1 Corinthians 6:9-20

Here is an email I sent to someone in regards to 1 Corinthians 6:9-20.

I have already showed you how we are spiritually baptized into Christ and raised together with Him and seated with him. (Eph. 2:6, Col. 2:12)

1 Cor. 6:

[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 commiteth 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.

Now I really don't know what you are saying, but here is what I know about the passage.

1.) In verses 9-11 we see that Paul is telling them that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, then he lists some sins. BUT he says "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". As far as our spiritual standing is concerned we ARE washed, we ARE sanctified, etc., but we should walk in newness of life and live this out practically speaking (that sounded preachery eh?).

2.) I don't really understand some of 12-13, but I know Paul ends up saying that since they are washed, sanctified, etc. they are the Lord's and are not to serve their own lusts. God saved us and so we are His, we are to honor Him in our bodies. "Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body"

3.) Verse 14 states that God raised up Christ and he will raise us up as well, obviously referring to our bodies at the rapture.

4.) Verse 15 states that our bodies are the members of Christ i.e. "Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body". We are the Lord's, we are "bought" according to v.20. The Corinthians were saved (v.11) and they were the Lord's and are said to be members of Christ. They were engaged in fornication and so Paul says "shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid."

5.) Verse 16 and 17 are self explanatory. "What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." We are joined unto the Lord and are "one spirit". Therefore the Corinthians are told in v.18  to "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that commiteth fornication sinneth against his own body."

6.) 19-20 states "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? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." We are the temple of the Holy Ghost and we are bought with a price, we are not our own and should not serve our own lusts.

We are "members of Christ" and "joined unto the Lord" by us being sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is what joined us unto the Lord and we got this when we believed the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4) and trusted Christ rather than ourselves (Eph. 2:8-9). At that moment we were "joined unto the Lord" and made a "member of Christ" by being "sealed with the Spirit" (Eph. 1:13, 4:30).

We did not get this by water baptism.......it is a baptism "by the Spirit" according to 1 Corinthians 12:13.

Galatians 3:

[1] O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
[2] This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
[3] Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

[26] For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
[27] For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
[28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
[29] And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

4:

[4] But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
[5] To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
[6] And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

 

1 Corinthians 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.