Paul does not say much in his letters about God’s kingdom. As in the Gospels, the word primarily means God’s kingly rule, not a place or country in the sky. Almost always Paul writes of the kingdom of God as something which is coming in the future (compare verse 8). Paul seems to be referring to a saying used among Christians, as the word For suggests (compare Rom 14.17). One can restructure this verse as “God’s rule is shown in the lives of people by what they do rather than by what they say,” or “God shows that he is ruling in the lives of people by….”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .