Questions

1 Cor. 6: 20

For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

 

So many leading questions in this chapter. First there is the area of grievances against one another. Does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?...So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? What is the answer to all these questions? Paul attests to the fact that he says all this to shame them. Surely there is someone wise enough among the believers to settle disputes, but brother goes against brother, and that before unbelievers? What a shame! How can it be judged by an unbeliever? Their entire frame of reference, reason for living, and final outcome is totally different. It is bad enough that believers have lawsuits against each other. Paul urges them to be merciful to each other. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But these believers were wrapped up in the wrong, in defrauding their own brothers instead of allowing love to cover the multitudes of sins.

 

Then Paul goes on to say, Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? He urges them to wake up and remember that sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, greedy, drunkards, and revilers will not inherit the kingdom of God. It is like the Corinthians were living their Christian lives just like they did before they were saved. But instead know this: You were washed, sanctified, and  justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. How glorious is that! Christians can rise above the flesh and the fleshly behaviors and live in the name of Jesus and by His Spirit.

 

Then Paul addresses the idea of food and sexual immorality. Paul urges them to guard themselves so that they are not enslaved to anything whether food or even immorality. Our bodies are the Lord's and the Lord is for our bodies. 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 prostitute? Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? Likewise he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. For that reason believers are to flee from sexual immorality. When a believer commits sexual immorality, he is sinning against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? The conclusion of the matter is simply stated: You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. All the rhetorical questions should lead the believers to this one biblical principle. I am no longer in charge of myself (if I ever was), instead I am His bought and purchased at the cost of His life. Why would I want to dirty His sacrifice by indulging my flesh?

 

Father,

Thank You for sending Your son who bought me and made me clean, for making me one with Jesus and Your Spirit. Open my eyes to the ramifications of these questions and what it truly means to have my body be Your temple.

In Jesus name,

Amen