1 Corinthians 6:15-18

Context

The passage lies at the heart of 6:12-20 in 1 Corinthians, the letter Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. Many commentators hold that some Corinthian believers appealed to sayings such as "All things are lawful unto me" (6:12) and "Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats" (6:13) to argue that what is done with the body has no bearing on faith. Paul first states that the body is for the Lord and will be raised (6:13-14). In this passage he then addresses the matter of believers having relations with a harlot (a prostitute). The preceding verses, 6:9-11, contain a list of vices that includes fornication, and the following verses, 6:19-20, close the section by declaring that the body is the temple (the dwelling place) of the Holy Spirit.

Prostitution in Corinth is commonly explained by reference to the temple of Aphrodite. Some scholars point out, however, that the ancient sources cited for this connection describe the older city that existed before Paul's time and therefore cannot be applied directly to the Corinth of his day.

Interpretation

• A reading based on the logic of union: Paul quotes Genesis 2:24, "they twain shall be one flesh." On this basis he argues that sexual intercourse is not merely a physical act but a union that binds two people together. Most interpreters agree that the main point of the passage is that it is contradictory to give a body that is a member of Christ over to another union.
• Readings of "one spirit": The statement in verse 17, "he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit," is widely used as a basis for the teaching that believers are united with Christ in the Holy Spirit. The Reformed tradition connects it with the doctrine of union with Christ, while the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition emphasizes it as a basis for holy living, that is, sanctification.
• Readings of the latter part of verse 18: Interpreters differ over the statement that fornication alone is a sin "against his own body." The common explanation is that sexual sin draws the body itself into union with another person and so involves the body in a distinctive way. Some scholars regard "Every sin that a man doeth is without the body" as a Corinthian slogan that Paul quotes and then refutes.

Questions of Application

• The Greek word porneia, translated "fornication," refers to sexual immorality in general. For this reason many denominations apply the passage not only to prostitution but also to premarital and extramarital relations.
• Some urge caution against using this passage to rank sexual sins as harder to forgive than other sins, since the immediately preceding verse, 1 Corinthians 6:11, says that believers have been "washed" from such sins.
• The subsequent statement that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit is sometimes extended to serve as a basis for prohibiting smoking and drinking (alcohol and tobacco). Others note, however, that the subject this section directly addresses is sexual conduct.

In the Korean Church

The phrase "Flee fornication" is frequently cited at youth group retreats, in marriage preparation courses, and in sermons on premarital chastity.

Related Passages

• Genesis 2:24
• 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
• 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
• Ephesians 5:31-32
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5