1 Corinthians Bible Study Message 17

1 Corinthians 6:12–20 (NKJV)

12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God both raised up 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 harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Message

You may remember our last time together we dealt with such subjects as Church discipline, the discussion of a believer suing another believer. Firstly you remember that Paul said it is a sad commentary that believers can’t resolve issues. He also challenged the church to have strong biblical leaders that have the ability to guide the process in church discipline or conflict resolution. And he finalized that it is better to simply accept the injustice and move on rather than give the Lord and His church a bad name, a bad witness.

There also is a recurrence in Paul’s letter to address sexual sin. It was an issue in the region. You remember the environment on the Acropolis.

In ancient Corinth, the Acropolis (Acrocorinth) was the center of religious and sexual immorality, especially in the worship of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and fertility. Situated on a high hill overlooking the city, the Acrocorinth housed a temple dedicated to Aphrodite, where the practice of temple prostitution was prevalent. Thousands of sacred prostitutes, both male and female, would offer sexual services as acts of worship to the goddess. This practice was deeply embedded in the culture of Corinth and became synonymous with moral depravity. The phrase “to Corinthianize” was coined, signifying a life of sexual promiscuity and debauchery, a reputation the city carried throughout the Greco-Roman world.

Paul, addressing the early Christian church in Corinth, confronted this cultural backdrop of rampant sexual immorality. Many of the new believers were likely converts from paganism, previously participating in the temple’s licentious rituals.

Paul sought to reorient the Corinthians' understanding of the body, teaching that their bodies were not for immorality but were temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). He urged them to flee sexual immorality, highlighting that in Christ, the misuse of the body was incompatible with their new identity as followers of Jesus. This was part of Paul’s broader mission to cultivate a distinct Christian ethic, challenging the corrupt norms of Corinth's prior environment.

The libertines, often mentioned in discussions of 1 Corinthians, refer to a group of individuals in the early Christian church who believed that their newfound spiritual freedom in Christ exempted them from moral and ethical boundaries. Rooted in a misunderstanding of Christian liberty, they interpreted grace as a license to indulge in fleshly desires without consequence.

1. Permissibility and Power (v. 12)

The New International Version (1984) Sexual Immorality

12 “Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything

Paul addresses the Corinthians' slogan, "All things are lawful for me," but counters with the reality that not everything is beneficial. Just because something is permissible doesn’t mean it should dominate or control us.

Paul hits on two areas of discussion relating to being permissible, but not beneficial.

Food & Sex

Let’s discuss the cloud cover of this text tonight. What is the elephant in the room of this text that we must monitor in our lives with help of the Holy Spirit.

We are talking about control. We are discussing that whatever that thing is in our lives gets out of bounds and begins to control us, it becomes a God, its becomes a priority.

Consider tonight what you might fixate on. Do not abuse Grace for license and then it becomes your liability.

Let’s brainstorm for a moment some things that we consider that are permissible, but yet might not be beneficial?

In 1 Corinthians 6:12, Paul addresses the concept that "everything is permissible," but not all things are beneficial or constructive for the Christian life. Today, there are several activities that might be allowed or socially acceptable but may not be beneficial if done excessively or without careful consideration. Here are a few examples:

Social Media Use: While engaging with social media is not inherently sinful and is often permissible, excessive or unhealthy use can lead to negative mental health effects, such as anxiety, depression, or comparison with others. Over time, it may reduce meaningful interactions and spiritual focus.

Entertainment Choices: Watching movies, playing video games, or listening to certain types of music is permissible, but regular exposure to content that promotes violence, immorality, or negative values may desensitize individuals to sin, subtly influencing their thoughts and behaviors in ways that are spiritually unhealthy.

Alcohol Consumption: Drinking alcohol in moderation is permissible for many Christians, but when consumed regularly or in excess, it can lead to addiction, impaired judgment, and damaged relationships. What starts as social drinking can easily become destructive if not kept in balance.

Workaholism: Being industrious and committed to one’s career is often praised, but overwork at the expense of family, health, or spiritual growth can lead to burnout, stress, and a life that is out of balance. While permissible, constant focus on work may not be beneficial over the long term.

Diet and Exercise Obsessions: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is beneficial, but when diet and fitness become obsessions, they can lead to unhealthy self-focus or body image issues. While permissible, overemphasis on physical appearance can detract from one’s spiritual well-being.

Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 6:12 urges Christians to think beyond mere permissibly and focus on what contributes positively to their spiritual and personal growth. This idea of “freedom with responsibility” applies to many modern-day activities that may seem harmless in moderation but can have unintended consequences when indulged in without boundaries.

Gambling, Dance, alcohol, shopping,

Key Focus: Freedom must be exercised with wisdom and self-control.

1 Corinthians 10:23 “23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.”

Romans 14:14 “14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.”

2. Purpose and Purity (vv. 13-17)

Paul contrasts the temporary nature of physical desires (like food) with the eternal purpose of the body, which is meant for the Lord. He reminds the Corinthians that their bodies are members of Christ and must not be united with immorality.

1 Corinthians Original Meaning

the Corinthians were apparently inferring from the relatively accurate observation that food and stomach were made for each other that the body and sexual release were identically related. After all, both eating and having sex seem to be limited to this life

Besides the fact that The Lord calls sex outside of marriage and fornication sin, let’s attempt to understand the sin in what The Corinthians wanted to make as a normal appetite to satisfy as in hunger.

Why is it different even though television and our culture today says its not.

Exodus 20:14 “14 “You shall not commit adultery.”

Hebrews 13:4: "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous." This verse emphasizes the sanctity of marriage and clearly states that sexual immorality, which includes any sexual relations outside of marriage, will face God’s judgment.

1 Corinthians 6:18: "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." Paul instructs believers to flee from sexual immorality, implying that sexual sin (such as fornication) defiles the body, which is a temple of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 6:19).

Ephesians 5:3: "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints." This verse highlights that sexual immorality has no place in the life of a believer, reinforcing that such behavior is contrary to God’s standards for holy living.

Inner Sanctum

Mark 10:8 “8 and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.”

Oxytocin is often referred to as the "love hormone" or "bonding hormone" because it plays a key role in social bonding, sexual reproduction, childbirth, and the period after childbirth. Here are the main effects of oxytocin:

Bonding and Trust: Oxytocin enhances emotional bonding between individuals, particularly between mothers and their infants and between romantic partners. It is released during hugging, touching, and orgasm, promoting trust and closeness.

Maternal Behavior: During childbirth and breastfeeding, oxytocin is released in large amounts, aiding in uterine contractions during labor and promoting milk ejection during breastfeeding. It also strengthens the bond between mother and child.

Sexual and Romantic Attachment: Oxytocin is released during intimate activities, such as kissing and sexual intercourse, fostering emotional closeness and attachment between partners. It is thought to play a role in long-term pair bonding.

Stress Reduction: Oxytocin has been shown to reduce levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), helping individuals feel more relaxed and emotionally secure. This calming effect can promote feelings of comfort in social interactions.

Empathy and Social Interaction: Oxytocin increases people's capacity for empathy, making them more sensitive to the emotions and experiences of others. It plays a role in how people form and maintain social connections and friendships.

While oxytocin has many positive effects, it also has complexities. For example, in some contexts, it may heighten feelings of attachment in unhealthy relationships, making it difficult to break free from harmful situations.

In essence, oxytocin contributes significantly to social, emotional, and physical bonding, playing a pivotal role in human relationships.

These verses, along with others, make it clear that sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is considered sinful in Scripture. The Bible consistently upholds the covenant of marriage as the only appropriate context for sexual relations.

Romans 6:12 “12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”

According to the Bible, engaging in sexual relationships outside of marriage can negatively affect a person emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually, often leading to feelings of guilt, shame, regret, damaged self-esteem, strained relationships, potential for sexually transmitted infections, and a weakened sense of commitment to a future marital partner, as sex is viewed as a sacred act meant to be within the covenant of marriage; essentially, it can diminish the value and sanctity of the act itself.

Also, note the price as to having a child and can not have visitation rights. The cost of keeping up two households. Awkward situations at celebrations. etc.

Key Focus: Our bodies are sacred, and we are called to live with a divine purpose of purity.

3. Possession and Price (vv. 18-20)

Paul calls believers to flee immorality, reminding them that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. They are not their own, having been bought with a price.

Genesis 39:13–18 NKJV

13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.” 16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. 17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; 18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.”

Proverbs 2:16–19 NKJV

16 To deliver you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words, 17 Who forsakes the companion of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God. 18 For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead; 19 None who go to her return, Nor do they regain the paths of life—

Proverbs 5:3–15 NKJV

3 For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil; 4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell. 6 Lest you ponder her path of life— Her ways are unstable; You do not know them. 7 Therefore hear me now, my children, And do not depart from the words of my mouth. 8 Remove your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house, 9 Lest you give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one; 10 Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, And your labors go to the house of a foreigner; 11 And you mourn at last, When your flesh and your body are consumed, 12 And say: “How I have hated instruction, And my heart despised correction! 13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me! 14 I was on the verge of total ruin, In the midst of the assembly and congregation.” 15 Drink water from your own cistern, And running water from your own well.

Proverbs 6:24–32 NKJV

24 To keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress. 25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids. 26 For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. 27 Can a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? 28 Can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared? 29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her shall not be innocent. 30 People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. 31 Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house. 32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul.

Ill. 1st Marriage I performed.

Key Focus: We belong to God, and our lives should reflect the honor and glory due to Him.

This outline highlights the theological importance of honoring God with our bodies while engaging the text in an alliterated and memorable format.