teaching notes : 1 cor. 6:12

the problems which arise from an incorrect view of the physical world :

licentiousness (epicurianism)
asceticism (stoicism)

both were present in the greeks in a very rational way (and therefore extreme, as they pursued such very directly).
we still segment ourselves into these camps rather frequently, but not quite so extremely.

paul hits these ideas back to back (and elsewhere in the book)

this week we're dealing with the epicurians;
next week is the stoics (7:1-7)

1Cr 6:12 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 1Cr 6:13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 1Cr 6:14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.
1Cr 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 1Cr 6:16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body {with her?} For He says, "THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH." 1Cr 6:17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit {with Him.} 1Cr 6:18 Flee immorality. Every {other} sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 1Cr 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 1Cr 6:20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

- the corinthians believe that, as matter doesn't matter, they can have sex with prostitutes (v.15, 16)
12, 13 : quotes from the corinthians. where do the quotes end?

"all things are lawful for me" : usually believed to be a quote of the corinthians.
"food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food" as well...
debate - where do the quotes end?

options :

does it include "all things are profitable"?
"i will not be mastered by anything"?
"god will do away with both of them"

conclusion : who knows...point is that it actions do matter

sum up the corinthian position with rasputin's quote

"the spirit is the lords but the body is ours"

note that food isn't the issue here...we come back to that in chap 9

early church context

the corinthian position isn't uncommon to early christianity.
romans 6-8 is the main passage on the topic here's the short version :

rom 3:8 And why not say, “Let us do evil so that good may come of it?” —as some who slander us allege that we say. (Their condemnation is deserved!)

the idea that matter is insignificant gives rise to jesuit persecution and frat parties

notes on paul's approach

notice that he goes beyond "it's wrong".
they seem to have some wrong beliefs which he spends extra time correcting.
he corrects their thinking/understanding as well...

application parents, take note...

1. sexual immorality is wrong

what is sexual immorality?

does it extend past sex?
i would say that it seems to as it referred to greek homosexual activity which was not necessarily sex proper...

review - remember our ethics...it's wrong because god says so
a. v.13-19 - matter matters

1. v.13, 14 - the body is significant because of the resurrection; matter and spirit will be unified.

a. v.13 - the body is for the lord and the lord is for the body

the first part makes sense, the second is a bit tricky.
confusing statement; we'll leave it as confusing.
point is the significance of the body.

this will come back in chap. 15...

2. v.15,16 - our bodies our members of christ

- how significant is mater? extremely!

'saul saul why are you persecuting me'
v. 15 - me genoite! never!

3. v.18 - a sin against yourself

- this statement is also made by Muson, a stoic... - paul makes a similar statement in rom 1:24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. - sexual immorality seems to be a special category of sin which is against the commiter.

c. v. 19 - your body is a temple of the spirit

- 'you are not your own'
we have already established how the spirit treats those who violate his temple...

1 cor 3:17 If someone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, which is what you are.

d. v. 20 - you have been bought with a price

paul shows us just how much we were worth;
(and the point is that this includes our bodies)

how much were we worth?
the infininte sacrifice of christ.

2. avoid sin : we should flee sexual immorality

greatest example : joseph
gen. 39

3. glorify god with your body

our obedience glorifies god.
this should be our concern; not our pleasure but god's glory.