. 1 Corinthians 6:3 implies that believers will have some role in that process.
Whether this refers to the fallen angels generally, or specifically to those imprisoned beings mentioned in Jude and 2 Peter, or to the full scope of demonic powers, the text does not specify. What it does establish is that this judgement is real, future, and involves the participation of God’s redeemed people.
When Does This Judgement Occur?
The timing falls within the eschatological framework of the rest of Scripture. Revelation 20 places the Great White Throne judgement after the Millennium, and it is reasonable to locate the judgement of fallen angels within that context, consistent with Jude’s description of them awaiting the judgement of the great day. By that point, believers will have been glorified and will reign with Christ through the Millennium (Revelation 20:4-6). The administrative and judicial role that Paul describes fits naturally within the picture of glorified saints ruling with Christ in the age to come.
What This Means Now
Paul’s primary purpose in raising this is not to develop a detailed eschatological doctrine but to make a present practical point. If believers will participate in the judgement of angelic beings, then surely they can trust one another to handle ordinary human disputes with wisdom and fairness. The implication for the present is about the seriousness with which believers should take their identity as God’s people and their future standing in God’s purposes. Those destined to judge angels are capable of better than the Corinthians were managing.
So, now what?
The astonishing scope of what God has purposed for His people is easy to underestimate. The promise is not merely forgiveness of sins but participation in the governance of the new creation, including a judicial role in the final accounting of fallen angelic powers. That reality should shape how believers understand their present standing before God and the weight of their calling. It should also put the petty disputes that too often consume Christian communities in sharp perspective.
“Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!” 1 Corinthians 6:3