1 Corinthians 6:11-20

1 Corinthians 6:11

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.

 

Were - Past tense

Washed - Wash oneself or wash away

Sanctified - Made holy

Justified - Declared not guilty - Judicial pardon

 

In verses 9 & 10 Paul was giving a list of the sins which were prevalent at Corinth and then he says that some of the Corinthians were involved in those sins. He mentions this to show that there must be a difference between their present lives and the lives they lived while unsaved. He states that some “were” in those sinful lifestyles. That word “were” is in the past tense. Now they are regenerated and should be living their lives to the glory of God and farther away from those sins each day. He states they were washed and sanctified. They were cleansed of these sins and because of Calvary they were made holy. (Eph 1:4 KJV) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Then Paul goes on to give another great tenet of salvation, not only are those saved people washed and sanctified, they are also justified. Justification is like that person never sinned. All their sins have been washed away and there is no sins attached to their souls. (Psa 103:12 KJV) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. It is important for Christians to know that our sins were not covered but they were removed from us. In other words, Christ made us so pure in our spiritual being that it is like we never sinned and that is why the Christian is readied for Heaven the moment they become saved. These Corinthian Christians were not understanding the great transformation that had taken place in their lives. If they were cognizant of this, they would do everything to expunge sinful behavior from their lives and also from the congregation. God gave us the Holy Spirit to indwell us because in His wisdom, He knew that sinful flesh would be too powerful for us to overcome by ourselves, so the Holy Spirit indwells us giving us the power to avoid sin. When a Christians sins, it is normally voluntary.

 

 

1 Corinthians 6:12

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.

 

Expedient - profitable, good or best

Lawful - permitted or possible

 

This verse is not an invitation to venture into the sinful or worldly lifestyle. There are many restraints placed on the Christian walk because of our new life and testimony. Now we know from even a cursory study of Scripture that all sinful lifestyles are wrong and God would not want us to believe that “all things” referred to in this verse includes sinful things. What is in view here are those things that we are permitted to partake of, which are not sinful, but can bring us under its power, by addiction. For example, today we have sports. Sports is not necessarily sinful but when it becomes the consuming passion in a Christian’s life, then they are brought under the power of it. Even the Internet, if a person lives on it, they are addicted to it, which means they are brought under the power of it. We can enjoy the things that God has given us without making them a god over us. We can enjoy swimming, skiing, volleyball, hiking, bird watching, ham radio, coin collecting, etc., without them becoming consuming passions in our life. When that happens, then they are not profitable for us and could make our Christianity secondary and this is what Paul is warning about. Even innocuous things that I just mentioned can become a ruler over us if we don’t put them in their proper place.

 

 

1 Corinthians 6:13

(A) Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. (B) Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

 

Destroy - abolish, cease, do away with

 

(A) Paul is stating that the body has certain appetites which must be attended to. God designed the stomach to digest food. God will eventually do away with our bodies as we presently know them which means the stomach and all its components (our entire body) will be done away with. God is speaking of our earthly bodies as a temporary domicile.

 

(B) As the stomach was created for a certain task which is the digesting of food, so the body also has a specific task. Our bodies were not made for fornication but our bodies were made unto the glory of God and for express purpose of serving the Lord. One of the great and common sins of Corinth was all kinds of sexual activities. Remember the temple of Diana was located there with over 1,000 prostitutes in attendance. Paul is reminding them that fornication was part of their past life and now they are to present their bodies to the Lord for pure purposes. (Rom 12:1-2 KJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. {2} And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Paul also states in this verse that the Lord is for our bodies, as He supplies the food and water, gives us the healing when we become ill, gives us our next heartbeat. This is why there is arrogance in committing sin because we think we are in control of our bodies and don’t realize that it is God who gives us daily strength. One day when our body starts failing, we will then realize who really was in charge.

 

 

1 Corinthians 6:14

(A) And God hath both raised up the Lord, (B) and will also raise up us by his own power.

 

(A) Now Paul begins to delve into an eschatological moment. He reminds these Christians that God raised up the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. (Acts 3:15 KJV) And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. He wants these Christians to know that God places a value on their bodies, even after death.

 

(B) Not only did God raise up the Lord Jesus from the dead, but that resurrection became the pledge that all those in Christ would someday on the last day be raised from the dead and would be given new bodies which would be our bodies for eternity. They would be qualified for Heaven, to be able to exist in the presence of the Glory of God, which would burn up our present mortal bodies. (1 Pet 1:3 KJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

 

 

1 Corinthians 6:15

(A) Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? (B) shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

 

(A) The body of believers are considered so intimate with the Lord Jesus Christ that he explains the relationship by saying we are members of Christ. This is well explained by the following verse which states we are actual members of His physical body:

 

(Eph 5:30 KJV) For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

 

The picture in view here is the complex nature and make up of the human body. Our eyes can see and discern seven thousand colors. By saying we are members of His body, we are being told that we are each an intricate part of the body of Christ. In fact, so intricate, that the Bible likens us to being part of His physical body.

 

(B) Now Paul says that since we are such an intimate part of the body of Christ, it would be reprehensible to make us members of a harlot. He is speaking here that since a Christian has such a standing with Christ, should they be involved in sinful behavior or be exposed to sin which could once again ensnare them? God forbid such a thing. Any time Christians choose to sin against Christ, they are playing the harlot. They are engaging in spiritual prostitution. When a Christian sins, they are bringing the Holy Spirit in contact with sin and this is what grieves Him. We are commanded to live holy and separated lives so we will not grieve Him. (Eph 4:30 KJV) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Christians are to avoid sinful situations at all costs.

 

 

1 Corinthians 6:16

What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.

 

When a person is joined to a harlot it becomes a complicated situation in that there is a union of body, mind, and spirit. It is the same way when a person is a member of a false gospel, they become one with its evil principles in all manners. This is why Paul uses the following marriage verses:

 

(Gen 2:24 KJV) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

 

(Mark 10:8 KJV) And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

 

When we are in the true gospel we are married to Christ. When a person is in the false gospel they are married to it. The Bible uses the marriage relationship as showing how intimately a person is either married to sin (harlot) or to Christ. Basically, the text is teaching that you are saved or unsaved. If a person is saved, they must never play the harlot with the world.

 

 

1 Corinthians 6:17

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

 

Is joined -”cleave to, join, or cling to

 

Being in Christ forms a total relationship which outranks those who are one with a false gospel in the arena that “being joined” to Christ does not end in eternal damnation whereas false gospels do. We are one spirit with the Lord as a man and wife are one flesh, joined together. (Amos 3:3 KJV) Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Since we are one spirit with the Lord, we can never be divorced since we are eternally secure. Our Spirits have been melded eternally with the Lord.

 

 

1 Corinthians 6:18

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

 

Now Paul is saying that we now know that we have such an intimate and eternal relationship with the Lord. We need to flee fornication as fast as we can. The word “flee” means “escape or shun.” If a person steals or destroys property, that sin is outside the body, but if one sins in fornication, they sin against themselves. Fornication is a sin of self-destruction. Fornication is a personal sin which can devastate the body. If God thinks enough of the bodies that He created for us to live in and that He plans on raising every single one from the dead and changing the ones that are still alive at the return of Christ, then we better start realizing how serious the sin of fornication is. It is not just a tryst for while and then it becomes a memory, it is a dreadful sin against God and against the participating people. If we flee or escape fornication, then we will escape the horrible accompanying consequences. (Heb 13:4 KJV) Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

 

 

1 Corinthians 6:19

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?

 

In 1 Cor 3:16-17 Paul was speaking of the church corporate but here the Bible is telling us that the individual Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Since we are brought with a price, we are to avoid sin and sinful situations. As we said before the Holy Spirit indwells the believer until the day of redemption. As soon as we became Christians, we became the children of God and as children of God, we are His redeemed possession. Unsaved man thinks they are the rulers of their own destiny and can do anything they desire without any culpability. When Christians start thinking that way, then God must begin to chastise them. Paul chides them by saying “know ye not..” In other words, these Corinthians should have at least known this much, in that they are God’s prized possession and they cannot act independently of the Lord. Oh what a hindering sin is remaining immature in the faith.

 

 

1 Corinthians 6:20

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

 

Ye are bought - a past one time action

 

The great price that we were bought with was the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary. He paid the ultimate price to redeem His Elect. The fact that the Bible uses the term “bought” tells us that we are not our own. We are the possession of the one who purchased us. If you buy a car and pay for it totally, then that car is yours. The Lord Jesus went to the cross and paid totally for the sins of His people which means Christians are not their own to do as they wish. Their will is now the will of the Lord. The word “glorify” is in the Imperative mood which means it is a command and that our Christian walk must be visibly lived, both in public and private, to reflect to the glory of God. So living the Christian life is not an option, it is a command! Glorifying God in our body means we must never engage in any sinful activities which could hurt our bodies. We are to live a totally committed life to the Lord and we are to forsake all sinful activities. The word “ye are bought” is in the Passive Voice which means that the subject of the sentence is receiving the action. This word alone negates any idea that a sinner can accept the Lord or that a person can choose the Lord for salvation. We are passive in our salvation and the only part we play, is receiving it, since all the work was already done on Calvary. (Mat 1:21 KJV) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (John 19:30 KJV) When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

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