1 Corinthians 6:12-20 New American Standard Bible
The Body Is the Lord’s
12 All things are permitted for me, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, however God will do away with both [a]of them. But the body is not for sexual 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 parts of Christ? Shall I then take away the parts of Christ and make them parts of a prostitute? [b]Far from it! 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 sexual immorality. Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the [c]sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a [d]temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from [e]God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
The Christian hope is a hope with skin on it.
From the moment He left the tomb, Jesus took greatest pains to prove that the resurrection He underwent was bodily in nature.
“Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself!” Jesus told the disciples in Luke 24:39. “Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
Why did Jesus do that?
The bodily resurrection of Jesus is proof not only of Jesus’ continued life but of the important role of the body in God’s plan for redeemed humanity.
Jesus’ resurrected body is the truest guarantee that our physical bodies will one day be resurrected.
This means that Christian spirituality is embodied spirituality.
God’s plan for the body in the life to come underscores the importance of the body in the present. Some of the Corinthian believers felt that the body was incidental to their spiritual lives.
They believed they could do whatever they pleased with it because it was only a body. Paul captures their philosophy with two of their own slogans.
One was an extreme view of liberty: “I have the right to do anything” (v. 12). The other denied the moral importance of bodily behavior: “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both” (v. 13).
The apostle corrected both errors by pointing to the body’s future destiny and what that implies about its present use.
The body is meant solely “for the Lord” and even now functions as His temple through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (vv. 13, 19).
The indwelling Holy Spirit is a mark of God’s ownership. Those who are in Christ have been united to Christ by the Spirit. Their body belongs to Him.
Our freedom is the freedom to obey and not do whatever we want.
Dare Yourself to Go Deeper Yet …
Why does Paul say that our body is not our own?
How can you glorify God with your body today?
In understanding our bodily existence as believers, it is essential to recognize that our bodies serve a divine purpose far removed from the cultural norms of Corinth, where just about every manner of immorality was running rampant.
Paul emphasizes that the body is not intended for immorality but for the Lord.
This assertion addresses a very significant misunderstanding among the Corinthians who wrongly equated physical appetites, akin to the desire for food, with spiritual liberty. Instead, Paul clarifies that the body is meant to exclusively reflect God’s glory and be a vessel wholly suitable for His service.
The importance of our physical bodies is further underscored by the reality of resurrection. God raised Christ and promises to raise us, granting our bodies value and purpose today. The life we lead in our bodies should thus align with this eternal hope, so as not to degrade what God has deemed honorable.
Engaging in sexual immorality not only disrespects our bodies but also insults the sacred union we share with Christ. This foundational truth is absolutely 100% crucial for Christians, as our bodies are seen as members of Christ, and our decisions, choices with them bear eternal significance (1 Corinthians 6:14).
Pray with Us
Lord, You’re conceived of the Holy Spirit, were born of a woman, had a real human body when You had walked, lived on the earth, and Your resurrection was bodily in nature. This tells us a lot about our own bodies: You created them, have a unique plan for them in Your kingdom. Teach us to value our bodies.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 