I Corinthians 6:12-20: "Purify Your Bodies"
Paul continues his call for purity and repentance in the church at Corinth. He begins this section possibly stating a common Corinthian saying. He writes, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable". It was very possible that the Corinthian church had been using their freedom in Christ as an excuse to continue in the sin they had once participated in before they came to salvation. To put an end to this thinking, Paul puts himself into the saying, repeating the excuse they had, "All things are lawful for ME" he tells them. It is true we are free in Christ and no longer under the law. However, the Corinthian church had twisted this thought around to make a provision for sinning. Paul points out that although they are no longer under the law, they are now bond-servants of Christ, cleansed by the blood of Christ, and are to have a new heart and mind. This new mindset would faithfully concur with Paul that although they were no longer under the law "not all things are profitable". This reiterates what Paul had written in Romans 6:1-4, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life". This newness of life we are to walk in would be the mindset of Paul which said although things may be "lawful" for me, they are "not all profitable". MacArthur writes, "No sin is ever right or good, and no sin ever produces anything right or good. Sin can never be worthwhile or profitable. Profitable (sumphero) means 'to be to advantage.' In the sense that believers are free and no longer under the penalty of the law in any way, all things are lawful for them. But the price for doing some things is terribly high, terribly unprofitable. Sin never brings profit, it always brings loss".
Later in this section we will learn that Paul had sexual sin specifically in mind while instructing the Corinthian church. We will see Paul's strong words against sexual sin and how we are to flee from it at all costs.
Paul continues this section by reiterating what he had just previously said with a slightly different response. He writes, "All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything". Here Paul is running two opposite thoughts together. He is basically saying that in Christ he has a new freedom from sin he had never had before, and he does not want to ever be enslaved by anything. He is showing the Corinthians the foolishness in saying they have freedom in Christ, however, they were being mastered by their sin, they were slaves to their sinful lusts and allowing their sin to guide their thinking and actions. We must remember the grace of God and what He saved us from and fight with all we have to live by the spirit rather than the flesh. Romans 6:14, "For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace". It's a paradoxical idea that Paul is trying to get across. When you were saved by Christ, we were saved from the burden of the law, and freed from the chains of sin. Why then would you go back to living as if you are still a slave to sin? Why are you being mastered by your sin again? MacArthur points out, "No sin is more enslaving than sexual sin. The more it is indulged, the more it controls the indulger. . . . The Corinthians were no strangers to sins of sex, and unfortunately many believers there had gone back to them. In the name of Christian freedom they had become controlled by their own fleshly desires". Paul's charge to them is not to allow themselves to be mastered by any secular vice, but instead, do as he did, "I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified" (I Cor. 9:27).
It is possible in the next verse that Paul again repeats a Corinthian saying that had been going around. He writes, "Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food". At first glance this may seem to have nothing to do with sexual sin and all that Paul has just been talking about. However, when we understand the meaning of this saying, it becomes more clear. MacArthur points out, "It is likely the Corinthians were using this truth as an analogy to justify sexual immorality. The Greek text says literally, 'The foods the belly, the belly the foods.' Perhaps this was popular proverb meant to celebrate the idea that 'sex is no different from eating: the stomach was made for food, and the body was made for sex.'" Paul then makes the point that, "God will do away with both of them". His point here is to show them that both the stomach and food are temporal things that God will do away with. However, "the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord is for the body". The body has been designed by the Lord as a vessel to serve him and not to be used for immorality. So although it was true that the stomach and food were strictly biological functions, the body itself is spiritual and is not to be used for serving its lusts. To show the full extents of his thinking Paul reminds them, "Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power". MacArthur comments, "Our bodies are designed not only to serve in this life but in the life to come. They will be changed bodies, resurrected bodies, glorified bodies, heavenly bodies- but they will still be our own bodies". What a wonderful and terrible thought at the same time. What are we doing with our bodies here on earth? It is a wonder to know the glory that awaits us and the joy we will have in our resurrected and glorified bodies, however, how are we treating the one that God gave us here on earth to serve him. Paul's point is to get his readers to understand that God has created us, saved us, and will one day resurrect our bodies, let us remember this when we are thinking to use our bodies for immorality.
Paul continues his reminder to the Corinthians of the use of our bodies. He writes, "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?" Paul undoubtedly had taught them this, however, by the way they were living they obviously had forgotten this truth. The individual members of the church together make up the body of Christ. Ephesians 1:22-23 says that Christ is "head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all". What a sobering thought to think that as we pollute our bodies with sin, we bring that pollution into the body of Christ. Christ is in no way tainted with our sin, however, the function of the body is clearly affected by it. Paul wants to remind the Corinthians that in fact they are "members of Christ" so that he may make the next piercing statement, "Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot?" What a horrible thought to think that when we commit immoral acts with our body, it is to use part of Christ's own body to do so. Paul's response is, "May it never be!" This is Paul's typical strong response to something that should never be, something that is absolutely reprehensible. He continues his disgust for such a thought, "Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her?" When we have sexual relations outside of marriage, whether we intend to or not, we are creating a union between us and the person involved. Because we are "members of Christ" we are now bringing the union of an adulteress or a harlot into union with Christ. Paul bases this on Scripture from Gen 2:24 which says, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh". What a sobering and convicting thought to know that the Corinthians who had been redeemed by Christ, were allowing themselves to be mastered by their lustful thinking and because of these actions were unifying the filthiness of a harlot with the body of Christ. Paul then makes what usually is a wonderful truth into something horrifying knowing the context, "But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him". MacArthur points out, "That statement is filled with profound meaning and wondrous implications. But for his purpose here, Paul uses it to show that a Christian who commits sexual immorality involves his Lord. All sex outside marriage is sin, but when committed by believers it is especially reprehensible, because it profanes Jesus Christ, with whom the believer is one (cf. John 14:18-23; 15:4, 7; 17:20-23)".
Finally, in one quick but powerful command Paul gives us the key to staying away from sexual sin, "Flee immorality". We are not to argue with, debate, think about, ponder, or do anything with sexual sin except flee. We are never to think we are strong enough to handle temptation, for by then we are already conquered. The only way to escape this sin is to literally flee from the situation. Paul gives us unique perspective on this sin. He classifies sin into two categories, "Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body". Although all sin is looked at as equally in God's eyes, sexual sin has more deep and personal consequences than any other sin. MacArthur writes, "It rises from within the body bent on personal gratification. It drives like no other impulse and when fulfilled affects the body like no other sin. It has a way of internally destroying a person that no other sin has. Because sexual intimacy is the deepest uniting of two persons, its misuse corrupts on the deepest human level". And for this purpose, Paul is telling us to FLEE it at all costs.
As if Paul had not made a strong enough argument for fleeing immorality, he makes yet another point for our purity. "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" When we proclaim the name of Jesus and believe in Him for our salvation we immediately receive His Spirit who lives in us, it is then God's Spirit who should lead and control our lives. God is always with us and in us, seeing everything we do. Let's remember this every time we our tempted with the decision to sin. We are not our own, "for [we] have been bought with a price". Christ's sacrifice on the cross took the punishment for our sin, it made us a new creation able to now live in fellowship with God, in fact we have His Spirit living within us. For this reason we are not our own and rather than use our bodies to fulfill sinful lusts, we should be using it to "glorify God".
Later in this section we will learn that Paul had sexual sin specifically in mind while instructing the Corinthian church. We will see Paul's strong words against sexual sin and how we are to flee from it at all costs.
Paul continues this section by reiterating what he had just previously said with a slightly different response. He writes, "All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything". Here Paul is running two opposite thoughts together. He is basically saying that in Christ he has a new freedom from sin he had never had before, and he does not want to ever be enslaved by anything. He is showing the Corinthians the foolishness in saying they have freedom in Christ, however, they were being mastered by their sin, they were slaves to their sinful lusts and allowing their sin to guide their thinking and actions. We must remember the grace of God and what He saved us from and fight with all we have to live by the spirit rather than the flesh. Romans 6:14, "For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace". It's a paradoxical idea that Paul is trying to get across. When you were saved by Christ, we were saved from the burden of the law, and freed from the chains of sin. Why then would you go back to living as if you are still a slave to sin? Why are you being mastered by your sin again? MacArthur points out, "No sin is more enslaving than sexual sin. The more it is indulged, the more it controls the indulger. . . . The Corinthians were no strangers to sins of sex, and unfortunately many believers there had gone back to them. In the name of Christian freedom they had become controlled by their own fleshly desires". Paul's charge to them is not to allow themselves to be mastered by any secular vice, but instead, do as he did, "I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified" (I Cor. 9:27).
It is possible in the next verse that Paul again repeats a Corinthian saying that had been going around. He writes, "Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food". At first glance this may seem to have nothing to do with sexual sin and all that Paul has just been talking about. However, when we understand the meaning of this saying, it becomes more clear. MacArthur points out, "It is likely the Corinthians were using this truth as an analogy to justify sexual immorality. The Greek text says literally, 'The foods the belly, the belly the foods.' Perhaps this was popular proverb meant to celebrate the idea that 'sex is no different from eating: the stomach was made for food, and the body was made for sex.'" Paul then makes the point that, "God will do away with both of them". His point here is to show them that both the stomach and food are temporal things that God will do away with. However, "the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord is for the body". The body has been designed by the Lord as a vessel to serve him and not to be used for immorality. So although it was true that the stomach and food were strictly biological functions, the body itself is spiritual and is not to be used for serving its lusts. To show the full extents of his thinking Paul reminds them, "Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power". MacArthur comments, "Our bodies are designed not only to serve in this life but in the life to come. They will be changed bodies, resurrected bodies, glorified bodies, heavenly bodies- but they will still be our own bodies". What a wonderful and terrible thought at the same time. What are we doing with our bodies here on earth? It is a wonder to know the glory that awaits us and the joy we will have in our resurrected and glorified bodies, however, how are we treating the one that God gave us here on earth to serve him. Paul's point is to get his readers to understand that God has created us, saved us, and will one day resurrect our bodies, let us remember this when we are thinking to use our bodies for immorality.
Paul continues his reminder to the Corinthians of the use of our bodies. He writes, "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?" Paul undoubtedly had taught them this, however, by the way they were living they obviously had forgotten this truth. The individual members of the church together make up the body of Christ. Ephesians 1:22-23 says that Christ is "head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all". What a sobering thought to think that as we pollute our bodies with sin, we bring that pollution into the body of Christ. Christ is in no way tainted with our sin, however, the function of the body is clearly affected by it. Paul wants to remind the Corinthians that in fact they are "members of Christ" so that he may make the next piercing statement, "Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot?" What a horrible thought to think that when we commit immoral acts with our body, it is to use part of Christ's own body to do so. Paul's response is, "May it never be!" This is Paul's typical strong response to something that should never be, something that is absolutely reprehensible. He continues his disgust for such a thought, "Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her?" When we have sexual relations outside of marriage, whether we intend to or not, we are creating a union between us and the person involved. Because we are "members of Christ" we are now bringing the union of an adulteress or a harlot into union with Christ. Paul bases this on Scripture from Gen 2:24 which says, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh". What a sobering and convicting thought to know that the Corinthians who had been redeemed by Christ, were allowing themselves to be mastered by their lustful thinking and because of these actions were unifying the filthiness of a harlot with the body of Christ. Paul then makes what usually is a wonderful truth into something horrifying knowing the context, "But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him". MacArthur points out, "That statement is filled with profound meaning and wondrous implications. But for his purpose here, Paul uses it to show that a Christian who commits sexual immorality involves his Lord. All sex outside marriage is sin, but when committed by believers it is especially reprehensible, because it profanes Jesus Christ, with whom the believer is one (cf. John 14:18-23; 15:4, 7; 17:20-23)".
Finally, in one quick but powerful command Paul gives us the key to staying away from sexual sin, "Flee immorality". We are not to argue with, debate, think about, ponder, or do anything with sexual sin except flee. We are never to think we are strong enough to handle temptation, for by then we are already conquered. The only way to escape this sin is to literally flee from the situation. Paul gives us unique perspective on this sin. He classifies sin into two categories, "Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body". Although all sin is looked at as equally in God's eyes, sexual sin has more deep and personal consequences than any other sin. MacArthur writes, "It rises from within the body bent on personal gratification. It drives like no other impulse and when fulfilled affects the body like no other sin. It has a way of internally destroying a person that no other sin has. Because sexual intimacy is the deepest uniting of two persons, its misuse corrupts on the deepest human level". And for this purpose, Paul is telling us to FLEE it at all costs.
As if Paul had not made a strong enough argument for fleeing immorality, he makes yet another point for our purity. "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" When we proclaim the name of Jesus and believe in Him for our salvation we immediately receive His Spirit who lives in us, it is then God's Spirit who should lead and control our lives. God is always with us and in us, seeing everything we do. Let's remember this every time we our tempted with the decision to sin. We are not our own, "for [we] have been bought with a price". Christ's sacrifice on the cross took the punishment for our sin, it made us a new creation able to now live in fellowship with God, in fact we have His Spirit living within us. For this reason we are not our own and rather than use our bodies to fulfill sinful lusts, we should be using it to "glorify God".
posted by amesfam | 10:40 AM
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