Lesson: I Corinthians 6:12-20
Golden Text: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (I Corinthians 6:19).
I. INTRODUCTION. “I will praise thee; for I am fearful and wonderfully made” (see Psalms 139:14). These are the words of the psalmist as he thanked God for his body that was so admirably created and equipped for all the things God intended it to do. To glorify God means to praise, to honor, and to exalt Him. The title for this week’s lesson tells us to glorify God with our bodies. That’s what Paul told the Corinthian believers to do in our lesson text. In this letter to the Christians in the church at Corinth, Paul, led by the Spirit of God, warned them about the importance of caring for the human body. The heart of what he said to them was that they were to glorify God with their bodies. The believer’s physical body is the temple or dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God. As we read and study what Paul wrote to these believers about their bodies, may we learn what we can do and what we should not do with our bodies.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON. After having founded the church in Corinth, while in Ephesus the Apostle Paul received word from a member of the household of Chloe that the church was being divided over personalities (see I Corinthians 1:11) which he addressed in chapters 1- 4. Apparently, some of the Corinthian believers had not changed much, for they were still carnal (see I Corinthians 3:1-3). In chapter 5, Paul addresses another issue that had been brought to his attention involving fornication by one of the members. This person was guilty of having sex with “his father’s wife” or his stepmother (see I Corinthians 5:1). In the remainder of chapter 5, Paul rebukes the church for not addressing this issue and told them that they should’ve taken action and removed this believer from their congregation. In chapter 6, the apostle turns to another subject. Christians were taking other believers to secular court to resolve problems. Paul stated that they should’ve consulted godly church leaders about their problems instead of opening the church to public disgrace (see I Corinthians 6:1-8). Paul then listed some behaviors that if the Corinthians consistently demonstrated would prove that they were not God’s children (see I Corinthians 6:9-10). Then in I Corinthians 6:11, Paul tells his readers why they were different from non-believers. He said that before they were saved, they did the same things the unsaved did, but now “ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” The three verbs, washed, sanctified, and justified describe what happened to the Corinthians when they trusted in Christ as Saviour. These same three things also happen to all who trust in Christ. Note: Paul said that his readers were “washed,” “sanctified,” and “justified.” Each word is in the Greek aorist or past tense which indicates that these things had taken place at a specific point in the past---at the moment they were saved. The term “washed” refers to the new birth, or regeneration, as in the similar expression in Revelation 1:5: “washed us from our sins in his own blood.” The Corinthian believers had also been “sanctified” which means dedicated or set apart unto God, and takes place at the moment of one’s salvation. At that time the believer becomes God’s possession. The term “justified” means to be declared righteous. Justification also takes place the moment a sinner trusts in Christ alone as Saviour. “Justified” was a legal term to describe someone who was acquitted or found not guilty of a wrong. Paul stated that all three of these great works of God are “in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (see I Corinthians 6:11). Since the Corinthian believers had experienced being washed, sanctified and justified, they like us, were expected to start showing their new relationship with the Lord by living purified or clean lives. I said all of this to show that even thought the believers in Corinth committed various sins, they were still saved. However, they needed to grow more spiritually. Our lesson now begins with verse 12.
III. CONTRARY CONVICTIONS (I Corinthians 6:12-14)
A. Paul’s personal standard (I Corinthians 6:12). After declaring the new position that the Corinthian believers now had in Christ, in this verse Paul said “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” The phrase “All things are lawful unto me” apparently was used by most of the people in Corinth to justify the immoral practices that was common in the city. In the eyes of most people in Corinth, sex was merely a physical activity and was meant to be enjoyed without any restrictions. When Paul used the phrase “All things are lawful unto me” he was quoting what people were saying to excuse their immoral activities. Now, members of the church were using it as well. Since they were saved, they knew that they had Christian liberty and were free from the law or those things that were prohibited in God’s Word (see Galatians 2:18-19; 3:10-12), but they misunderstood what it meant to have liberty in Christ. They were using their liberty as a license to do whatever they wanted (see Jude 1:4). In other words they were using what Paul had taught them about Christian liberty to justify their sinful conduct. It’s true that the law does not prohibit everything, but Paul’s point was that “all things are not expedient” meaning everything we do may not be profitable or in our best interest. Christians should not use their liberty to do something that does not benefit the doer or the receiver. Some things that are not wrong in themselves can become wrong under certain circumstances or at certain times. There are some things which are not expressly forbidden in God’s Word but the results rule them out for the believer. Again Paul repeated the words “all things are lawful for me” but he added, “I will not be brought under the power of any.” Paul was saying that there are some things that might be lawful or okay to do, but can eventually control our lives and lead us astray. The apostle refused to get involved in any activities that were not profitable or would control him. Note: We must remember that if we do anything that is not expressly forbidden by God’s Word, we must exercise self-control. In other words, the believer is to be “temperate (use self control) in all things” (see I Corinthians 9:25).
B. The Corinthians’ attitude and God’s viewpoint (I Corinthians 6:13-14).
1. (vs. 13). In this verse, Paul continued to say “Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.” It appears that the Corinthians were also using the expression “Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats” to justify immorality. Just as the stomach’s desire for food should be satisfied, many in Corinth also believed that every physical desire should be satisfied. However, Paul showed that he rejected that idea by saying “but God shall destroy both it and them.” The apostle was saying that both food and the belly will pass away. In His time, God will “destroy” or render food and the belly inoperative. This becomes a reality at death when neither food nor the belly is necessary. A person’s desires and how to satisfy them won’t last forever. Paul went on to say “Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.” The word “fornication” refers to any sexual relations outside of marriage. It’s a departure from what God intended and what is “natural” (see Romans 1:27). Some Christians at Corinth may have thought that since believers will receive new bodies, satisfying our sexual desires in our present bodies was not wrong. Whether that was the case or not, Paul declared that the body was not for fornication but “for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.” The believer’s body belongs to the Lord and it is to be used to serve Him. For a child of God to satisfy sinful lusts with a body that belongs to the Lord is wicked since the believer has died to self and lives for Christ (see Galatians 2:20). The phrase “and the Lord for the body” most likely means that the Lord cares about our bodies and they will be raised like Jesus’ body was as we will see in the next verse.
2. (vs. 14). Still referring to the body, Paul in this verse says “And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.” Just as Christ was raised from the dead bodily, so believers in Christ will be raised bodily to live with Christ for eternity (see Matthew 27:52-53; Romans 6:5; 8:11; I Corinthians 15:52). This shows the importance of the body and the importance of keeping oneself from sins against the body such as fornication. The body represents the whole person. It’s not a lower order of being separate from God’s eternal purposes, but will continue throughout eternity in a changed or glorified state (see I John 3:2).
IV. GUIDING PRINCIPLES (I Corinthians 6:15-17)
A. Members of Christ (I Corinthians 6:15). In this verse Paul asked his readers “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.” The phrase “Know ye not” can be interpreted as “Don’t you know?” This is the third time this phrase appears in this chapter (see also verse 3 and 9). Paul’s use of this expression implies that something is commonly known. In other words, the apostle was saying that they should’ve known that their “bodies are the members of Christ.” No doubt, Paul had taught them this (see I Corinthians 3:16-17). As far as Paul was concerned, believers are united to Christ in the closest fashion, for we are “in Christ” (see Romans 8:1; Romans 12:5; 16:7). Each believer is a member of Christ’s body, spiritually joined to Him (see I Corinthians 12:12-14). The church is Christ’s body (see I Colossians1:24) and He is the sovereign Head not only of Christians as the members of His body, but of all creation (see I Corinthians 1:16-18; 2:10). Paul, realizing that the Corinthian believers knew as he did that they were members of Christ’s body, asked the question “shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot?” Paul was really asking his readers, how can a person who is joined to Christ and indwelt by God’s Spirit be joined to a “harlot” or prostitute. Paul declared “God forbid.” The apostle thought it unthinkable to take a body that has been cleansed from sin by the precious blood of Christ and join it to a prostitute. Would Christ ever lie with a harlot? No, never! But since these believers had a spiritual union with Christ, when they had a physical relation with a prostitute, they were involving Him as well. What makes this so bad is found in the word “take.” It literally means to take away, or to remove. Therefore, it’s actually stealing to take members that belong to Christ and unite them with a prostitute.
B. An indivisible union (I Corinthians 6:16). Here Paul says “What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.” Some of these believers in Corinth may have doubted the fact that if they had sexual relations with a prostitute, they would become members of her body. Therefore, Paul asked the question “What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body?” Paul pointed out that by such immoral practices as fornication and adultery, the two persons involved become “one flesh.” When Paul said “for two, saith he, shall be one flesh” he was referring to what God said about marriage in Genesis 2:24: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” If sexual union made marriage partners one flesh, it did the same thing for the prostitute and her partner (see Matthew 19:5-6).
C. One with the Lord (I Corinthians 6:17). Just as two people joined in sex become one flesh or one body, in this verse Paul says “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” Our union with Christ is spiritual, but just as real as any physical union. As believers our bodies belong to Christ and therefore, we may not join it with any other person or thing except one’s spouse. Immorality is a misuse of the Lord’s possession, our bodies. Note: Christianity involves a oneness between the church and Christ. Paul said in Ephesians 2:22-33 that this union is symbolized by a marriage of husband and wife. Both marriage and faith in Christ are intended to be permanent unions (see Matthew 19:6; John 6:37; 10:28-29). As Christians, our union with the Lord affects jour spirit as well as our bodies. Our union with Christ is a spiritual one, as His Spirit indwells us and shares our spirits (see John 14:23; 17:20-21).
V. URGENT INSTRUCTION (I Corinthians 6:18-20)
A. A command to flee (I Corinthians 6:18). In this verse Paul said “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” The best way to avoid sexual immorality as Paul urged his readers was to “Flee fornication.” The Greek word for the verb “flee” is pheugo which means to “run away” or “to shun.” Since the word “flee” is in the present tense, this command means that we are to continually flee. It should be the believer’s lifestyle to constantly avoid this sin. We should make fleeing from immorality a continuous habit (see Genesis 39:10-12; II Timothy 2:22). Note: The Bible teaches us to flee physically from any temptation to commit an immoral act. Jacob’s son Joseph is a worthy model to follow. When he was tempted and propositioned by Potiphar’s wife, Joseph “fled, and got him out” (see Genesis 39:10-12). When facing the devil, the Christian is told to resist (see James 4:7), but the only way to deal with lust and sexual immorality is to flee. This isn’t being a coward; it’s really wisdom and common sense. Paul continued to say “Every sin that a man doeth is without the body.” In other words, with the exception of fornication, all sins are “without the body” or come from outside the body. But this is not the case with sexual sins which come from lusts within, or inside the body. Other sins like overeating or drunkenness use things that are external and may affect the body sooner or later. But intimate love relationships amount to the sharing of life and have the potential for creating a new person. In the last part of this verse Paul says “but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” The conjunction “but” indicates that fornication is a unique sin. When we sin through fornication we become one with the person with whom the sin is committed. Therefore, anyone who is involved in “fornication” sins “against his own body” or damages themselves. What is sin in God’s sight isn’t the sex act alone, but the defilement of the body through an illicit relationship.
B. An explanation of the command (I Corinthians 6:19-20).
1. (vs. 19). In this verse Paul once again says “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” Again using the question “know ye not?” Paul rebuked his readers for not heeding the spiritual truth that their bodies were temples of the Holy Spirit. He had previously taught them that the whole church was a temple of God (see I Corinthians 3:16), but now he made it personal. Every believer is a sanctuary where the Holy Spirit dwells. Since the believer’s body is the sanctuary of God’s Spirit, our bodies are not our own. If Christians belonged to themselves they could use their bodies as they pleased. But our bodies are sanctified property and God has jurisdiction over all we do.
2. (vs. 20). In case some believers may question the fact that they were not their own, Paul said in this verse “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” Paul reminded his readers that God had purchased them. Every Christian must know that “ye are bought with a price.” The tense of the word “bought” points to a single decisive event in the past that resulted in the believer being purchased. Of course that single decisive event was Jesus’ crucifixion, and the price that was paid was the blood He shed (see Acts 20:28). Since God bought us out of the slave market of sin, Paul concluded that believers should “glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” In other words, we are to esteem God highly and to magnify Him before others with our entire being. Since Christians are purchased by the Lord and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, to indulge in sexual immorality is inconceivable. Our bodies belong to God to use for His service and His glory. A body given over to sin cannot glorify the Lord.
VI.
CONCLUSION.
There are two key commands in this week’s lesson: “Flee fornication” and
“Glorify God.” To accomplish the glorifying of God, we must first
flee or literally run from fornication. We don’t often think of
glorifying God with our bodies. The mind, the spirit, and the soul
are usually thought to be the instruments by which we worship and serve
God. Paul included the body as a vehicle through which God is to
be worshipped and praised. Jesus Christ paid a tremendous price
for our redemption. He owns our bodies. We are His
temple. We therefore, must follow the rules of the new Landlord
who wants only what is best for us. Since Christ bought us, He has
every right to direct our activities since His Holy Spirit indwells us.
Jesus desires that we yield our lives and bodies to the Holy Spirit’s
control. Will you?
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