In this passage, Paul deals with the last problem reported to him from Chloe’s people — that of men in the church going to prostitutes. What does God have to say about the proper us of our bodies? What does God’s Word have to say about sexual immorality? What are Biblical motivations for holy living regarding the use of our bodies? Find out in this message!
Teaching Notes:
Glorify God In Your Body!
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Intro: In the City of Corinth there were over 1,000 temple prostitutes. It was thought that by having sexual relations with one of these temple prostitutes enabled the man to have a deeper union and devotion to his pagan gods and goddesses. Undoubtedly, many men in the Corinthian church had previously engaged in sex with one of these temple prostitutes. Paul writes this section to deal with this problem. He had probably been informed by Chloe’s people that some men in the church were still engaged in this practice, and thus the need to write concerning this issue.
You’ll notice that 2 words keep reappearing in this section: “immorality” and “body”.
1. “Immorality” – Vs.13, 18. Also, notice 15 “members of a prostitute”; 15 “one who joins himself to a prostitute”.
2. “Body” – 13 (2x); 15, 15, 18 (2x), 19, 20.
It is obvious then that Paul has something to say about using the body for immorality. “Immorality” is the Greek word “porneia”. The word is broad enough to refer to any illicit sexual relations, including fornication, adultery, homosexuality, incest, prostitution, and bestiality. In this chapter it is referring to having sexual relations with prostitutes.
We we move through this section, let’s do so by highlighting what the Lord has to say about the body.
1. The Body Is For The Lord: 1Cor.6:12-13a
All things are lawful for me: Most commentators agree that this was probably a Corinthian slogan. Paul quotes it again in 1Cor.10:23. Perhaps the Corinthians had developed this slogan as a response to Paul’s teaching that we have been released from the law, having died to that by which we were bound (Rom.7:6). Again, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free” (Gal.5:1). They may have reasoned, “If we have died to the law, if we have been released from the law, and if it was for freedom that Christ set us free, then all things are lawful (permissible) to us.
But not all things are profitable: This is Paul’s response to their slogan. It is not enough to declare that all things are lawful for you. You must ask yourself whether engaging in this thing is profitable, either for yourself or for others. Many things are lawful which may not be profitable (watching TV, playing video games, reading certain kinds of books and magazines).
But I will not be mastered by anything: Many things may be lawful, but to continue to engage in them may mean coming under their power, or being enslaved to them. It is lawful for a Christian to drink alcohol, but he must never allow himself to come under the power of alcohol. The same holds true of prescription drugs and caffeinated beverages. The greatest problem with smoking cigarettes is that is addicting. However, we can also be mastered by a certain sport, like football. They can become obsessed with it. I’ve known believers who will not come to church if it means they won’t be able to watch their favorite football team.
Since Paul in context is speaking of sexual sin, we should relate that to his 2 rules. Is sexual sin profitable? No! It is highly destructive, both to ourselves and to our family, and to the person we have sex with, and to their family. Can sexual sin master you? Yes! The more it is engaged in, the more power it has over you.
Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them: This was probably another Corinthian slogan. The Corinthians had been influenced by Greek dualism which taught that the body counts for nothing and so it doesn’t matter what a person does with it. They also taught that the body would not be resurrected, but simply be destroyed, but the soul would live on. By using this slogan, they were saying “the body is for sex, and sex is for the body.”
Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord: Here Paul negates their view that it doesn’t matter what one does with his body, it is only the soul that matters. Rather, the body is for the Lord. Our bodies were given as the physical vehicle through which we could glorify God and bring Him pleasure.
2. The Body Is Honored By The Lord: 1Cor.6:13b-14
The Lord is for the body: What does Paul mean? He means that God is interested in the welfare of our bodies, not just our souls. He explains it further in vs.14.
Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power: The fact that God is going to resurrect our bodies is proof positive that He is FOR the body. The ancient idea that matter is evil and spirit is good is false. The body is good. After God had created man and woman with bodies, He pronounced that it was very good. We are not going to live eternally in disembodied spirits. When Jesus Christ returns He is going to transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself (Phil.3:21).
Since our bodies are for the Lord, and since the Lord cares about our body and will resurrect it to eternal glory one day, we must be very careful how we use our bodies in this present life. We must never use these bodies for sexual immorality
3. The Body Is A Member Of Christ: 1Cor.6:15-17
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Paul’s argument goes like this. When a person is born again, he is united to Christ. However, it is not just his spirit that is united to Christ, but his entire person, including his body.
Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? The idea is utterly abhorrent to Paul. We are members of Christ. Is it right, then, for us to be joined to a prostitute? To ask the question is to answer it.
The one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her. The two shall become one flesh. A man can only be joined to a prostitute physically, sexually, because that’s what the 2 of them have in common. However, a man can only be joined to the Lord spiritually. Paul’s point is “You have been joined to the Lord and are one spirit with Him. Should you then join yourself physically with a prostitute?” May it never be! If we did so, in a sense we are joining Christ and the prostitute together!
4. The Body Can Be Sinned Against: 1Cor.6:18
Flee immorality: This is God’s word concerning sexual sin. Flee it! Like Joseph when propositioned by Potiphar’s wife, run! When we are tempted by sexual sin, we must not argue, debate, explain or rationalize. We should flee! We should view the situation, not as a test, but as a trap that we must escape at all costs. We need to get out of there as fast as we possibly can. Paul says in 2Tim.2:22 “flee from youthful lusts.”
Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body: There are other sins which affect our bodies like gluttony, drug addiction and alcoholism, but there are none that affect our bodies so severely as sexual sin.
The body is for the Lord – therefore don’t use it in sexual immorality.
The Lord is for the body – He will resurrect it to eternal glory, therefore don’t degrade your body now with sexual immorality.
The body is a member of Christ – therefore don’t demean Jesus Christ by joining yourself to a prostitute.
The body can be sinned against – therefore flee it!
5. The Body Is A Temple Of The Holy Spirit: 1Cor.6:19-20
The body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God: Just as God dwelt in the temple, and it was there that the Jewish people went to worship Him, so your body is the dwelling place of God almighty, and should be used to worship and glorify Him. To commit sexual sin in a church sanctuary appears disgusting to us. However, it should be no less disgusting for a Christian to commit sexual sin anywhere, because wherever He is, He is God’s temple!
Who is in you: Wow! Let those words sink in. God is in you! He is in your body! What a motivation for holy living. Remember that the next time you are tempted to sin!
You are not your own: Paul had said in vs.18 that the immoral man sins against his own body. However, it is not really his own body. It is the Lord’s body. Why? Because the Lord bought you, the entire you, spirit, soul and body, when He laid down His life at Calvary. His blood was the ransom price to purchase you out of the slave market of sin and Satan. We really do not have a right over how we use our bodies if we have been saved. God owns the rights to how we use our bodies. We need to be asking Him how we should be using these bodies, since He owns them and died to purchase them.
Therefore glorify God in your body: With this final exhortation we have come full circle. Paul began by saying that the body is for the Lord. That is simply another way of saying that the body is to bring glory to the Lord. Let’s finish with some life application questions.
1. When you make a decision on what you will do, do you ask yourself whether it will be profitable, either to yourself or someone else?
2. Do you consider whether your choice will cause you to become enslaved to something else?
3. How should the truth of your union with Christ give you motivation to avoid all sexual sin?
4. What are some other motivations for holiness that we are given in vs. 19 and 20?
5. What will you do with what God has spoken in this passage?
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