Genesis 2:24; 1 Corinthians 6:16; sexual union is not casual—it forms a binding union

Paul continues his corrective against the Corinthian misuse of the body by reinforcing the covenantal implications of sexual union. In 1 Corinthians 6:16, he quotes directly from the foundational passage on marriage—Genesis 2:24—to show that sexual intimacy is not a casual or inconsequential act. Rather, it forges a real, binding union with covenantal significance, whether entered lawfully within marriage or unlawfully through fornication. This undermines any attempt to treat sex as a mere physical function or social transaction. Paul does not appeal to social stigma or personal psychology but to the permanent moral architecture God established at creation.

“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.’” (1 Corinthians 6:16)

The apostle’s question implies that the Corinthians either did not grasp—or had willfully ignored—the full spiritual and covenantal weight of sexual intercourse. The phrase “joins himself” (Greek: κολλώμενος, kollōmenos) conveys the idea of being fastened or glued to another, not in an incidental or reversible way, but with the implication of fusion and permanence. This verb is used elsewhere in the New Testament to describe the believer’s attachment to Christ (e.g., Acts 5:13; Romans 12:9), showing that the action is relational and binding. Here, Paul uses it to describe the union that occurs—even unlawfully—when one engages in sex with a prostitute.

Paul follows with the biblical citation that gives this union its theological gravity: “For He says, ‘The two shall become one flesh.’” This is not a reference to emotional closeness or compatibility—it is a divine decree from Genesis 2:24, stated by Jehovah at the very institution of marriage. The “one flesh” union is not metaphorical; it is a created reality that binds two individuals together through the act of sexual intercourse. In God’s design, that bond is only to be formed within the covenant of marriage. When sexual activity takes place outside that boundary, the bond still forms—but it does so in a way that violates the structure God ordained.

What Paul teaches here is unambiguous: sexual union creates a bond, whether the participants acknowledge it or not. The person who joins himself to a prostitute becomes “one body” with her—not just in function, but in covenantal breach. The act itself carries a spiritual consequence. This directly contradicts the Corinthian idea that bodily acts are morally neutral or inconsequential. The prevailing culture viewed prostitution as permissible and even religious in some contexts, particularly at the temple of Aphrodite. Paul calls it what it is: covenantal defilement.

This teaching has immediate application in any culture that devalues marriage and trivializes sex. The modern world treats sex as a personal right, a recreational option, or a means of self-expression. Yet Scripture consistently affirms that sex is a covenant-making act. Whether one intends it or not, the physical act creates a spiritual and relational bond. This is why fornication, adultery, and prostitution are never portrayed in Scripture as merely “mistakes” or “bad choices.” They are covenantal violations.

The concept of “one flesh” also has implications for fidelity within marriage. Since sexual union is a covenantal act, it is meant to establish and preserve exclusive fidelity between a husband and wife. When that union is fractured through extramarital sex, it is not merely a breach of trust—it is a desecration of what God has made one. The body is not just a physical shell—it is the very means through which covenant is enacted or violated.

Paul’s quotation of Genesis 2:24 underlines his larger theological theme: the believer’s body is not self-owned and morally neutral. It is either used in obedience to God’s design or in rebellion against it. There is no such thing as “casual” sex in the biblical worldview. Every sexual act has covenantal consequences. The Corinthian believer who participated in prostitution was not merely falling short of a moral standard—he was binding himself to sin and violating the sanctity of Christ’s ownership over his body.

This teaching is particularly needed today, when sexual promiscuity is rebranded as empowerment and marriage is treated as optional. Paul’s doctrine of “one flesh” confronts every modern effort to redefine sexual ethics. It reminds believers that to unite sexually with another person outside of God’s design is to create a union that both contradicts and corrupts what God declared holy.

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