New Life Bible Fellowship Church
5/10/2026

      • Psalm 16:7–11KJV1900

  • 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)
  • Trust And Obey

      • Proverbs 23:1–18KJV1900

  • Introduction:

    "All things are lawful for me."
    That was the slogan. That was the banner the Corinthians were waving. And on the surface, it sounds almost... Pauline. Didn't Paul himself preach freedom in Christ? Didn't he tear down the old barriers of law and circumcision? Didn't he declare that we are no longer under the law but under grace?
    Yes. He did. And the Corinthians took that ball and ran with it—right off a cliff.
    We have journeyed now through five and a half chapters of this letter, and a pattern has emerged. The Corinthians are a church rich in gifts but poor in wisdom. They are spiritual infants who think they are kings. They boast in human leaders while the apostles suffer as the scum of the world. They tolerate a man sleeping with his stepmother while puffing themselves up with pride. They drag each other to pagan courts, wronging and defrauding their own brothers, all while claiming to be wise.
    And underneath it all? A fundamental confusion about freedom.
    Paul has already reminded them of who they are: saints who will judge the world, saints who will judge angels, saints who were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. That glorious identity should have produced transformed living. Instead, some in Corinth were using their freedom as a license for immorality.
    The Corinthians thought freedom meant "I can do whatever I want." Paul will show them that true freedom means "I belong to Someone else."
    Today we will hear Paul correct their slogans, expose their errors, and call them—and us—to glorify God in our bodies, as we continue to examine what holiness looks like in the Church. For the Christian, there is no such thing as "just physical." What we do with our bodies reveals what we believe about our Lord.
    Let's open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians 6:12.

    Text: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

    1 Corinthians 6:12–20 ESV
    12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

    Main Idea: Because our bodies are members of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit, Christian freedom does not include sexual immorality.

    Background:

    1. Corinthian Slogans

    Paul quotes statements that the Corinthians themselves were using to justify their behavior. Scholars generally identify two slogans in this passage:
    Slogan 1: "All things are lawful for me" (v. 12)This appears twice and seems to be a Corinthian misapplication of Pauline freedom. Paul taught freedom from the Mosaic law; the Corinthians twisted this into moral license.
    Slogan 2: "Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food" (v. 13a)This slogan reflects a view that bodily appetites are natural and morally neutral. Just as eating satisfies hunger, so (they reasoned) sexual activity satisfies another bodily appetite. Both are merely physical.
    Paul quotes these slogans and then qualifies or refutes them. This rhetorical pattern—quoting an opponent's position before correcting it—is called "diatribe" and was common in ancient philosophical discourse.

    2. Greco-Roman Attitudes Toward the Body and Sex

    The Corinthians' reasoning reflects common Greco-Roman assumptions:
    Dualism - Greek philosophical traditions (especially Platonic thought) tended to devalue the body. The soul was immortal and valuable; the body was temporary and insignificant. What one did with the body had no bearing on the soul.
    Sexual Ethics - Roman sexual ethics were quite different from Jewish standards. For a free Roman male, visiting prostitutes was socially acceptable—even expected. Prostitution was legal, and temple prostitution was connected to various cults. Sexual activity was viewed as a bodily function, not a moral issue (at least for men).
    The Corinthian Synthesis - Some Corinthian Christians apparently combined their new freedom in Christ with these cultural assumptions. If the body is temporary and morally neutral, and if all things are lawful, then sexual behavior is a matter of indifference.

    I. Freedom Rightly Understood (vv. 12-14)

    Paul opens with two Corinthian slogans about permissibility:
    12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
    All things are lawful for me - this first slogan misrepresents the Christians freedom.
    ἔξεστι (exesti) — "It is lawful / It is permitted" - This impersonal verb means "it is permitted, it is possible, it is lawful." The Corinthian slogan claims that everything is permissible for the believer.
    Paul likely taught something similar regarding freedom from Mosaic regulations. The Corinthians have distorted this teaching into a blanket justification for any behavior. Paul tells the Galatioans in Galatians 5:1
    Galatians 5:1 ESV
    1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
    but not all things are helpful -
    συμφέρω (sympherō) — "To be beneficial / To be profitable / To be advantageous" Paul's first qualification: not everything that is permitted is beneficial. Lawfulness is not the only criterion for behavior. The question is not merely "May I?" but "Should I? Will this help or harm?" Paul will visit this again with regard to Christian liberties in Chapters 8-10, with this very wording in 1 Cor. 10:23
    1 Corinthians 10:23 ESV
    23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.
    but I will not be dominated by anything.
    ἐξουσιάζω (exousiazō) — "To have authority over / To master / To control" - Paul's second qualification involves a wordplay. The slogan uses ἔξεστιν ("it is lawful/permitted"); Paul responds with ἐξουσιασθήσομαι ("I will be mastered"). The words share the same root (ἐξουσία, "authority/power")
    The irony: those who claim "all things are permitted to me" may find themselves controlled by the very things they claim freedom to do. Sexual sin is particularly enslaving. True freedom is not being mastered by anything.
    The Logic of Verse 12 - Paul grants the slogan but adds two critical qualifications:
    Beneficial: Not everything permitted is helpful
    Enslaving: Freedom can become bondage
    The Corinthians are claiming freedom while becoming slaves to their appetites.
    13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
    Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food - The second slogan that misunderstands the sacredness of the body.
    The logic: food and stomach are made for each other—a natural, morally neutral pairing. By analogy (the Corinthians reasoned), the body and sex are made for each other—equally natural, equally neutral.
    God will destroy both one and the other.
    καταργέω (katargeō) — "To render inoperative / To abolish / To destroy" - Paul may be partly agreeing: yes, food and stomach are temporary and will be abolished. But this does not support the Corinthian conclusion about the body and sex.
    The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord,
    The Critical Distinction - Here Paul breaks the Corinthian analogy. The body is not like the stomach. The stomach is temporary; the body has an eternal destiny. The stomach is for food; the body is for the Lord.
    The dative construction (τῷ κυρίῳ) expresses purpose or destination. The body exists for the Lord—it belongs to Him, serves Him, is destined for Him.
    The Logic of Verse 13 - Paul refutes the Corinthian analogy:
    Food/stomach (keeps the earthly body alive): temporary, will be destroyed
    Body/Lord: permanent, destined for resurrection
    The body is not a morally neutral container for the soul. It is for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.
    14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
    ἐγείρω (egeirō) — "To raise" - The aorist (ἤγειρεν) points to the past, completed resurrection of Christ. The future (ἐξεγερεῖ) points to the coming resurrection of believers. The compound ἐξεγείρω ("to raise up") is intensive.
    The Logic of Verse 14
    This verse grounds the argument. Why does the body matter? Because God will raise it. The resurrection of Christ guarantees the resurrection of believers. Our bodies are not disposable; they have an eternal future.
    The Corinthians treated the body as temporary and therefore morally insignificant. Paul says: God raised Christ bodily and will raise you bodily. Your body matters eternally. Therefore the Corinthians are not to have the same dualistic view of the body and spirit as does the culture around them.

    II. Union with Christ Violated (vv. 15-17)

    15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!
    Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
    μέλος (melos) — "Member / Limb / Body part" - Paul uses body-part language. Believers' bodies are not merely associated with Christ; they are members of Christ—limbs of His body. The union is organic and real.
    Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?
    αἴρω (airō) — "To take / To take away / To remove" - The participle describes taking the members of Christ and making them members of a prostitute. The question is rhetorical and horrified: shall I do this?
    πόρνη (pornē) — "Prostitute" - This is the feminine form (the male πόρνος appeared earlier). Paul envisions a specific scenario: a Christian man visiting a prostitute, thereby joining Christ's members to her.
    Never! The Pauline Expletive - This is Paul's characteristic expression of horrified rejection (cf. Rom 3:4, 6, 31; 6:2, 15; 7:7, 13; 9:14; 11:1, 11; Gal 2:17; 3:21). It expresses the strongest possible negation: "Absolutely not! Perish the thought! God forbid!"
    The Logic of Verse 15 - Paul's argument reaches its emotional peak. Your bodies are members of Christ. When you join yourself to a prostitute, you are taking Christ's members and joining them to her. This is unthinkable, horrifying, blasphemous.
    16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.”
    Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her?
    κολλάω (kollaō) — "To join / To glue / To unite / To cling to" - This verb means "to glue together, to join closely, to unite." In the passive, it describes being joined or joining oneself to someone. Sexual union creates a real bond—not merely physical contact but a joining of persons.
    For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.
    Genesis 2:24 Citation - Paul quotes Genesis 2:24, the foundational text for marriage. Remarkably, he applies it to sexual union with a prostitute. The "one flesh" reality is not limited to marriage; it occurs in any sexual union.
    This does not legitimize prostitution but shows its gravity. Sexual intercourse is never casual. It always creates a "one flesh" bond—even with a prostitute.
    The Logic of Verse 16
    Paul grounds his argument in creation. Genesis 2:24 establishes that sexual union makes two people "one flesh." This is not merely a marriage ideal but a creational reality. When a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body/flesh with her.
    The implication: you cannot be "one flesh" with a prostitute and remain unaffected in your union with Christ.
    So if sexual union between a man and a prostitute is described as a one flesh union as is the sexual relationship between two married people, what’s the difference?
    Sexual intercourse does not automatically constitute marriage—Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 but not in its entirety. Marriage requires leaving one’s parents and committing to the other person; sexual union alone, without those covenantal dimensions, violates rather than creates marriage. Yet the physical reality remains identical: when two people become one flesh, there occurs a blending of characters, minds, spirits, wills, emotions, and bodies.
    The critical difference lies in covenantal obligation. In Scripture, covenants are attested by both oaths and signs; the sexual act functions as the covenant sign for marriage, binding one to the comprehensive union marriage promises. When Paul warns against sleeping with a prostitute because it creates “one flesh,” he recognizes that sexual union obligates the man to the total union he pledges with his body, making both parties adulterers. In other words, the physical union creates a debt—a claim on the other person—that cannot be rightfully incurred outside marriage’s covenantal framework.
    For married couples, the comprehensive union means neither spouse withholds any aspect of themselves; mutual submission in the sexual act demonstrates that neither has authority over their own body, but the other does. This mutual ownership reflects the covenant. With a prostitute, by contrast, there exists no such reciprocal claim, no covenantal commitment, no promised steadfastness—only a transaction. The physical union is identical, but the moral and relational reality is fundamentally inverted: marriage sanctifies one-flesh union through covenant; prostitution perverts it into a hollow mimicry stripped of its covenantal meaning.
    This is why the writer of Hebrews warns of any sexual relationship outside of the marriage covenant: Hebrews 13:4
    Hebrews 13:4 ESV
    4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
    17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
    The Parallel and Contrast
    Verse 16: Joined to a prostitute, Verse 17:Joined to the Lord
    Verse 16: One body/flesh, Verse 17: One spirit
    Verse 16: Sexual union, Verse 17: Spiritual union
    The same verb (κολλάω) is used for both unions. But the unions are radically different in nature and outcome.
    ἓν πνεῦμα (hen pneuma) — "One spirit" - The believer united to Christ is "one spirit" with Him. This is not merely agreement or affection but a true absolute union—sharing in Christ's life through the Spirit.
    The Logic of Verse 17 - The contrast is stark. Sexual union with a prostitute creates a "one flesh" bond. Spiritual union with Christ creates a "one spirit" bond. These two unions are incompatible. You cannot be one spirit with Christ and one flesh with a prostitute.

    III. The Temple Sanctified (vv. 18-20)

    18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
    Flee from sexual immorality
    φεύγω (pheugō) — "To flee / To escape" - The present imperative commands ongoing action: keep fleeing, make it your habit to flee. The command is not "resist" but "flee." With sexual temptation, the strategy is not to stand and fight but to run (cf. Joseph in Gen 39:12; 2 Tim 2:22).
    Genesis 39:12 ESV
    12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house.
    2 Timothy 2:22 ESV
    22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
    Every other sin a person commits is outside the body
    Interpretive Difficulty - This statement is debated. Is Paul quoting another Corinthian slogan? Or is he making a general statement that he then qualifies?
    Some sins (gluttony, drunkenness) seem to involve the body, so the statement cannot be absolute. Most likely, Paul is speaking comparatively: other sins may affect the body, but sexual sin uniquely involves giving the body to another person, creating a "one flesh" union.
    but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body
    εἰς τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα (eis to idion sōma) — "Against his own body" - Sexual sin is unique. It is a sin against one's own body—the body that is for the Lord, that is a member of Christ, that is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Other sins may harm the body; sexual sin violates its very identity and purpose.
    The Logic of Verse 18 - Paul issues a command (flee!) and grounds it in the unique nature of sexual sin. Sexual immorality is not just another sin. It is a sin against one's own body—the body destined for resurrection, united to Christ, indwelt by the Spirit.
    19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
    Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you
    ναός (naos) — "Temple / Sanctuary" - This is the inner sanctuary where God's presence dwells—not the broader temple complex (ἱερόν) but the holy place itself. The believer's body is the dwelling place of God's Spirit.
    In 3:16-17, Paul called the church corporately a temple. Here he applies it individually. Each believer's body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
    whom you have from God
    The Spirit as Gift - The Holy Spirit is a gift from God. Believers "have" the Spirit—not by their own achievement but by God's grace. The Spirit's indwelling is not earned but received. John 16:7-8
    John 16:7–8 ESV
    7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
    You are not your own
    οὐκ ἐστὲ ἑαυτῶν (ouk este heautōn) — "You are not your own" - This is the death blow to Corinthian autonomy. The slogan "all things are lawful for me" assumes self-ownership: I belong to myself; I can do what I want.
    Paul says: No. You do not belong to yourself. You are not your own.
    The Logic of Verse 19 - Two staggering realities:
    Your body is a temple—the Holy Spirit dwells in you
    You are not your own—you belong to Another
    Both realities undermine the Corinthian assumption of moral autonomy. You cannot do whatever you want with your body because it is not yours; it is God's dwelling place.
    20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
    for you were bought with a price
    ἀγοράζω (agorazō) — "To buy / To purchase" - This verb comes from ἀγορά ("marketplace"). It means "to buy, to purchase." The aorist passive indicates a completed action done to them: they were bought.
    τιμή (timē) — "Price / Value / Honor" - The genitive of price indicates the cost: "at a price" or "with a price." Paul does not specify the price here, but the context of his theology makes it clear: the blood of Christ (cf. 1 Pet 1:18-19; Acts 20:28).
    Acts 20:28 ESV
    28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
    1 Peter 1:18–19 ESV
    18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
    Slavery Imagery - The language evokes the slave market. Believers were slaves to sin; Christ purchased them. They now belong to a new master. This is not oppressive but liberating—freedom from sin's tyranny, belonging to a gracious Lord.
    So glorify God in your body
    δοξάζω (doxazō) — "To glorify / To honor" - The aorist imperative commands decisive, wholehearted action: glorify God! The body is the instrument: in your body, with your body.
    The Conclusion - The passage began with the Corinthian claim "all things are lawful for me." It ends with the proper use of the body: glorifying God. True freedom is not autonomy but belonging to God and using the body for His glory.
    The Logic of Verse 20 - The argument is complete:
    You were bought—you belong to Christ
    Therefore glorify God in your body
    The body is not yours to use as you please. It was purchased at infinite cost. It is a temple of the Spirit. It is destined for resurrection. Use it for the purpose for which it was bought: the glory of God.

    So What?

    Do we understand the enslaving power of sexual sin, and the need to reject the world's view of the body?
    The Corinthians thought they were exercising freedom; they were becoming slaves. Sexual sin promises liberty but delivers bondage. Those who claim "all things are lawful" often find themselves mastered by the very things they pursue.
    Our culture treats the body as either an idol (to be worshiped and perfected) or as irrelevant (what I do physically doesn't affect who I really am). Scripture says neither. Your body is for the Lord, destined for resurrection, indwelt by the Spirit.
    Do we remember our union with Christ, and our need to flee not fight sexual sin?
    When temptation comes, remember: your body is a member of Christ. Will you take Christ's members and join them to sin? The very thought should produce the response: "May it never be!"
    Paul's strategy for sexual temptation is not resistance but flight. Run. Remove yourself. Do not negotiate with temptation. Joseph fled Potiphar's wife; so should we flee any situation that threatens purity.
    Do we understand our true identity: we are not our own, and therefore are to Glorify God in our bodies?
    This is both humbling and liberating. You are not autonomous. You were bought at infinite cost. But this means you belong to a gracious Master who loves you and gave Himself for you. Live as one who belongs to Him.
    Your body is an instrument for worship. Every act of physical obedience—sexual purity, acts of service, caring for the body as God's temple—is an act of glorifying God. Use your body for its intended purpose: His glory.

      • 1 Corinthians 6:12–20ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 6:12ESV

      • Galatians 5:1ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 10:23ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 6:13ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 6:14ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 6:15ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 6:16ESV

      • Hebrews 13:4ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 6:17ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 6:18ESV

      • Genesis 39:12ESV

      • 2 Timothy 2:22ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 6:19ESV

      • John 16:7–8ESV

      • John 16:7–8ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 6:20ESV

      • Acts 20:28ESV

      • 1 Peter 1:18–19ESV

      • 1 Peter 1:18–19ESV

  • Glorify Thy Name
New Life Bible Fellowship Church
dick.bickings@gmail.com
(302) 945-8145
https://newlifebfcde.org
18 members • 1 follower