This
next section focuses on sexual immorality.
It
connects to the present argument by returning to the topic that began in 5:1
with Paul saying, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality
among you.”
As
Paul spoke to the church about how to deal with the immoral brother of 5:1-8 he
also began to address the church on their responsibility to judge those in the
church.
This
led to 6:1-7 where the church not only had failed to judge those inside the
church but now Paul gives an example of the church having gone to the world to
ask for the world’s judgment on members of the church. The men involved with this are listed as
cheating, doing wrong and considered thieves, greedy slanderers and
swindlers.
This
type of people are listed and compared with the sexually immoral in 6:9-12.
By
mentioning the sexually immoral Paul has returned to his theme that began in
5:1.
Process
for the Flow of the Letter:
1) Sexually
immoral man 5:1-8
2) Failure of
church to judge the situation properly 5:9-12
3) Church has
gone to the world to have a situation judged 6:1-7
4) Members of the
church are corrupt with cheating, deceiving, etc. 6:8-9
5) Cheating is
listed along with sexual immorality 6:9-11
6) Paul returns
to sexual sins in 6:12-20
7) This leads to
the issue of marriage that begins in 7:1
Two
words dominate the next 7 verses:
1) porneia
(or a form) of it 5 times
2) soma () “body” 8 times
Paul
is going to quote and use some of the Corinthians own statements in these
verses.
The
Corinthians have separated the body from the spiritual life. Thus, they can go to prostitutes without
having any effect on their spiritual life.
The
Corinthians had a serious misconception of the spiritual life and spiritual
power.
They
thought that since they were on a higher spiritual plane the physical life
could not affect them.
This
is more than an ethical question. The truth of the gospel is at stake.
They
had false views of:
1) Freedom in
Christ (“Everything is permissible”)
2) The body (God
will destroy the body)
Paul’s
argument against their false spiritual views:
1) Paul argues
against their false views
a. 6:12 – argues
against their distortion of Christian freedom
b. 6:13-14 –
argues against their misunderstanding of the body
2) Paul builds on
the truth of this doctrinal statement: “The body is meant for the Lord, and the
Lord for the body.” (Point: You can not separate the spiritual from the
physical.)
a. Sex unifies a
man with a woman in his body.
b. Salvation
unifies a man with the Lord in his spirit
c. But, a man is
both the body and the spirit. They are
not divided.
d. Thus, a
prostitute has joined unified with the same man as the Lord has.
3) Sexual
immorality is wrong because it is a sin against the body of a man who is meant
for the Lord.
A
very important point in these verses concerns the human body.
The
body is part of a man forever.
The
body was made by God and is for the Lord.
The
body should not be abused, rejected, or subdued to attain salvation.
Control
of the body should not be ignored nor is the body immaterial to salvation.
6:12
Paul
attacks their theology first not their behavior.
If
you have a messed up theology you will have messed up behavior.