1Co 6:12-20 Final Thoughts and Application

We conclude our look at Paul's discussion of sexual immorality and our body in 1Co 6:12-20 with some final thoughts and application.

The overview of the entire section can be found HERE.

The in-depth look at the verses 1Co 6:12-13 can be found HERE.

The in-depth look at the verses 1Co 6:14-17 can be found HERE. 

The in-depth look at 1Co 6:18-0 can be found HERE.  



You can hover your pointer over (most) any verse reference to read the corresponding verse(s).  (Scriptural cross-references are THE most important resource!)

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (NASB)
¹² All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
¹³ Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.
¹⁴ Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.
¹⁵ Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!
¹⁶ Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."
¹⁷ But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
¹⁸ Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.
¹⁹ 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?
²⁰ For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Biblical Principles

• What fundamental universal truths are presented in this passage. State that truth in a simple sentence or two.  -- Sexual sin has a particularly nasty effect on our moral and spiritual fiber as it is a sin against our own bodies.  Our own bodies!  Which are not our own but are for the Lord.  Our own bodies!  Which are a sanctuary for the Holy Spirit.  Jesus paid the ransom for our redemption!  Our bodies are not our own.
• What issues in our own culture and my own situations does this truth address? --  The only way to stop sinning is to turn to God for help!  Only through His strength will I be able to be free from my sins!
• What changes does it require? -- A true desire and dedication to stop.
• What values does it reinforce? -- It reinforces the value that God loves us for He gave us a way to be saved.  But that means we have to treat our bodies correctly.
• What difference does it make? -- All the difference!

Application

• Is there an example to follow? -- YES!  Paul!
• Is there a sin to avoid? -- Uhh..yes!  Sexual immorality which is all sex outside of marriage!
• Is there a promise to claim? --The Holy Spirit resides in us, as He was placed there by God!  God will raise up our bodies! 
• Is there a command to obey? -- To RUN from sexual immorality!!
• Is there a verse to memorize? -- The whole passage!
• Is there an error to mark? -- Not asking God for help!  The only reason we  fail to run from sin is that we fail to turn to God for help.  The times I turn to Him for help, I am successful at fleeing from temptation!

Application Summary

• Pretty obvious!  To constantly pray to God for help!  Every day, all day!  God wants us to run from sin, all we need to do is ask Him for the strength and will power to do so!!

 Bibliography

• God's Word: Today's Bible Translation That Means What It Says Holiday, FL: Green Key Books, n.d.. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• – Holman Christian Standard Bible Nashville: Holman Bible, 1999. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• – Holman Christian Standard Bible Nashville: Holman Bible, 1999. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Holy Bible, New American Standard La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• The Holy Bible: New King James Version Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1988. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.

A new study: 1Co 6:12-20 Inital Overview

Today we start a new study on the verses 1Co 6:12-20  where Paul gives a very clear teaching on sexual morality as it pertains to our bodies. (never an easy subject to bring up!)

You can hover your pointer over (most) any verse reference to read the corresponding verse(s).  (Scriptural cross-references are THE most important resource!)

Initial Observations

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (NASB)
¹² All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
¹³ Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.
¹⁴ Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.
¹⁵ Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!
¹⁶ Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."
¹⁷ But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
¹⁸ Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.
¹⁹ 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?
²⁰ For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Author: 

• The Apostle Paul

Date written: 

• Spring in either 53, 54 or 55 A.D.

Purpose: 

• Paul was compelled to write this substantial letter to Church of Corinth (which he helped to found) to answer troubling questions and behaviors that were happening in the Church.  Corinth was a major Roman port with a lot of temptations!! There was also a lot of idolatry in Corinth at the time.  Paul was determined to set them straight again.

Type of Literature: 

• It is a pastoral letter to a trouble Church!  NT epistles are called "occasional letters".  These are letters written in response to or to address a specific occasion, problem or happening.

Main theme(s) of these verses:   

• To avoid sexual sin and immorality as our body  is not our own!  It was purchased for us by the Sacrifice and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Things emphasized

• To avoid sexual sin
• Sexual sin is a sin against our own bodies
• Our body is a sanctuary for the Holy Spirit who resides in us.
• Our bodies are not our own, they were bought for us.
• We should honor our bodies!
• We are to glorify God with our bodies.

Things Repeated

• Avoid sexual sin
• Our body is part of Christ's body (the Church?)
• God's Holy Spirit is in (with) us.

Things True to Life

• The Holy Spirit resides in us, and was given to us by God.

Cause and Effect

• Sexual immorality is a sin against our own bodies.
• Joining with a prostitute (or any sexual encounter for that matter) is a joining of two fleshes into ONE!  This is serious.

Textual Context

• In 1 Co 6:11 Paul has just finished telling the Corinthians that even though they lived in sin previously they have been washed and sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  In other words, their conversion had caused them to be made clean through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  And apparently they had begun to lose focus and sin again!
• In 1 Co 7:1-7 (and further) Paul gives his thoughts on marriage as a way with dealing with sexual desire.  Of course these discussion can and should lead to another study entirely!  But is important to note what is discussed in 1 Co 7 in relation to these verses.

Background Information:

• Bible Background Commentary:  Biblical law forbade sex between people who were not married.

Bibliography

• Brand, Chad, Charles Draper, Archie England, ed. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• God's Word: Today's Bible Translation That Means What It Says Holiday, FL: Green Key Books, n.d.. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Hanke, Howard A. The Thompson Chain Reference Bible Companion. Indianapolis, IN: B. B. Kirkbride Bible Co., 1997. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• – Holman Christian Standard Bible Nashville: Holman Bible, 1999. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Holy Bible, New American Standard La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• The Holy Bible: New King James Version Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1988. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Pfeiffer, Charles F. and Everett F. Harrison, ed. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Chicago: Moody Bible Institute, 1990. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Thompson, Frank Charles. Thompson Chain Reference Bible. Indianapolis, IN: B. B. Kirkbride Bible Co., 1997. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.