The Body is A Terrible Thing to Waste

Introduction

16–20  There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” 17 Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.” There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.” (Peterson, Eugene H. The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005. Print.)]

17 Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever - the kind of sex that can never "become one."

18 There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for "becoming one" with another.

Peterson, Eugene H. The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005. Print.

20 God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.

A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste — you know the phrase, you've heard it. That's because the iconic slogan, dreamt up by the advertising agency Young & Rubicam goes back more than four decades. It was meant to promote the United Negro College Fund scholarship program for black students. After studying First Corinthians chapter 6, I echo similar words.

Introduction

“In Paul continues to address the conduct of the Corinthian believers. Here he denounces them for using a distorted understanding of freedom in Christ to validate their visitations of prostitutes.” [Barry, John D. et al. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016. Print.]

6:12–20 Paul continues to address the conduct of the Corinthian believers. Here he denounces them for using a distorted understanding of freedom in Christ to validate their visitations of prostitutes.

[Barry, John D. et al. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016. Print.]

I. (12-14) - The Body & Food

I. (12-15) - The Body & Food

12 Just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it's spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I'd be a slave to my whims. 13 You know the old saying, "First you eat to live, and then you live to eat"? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that's no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body! 14 God honored the Master's body by raising it from the grave. He'll treat yours with the same resurrection power.

13 You know the old saying, "First you eat to live, and then you live to eat"? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that's no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body!

14 God honored the Master's body by raising it from the grave. He'll treat yours with the same resurrection power.

15 Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master's body. You wouldn't take the Master's body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not.

“CHRISTIANS ARE TO UNDERSTAND the value God places on their bodies (vv. 13–14).” [Prime, Derek. Opening up 1 Corinthians. Leominister: Day One Publications, 2005. Print. Opening Up Commentary.]

CHRISTIANS ARE TO UNDERSTAND the value God places on their bodies (vv. 13–14).

Prime, Derek. Opening up 1 Corinthians. Leominister: Day One Publications, 2005. Print. Opening Up Commentary.”

Body Part as Individual Believer — Individual believers are conceptualized as parts of a body. As each body parts has a different role and function, individual believers have different roles and functions.

“Body Part as Individual Believer — Individual believers are conceptualized as parts of a body. As each body parts has a different role and function, individual believers have different roles and functions.” (The Lexham Figurative Language of the New Testament Dataset. Lexham Figurative Language of the Bible Glossary. Ed. Joshua R. Westbury et al. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016. Print)

“The Lexham Figurative Language of the New Testament Dataset.” Lexham Figurative Language of the Bible Glossary. Ed. Joshua R. Westbury et al. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016. Print.”

II. (15-17) - The Body & Sex

15 Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master's body. You wouldn't take the Master's body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not. 16 There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, "The two become one." 17 Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever - the kind of sex that can never "become one."

17 Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever - the kind of sex that can never "become one."

“CHRISTIANS ARE TO RECOGNIZE the serious spiritual consequence of immorality (vv. 15–17).” [Prime, Derek. Opening up 1 Corinthians. Leominister: Day One Publications, 2005. Print. Opening Up Commentary.]

18 There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for "becoming one" with another.

“Sexual Immorality. “Sexual immorality” encompasses all sexual intercourse outside of marriage. The serious nature of adultery and fornication (intercourse between unmarried persons) is seen in this powerful Corinthians passage as well as throughout the Scripture. [Richards, Larry, and Lawrence O. Richards. The Teacher’s Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1987. Print.]

CHRISTIANS ARE TO RECOGNIZE the serious spiritual consequence of immorality (vv. 15–17).

Sexual Immorality. “Sexual immorality” encompasses all sexual intercourse outside of marriage. The serious nature of adultery and fornication (intercourse between unmarried persons) is seen in this powerful Corinthians passage as well as throughout the Scripture. There are two basic reasons: first, sex is sacramental, intended to bond two people together in the most intimate of human relationships. Second, marriage is a covenant, a commitment of mutual loyalty which is to reflect the commitment of God to His people. Within the context of covenant and sacrament, sex is beautiful and right. In any other, it is destructive and wrong.

There are two basic reasons for this seriousness: first, sex is sacramental, intended to bond two people together in the most intimate of human relationships. Second, marriage is a covenant, a commitment of mutual loyalty which is to reflect the commitment of God to His people.

19 Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you.

Within the context of covenant and sacrament, sex is beautiful and right. In any other, it is destructive and wrong.

[Prime, Derek. Opening up 1 Corinthians. Leominister: Day One Publications, 2005. Print. Opening Up Commentary.]

[Richards, Larry, and Lawrence O. Richards. The Teacher’s Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1987. Print.]

III. (18-20) - The Body & God

19 Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you.

18 There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for "becoming one" with another. 19 Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. 20 God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.

“CHRISTIANS ARE TO LIVE IN THE LIGHT of the knowledge that, bought at a price (v. 20), their bodies have become temples of the Holy Spirit (v. 19). In practice, that knowledge means fleeing from immorality (v. 18) and honouring God with our bodies (v. 20).” [Prime, Derek. Opening up 1 Corinthians. Leominister: Day One Publications, 2005. Print. Opening Up Commentary.]

There are two basic reasons for this seriousness: first, sex is sacramental, intended to bond two people together in the most intimate of human relationships. Second, marriage is a covenant, a commitment of mutual loyalty which is to reflect the commitment of God to His people.

CHRISTIANS ARE TO LIVE IN THE LIGHT of the knowledge that, bought at a price (v. 20), their bodies have become temples of the Holy Spirit (v. 19). In practice, that knowledge means fleeing from immorality (v. 18) and honouring God with our bodies (v. 20).

[Prime, Derek. Opening up 1 Corinthians. Leominister: Day One Publications, 2005. Print. Opening Up Commentary.]

Within the context of covenant and sacrament, sex is beautiful and right. In any other, it is destructive and wrong. [Richards, Larry, and Lawrence O. Richards. The Teacher’s Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1987. Print.]

[Richards, Larry, and Lawrence O. Richards. The Teacher’s Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1987. Print.]

Conclusion: We are bought with a price. In fact, with a GREAT PRICE!!