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1 Corinthians 6:13
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11 And such were asome of you. bBut you were washed, but you were1 sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.  

Glorify God in Body and Spirit

12 aAll things are lawful for me, but all things are not1 helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of2 any.  
13 aFoods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for bsexual immorality but cfor the Lord, dand the Lord for the body.  
14 And aGod both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up bby His power.  
15 Do you not know that ayour bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!  
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For a“the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”  
17 aBut he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.  
18 aFlee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins bagainst his own body.  
19 Or ado you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, band you are not your own?  
20 For ayou were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body1 and in your spirit, which are God’s. 
Commentaries:
Forerunner Commentary
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<< 1 Corinthians 6:12   1 Corinthians 6:14 >>

What Does 1 Corinthians 6:13 Mean?



1 Corinthians 6:13-15

Maintaining good physical health is a stewardship responsibility that comes with our calling. We owe this obligation to our Creator God just as surely as we have spiritual responsibilities toward Him. We may deem these physical responsibilities as less important, but that does not nullify them.

Paul uses "body" in a dual sense, as both the spiritual body—the church—and the physical body of each member. Sin works to destroy both, and God did not create us to sin.

The sin here is fornication, porneia, which includes a broad range of sexual sins that pervert the right, godly use of sex. Paul uses it to illustrate sin's destructiveness. Sin is somewhat like junk food: It may "taste" good to the senses for a while, but before it is through, it will come back and harm us with its destructive properties. Junk food may taste good going down, but all the while, it is depriving the body of life-giving nutrients it needs to be truly strong.

In Genesis 1:28, God gave mankind dominion and responsibility to rule over His creation. Our own lives and bodies are the closest and most specific areas of God's creation over which we are to rule. In Genesis 2:15, God commands us to dress and keep His creation, giving us more specific direction in this obligation. To dress and keep means we are to beautify, enhance, embellish, and improve the raw product, along with maintaining it and inhibiting its decay and degeneration. In Genesis 4:7, God admonishes Cain—and us in principle—that a desire to go contrary to God's desires will always be part of this mix. Sin lies at the door, He warns, but we must master it. In essence, we must stir up the spirit in us to discipline ourselves. In combining these major principles, we can see that God means our major areas of operation in His purpose are those closest to us.

John W. Ritenbaugh
Eating: How Good It Is! (Part Five)

Related Topics: Body Analogy | Body Metaphor | Dress and Keep | Fornication | Health, Maintaining | Maintaining Good Health | Porneia | Sexual Immorality | Sexual Sins | Spiritual Junk Food | Stewardship


 
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