Scripture Lesson: 1 Corinthians 6:1-20
1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. 5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. 14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
In this powerful passage, the Apostle Paul addresses the Corinthian believers, reminding them of their new identity in Christ and the profound implications for their lives, particularly concerning sexual purity. After addressing the shameful fact that they were taking fellow believers to the civil courts for judgment, he continues with a stark warning: those who persist in unrighteousness will not inherit the kingdom of God. This list of sins is not meant to be comprehensive or to condemn those who have stumbled but to highlight the kind of life that is contrary to God’s character and His kingdom.
However, Paul quickly shifts to a message of grace and transformation: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” This is the glorious truth of the Gospel! Through Christ, we are forgiven, made holy, and declared righteous. Our past does not define our present or our future in God. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17).
The core of Paul’s argument then turns to the sanctity of the human body. He challenges the Corinthian philosophy that seemed to separate the spiritual from the physical, suggesting that what one did with one’s body had no bearing on one’s spiritual life. Paul vehemently refutes this. He declares that our bodies are not merely disposable vessels but “members of Christ.” This is an astonishing truth! Just as Christ has a physical body, we, His church, are His body on earth. To use our bodies for sin, especially sexual immorality, is to defile the very members of Christ.
Then comes the profound declaration in verse 19: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” This verse is a cornerstone for understanding Christian ethics regarding the body. The Holy Spirit, the very presence of God, dwells within every believer. Our bodies are not our own to do with as we please; they are sacred dwelling places for the divine.
In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Paul already addressed this very issue when he wrote: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
The reason for this sacredness is given in verse 20: “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” The “price” is the precious blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross for our redemption. We have been purchased from the slavery of sin and now belong to God. This ownership is not oppressive but liberating, calling us to live lives that honor Him in every aspect — body and spirit.
In his second letter to the Corinthian believers, Paul wrote: “He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:15).
Application:
This passage calls us to a high standard of living, not out of legalism, but out of gratitude and reverence for God’s incredible grace.
Acknowledge Your New Identity: If you are in Christ, you are washed, sanctified, and justified. Let this truth empower you to live differently. Your past sins do not define you.
Respect Your Body as Christ’s Member: Consider how you use your body — your eyes, hands, feet, and indeed, your sexuality. Are you using them in ways that honor Christ, or are you defiling His members?
Cherish Your Body as the Holy Spirit’s Temple: Recognize the incredible privilege of having the Holy Spirit reside within you. This awareness should lead to a desire to keep your temple pure and undefiled.
Live for God’s Glory: Because you are “bought with a price,” your life, both physically and spiritually, belongs to God. Let your choices, actions, and attitudes bring glory to Him. This includes fleeing from sexual immorality and any other sin that defiles the temple of the Holy Ghost.
May we all strive to live lives that reflect the sacred truth that our bodies are indeed temples of the Holy Ghost, purchased by the precious blood of Jesus and dedicated to glorifying our God.