1 Corinthians 6 - Why is Sexual Immorality Different Than Other Sins?
Sexual Immorality
12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Here are some quotes from David Guzik, in his Enduring Word Commentary, I found insightful.
The Corinthian Christians probably used this motto to justify giving their bodies whatever their bodies wanted. “My body wants food, so I eat. My body wants sex, so I hire a prostitute. What’s the problem?”
In their sexual relationship, a husband and wife become “one flesh” in a way that is under God’s blessing. In sex outside of marriage, the partners become “one flesh” in a way that is under God’s curse.
Paul doesn’t tell us to be brave and resist the lustful passion of sexual immorality, but to flee from its very presence. Many fall because they underestimate the power of lustful passion, or think they will “test” themselves and see how much they can “take.”
Paul isn’t saying sexual immorality is worse than any other sin, but he does teach that sexual sin has a unique effect on the body. The effect is physical, but it is also moral and spiritual.
This is probably the most comprehensive teaching on sexual immorality in the bible. The Ten Comamndments command us not to have set oustide marriage, but Paul gets at the root of sexual immorality and why it has such a negative affect on our bodies.
The word "porneia", which we translate "sexual immorality" in this passage, is the same word we use for "pornogaphy". Of course, pornography is all about showing sexual immorality in all kinds of wasy through all kinds of media. If you don't think pornography is a problem in our culture check out these stats.
Pornography accounts for an estimated 4% of all websites and roughly 13% of all internet searches. Major adult entertainment hubs, such as Pornhub, log around 100 million to 130 million visits per day, generating more monthly traffic than Netflix, TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram combined. (ecare behavioral institute)
Global and Local Traffic: Adult sites draw billions of visits globally every month. Across the U.S., up to 80% of men and 42% of women report having watched pornography. (FFE Health)
The worst part of the prolifeartion of all kinds of pornograph are the kids who start out watching pornography at a very young age and easily get addicted. For young men it warps their view of women, sexuality, and corrupts God good gift to be enjoyed in marriage
Paul makes the case that sexual sin is different types of sin. I don't think he is saying it is worse than other sin, but it is unique from other sins. It is unique because during sex one is united with another person in the closest way possible. Sex within marriage is a great gift from God, and through it a couple is joined together by God. It is such a sacred bond that God says, "What God has joined together let man not separate!" Matthew 19:6, Mark 10:9
This is why the Catholic Church considers "Holy Marriage", one of its seven sacarements. Though it is different than Baptism and Holy Communion, because it doesn't promise the forgiveness of sin, it is a holy thing which God blesses. When a man and woman enter the covenant of marriage, this covenant is centered in Jesus Christ, as the bible calls the Church, the bride of Christ, for this reason. Ephesians 5:25-27
We often dismiss our bodily desires from theological or practical discussions. Some early heresies portray a philosophy called "dualism" where the body is evil, the spirit is good. The two had nothing in common. This philosophy of dualism led to the most pervasive heresy and biggest threat to the gospel in the 1st century called "gnosticism". It has reared its ugly head in various types and forms ever since. I.e. The New Age Movement was a form of gnosticism reinvented for our day.
The Gnostic heresy presented two ways to handle our bodily desires. Neither of them reflect the gospel which Jesus gave us to save us from our desires.
Asceticism: The majority of Gnostics advocated for radical self-control, fasting, and strict celibacy to free the mind from bodily impulses and cultivate inner detachment.Libertinism: A few fringe sects believed that since the material body was corrupt, it did not impact the pure soul. They argued that engaging in bodily desires was ultimately meaningless, allowing for extreme indulgence to "wear out" or dismiss the flesh
Libertinism: A few fringe sects believed that since the material body was corrupt, it did not impact the pure soul. They argued that engaging in bodily desires was ultimately meaningless, allowing for extreme indulgence to "wear out" or dismiss the flesh.
If we had more time we could do a deeper dive into how these two polar opposites still infiltrate the Church today.
So how does the gospel deal with these two extremes?
1. Jesus took on a human body, thus dismissing the idea the body is evil. Though Jesus lived in a human\ body, he never sinned or committed any kind of sexual immorality.
2. When Jesus died on the cross, he set us free from the condemnation we deserved due to our sin, which came from indulging our bodily desires, or what Paul called "our sinful nature" or "desires of the flesh".
3. The question becomes what do we do with that freedom?
Though we are free in Christ for most bodily decisions, we have to ask if what we are going to do is beneficial? Beneficial in our relationship with God. Beneficial to those around us. Beneficial to us.
What Paul points out in this passage is with God's gift of sex, we are to only enjoy it within the context person of husband and wife in the covenant of marrige.
Paul sums up this idea of freedom in Christ and how it relates to our human desires when he says,
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Do you bodily desires rule you, or do they come under submission to Christ?
Is there any area of life where you are opening yourself up to the sexual immorality that is so pervasive in our world?
Do you try to overcome your sinful nature on your own, or do you rely on the power of the Holy Spirit?
Paul says that unless we rely on the Holy Spirit, there is no way we will overcome our sinful nature with its desires and lusts.
Remember Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "Whoever lusts after a woman/man commits adultery in their hearts." (Matthew 5:28)
Father, the bodies you have given us are good when we use them to glorifiy you. May we remember Paul's words to the Colossians 'Whether you eat or drink do it all for the glory of God!" 1 Corinthians 10:31 - Amen
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