I Corinthians 6:18
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Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Flee--The only safety in such temptations is flight (Gen 39:12; Job 31:1). Every sin--The Greek is forcible. "Every sin whatsoever that a man doeth." Every other sin; even gluttony, drunkenness, and self-murder are "without," that is, comparatively external to the body (Mar 7:18; compare Pro 6:30-32). He certainly injures, but he does not alienate the body itself; the sin is not terminated in the body; he rather sins against the perishing accidents of the body (as the "belly," and the body's present temporary organization), and against the soul than against the body in its permanent essence, designed "for the Lord." "But" the fornicator alienates that body which is the Lord's, and makes it one with a harlot's body, and so "sinneth against his own body," that is, against the verity and nature of his body; not a mere effect on the body from without, but a contradiction of the truth of the body, wrought within itself [ALFORD].
Open source ↗In this chapter the apostle, I. Reproves them for going to law with one another about small matters, and bringing the cause before heathen judges (Co1 6:1-8). II. He takes occasion hence to warn them against many gross sins, to which they had been formerly addicted (Co1 6:9-11). III. And, having cautioned them against the abuse of their liberty, he vehemently dehorts them from fornication, by various arguments (Co1 6:12 to the end).
Open source ↗6:18-20 For Christians, the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (see study note on 3:16-17; cp. 2 Cor 6:16). Sexual sin violates this sacred sanctuary and the divine presence. • You do not belong to yourself: Christians can no longer claim their bodies as their own, as they have been bought . . . with a high price, the blood of Christ (cp. 1 Cor 7:23; Rev 5:9), and every part of their lives has been claimed by Christ for God’s glory (see Rom 14:7-9; 2 Cor 5:14-15).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality;
Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.
not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;
I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery.
Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another.