{And such were some of you} (kai tauta tines (8874)e). A sharp
homethrust. Literally, "And these things (	auta, neuter plural)
were ye (some of you)." The horror is shown by 	auta, but by
	ines Paul narrows the picture to some, not all. But that was
in the past ((8874)e, imperfect indicative) like  Ro 6:17 . Thank
God the blood of Jesus does cleanse from such sins as these. But
do not go back to them. {But ye were washed} (apelousasthe).
First aorist middle indicative, not passive, of apolou(935c). Either
direct middle, ye washed yourselves, or indirect middle, as in
 Ac 22:16 , ye washed your sins away (force of apo). This was
their own voluntary act in baptism which was the outward
expression of the previous act of God in cleansing
(h(8867)iasth(8874)e, ye were sanctified or cleansed before the
baptism) and justified (edikai(9374)h(8874)e, ye were put right with
God before the act of baptism). "These twin conceptions of the
Christian state in its beginning appear commonly in the reverse
order" (Findlay). The outward expression is usually mentioned
before the inward change which precedes it. In this passage the
Trinity appear as in the baptismal command in  Mt 28:19 .