The Corinthian believers, influenced by their Greco-Roman environment, adopted a dangerously misguided view of the human body. The prevailing culture held to a dualistic philosophy—one that separated the soul and the body in moral value. Under such thinking, the body was seen as temporary, inconsequential, and morally irrelevant. This led to the normalization of bodily indulgence, including sexual immorality, based on the idea that what was done with the body had no eternal consequence. Paul confronts this misconception head-on in 1 Corinthians 6:13–14, where he clarifies that the body is not only significant but also sanctified and destined for resurrection. His argument roots sexual purity not in social custom but in divine purpose and future glorification.

“Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.” (1 Corinthians 6:13–14)

Paul opens this portion of his argument by citing another Corinthian slogan: “Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food.” This was more than a dietary observation—it was a philosophical statement being applied to justify immoral behavior. The logic went as follows: just as eating satisfies a bodily function, so too does sex; thus, engaging in sexual activity should be considered morally neutral. In this view, bodily appetites are to be fulfilled naturally, without ethical boundaries. But Paul interrupts this trajectory with theological clarity: “God will do away with both of them.” While food and the stomach are temporary and will pass away, the same cannot be said about the believer’s body.

The core of Paul’s rebuttal comes next: “Yet the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord.” Here he makes a definitive theological claim. The body does not exist for the gratification of lust or the fulfillment of autonomous desires. It exists “for the Lord.” This language declares divine ownership and purpose. The Greek term for “sexual immorality” is πορνεία (porneia), referring to any sexual act outside of the marriage covenant, including fornication, adultery, and prostitution. Such behavior is categorically excluded from the sanctified use of the body.

Moreover, Paul adds, “and the Lord is for the body.” This is not reciprocal in a symmetrical sense but covenantal in emphasis. Just as the believer belongs to the Lord, so the Lord is committed to the body. That is, the body matters to God—not only in creation, but in redemption and glorification. Christ did not merely redeem souls; He redeemed whole persons, body included. Therefore, to use the body in immoral ways is to misuse what has been claimed by Christ and reserved for resurrection.

To further reinforce the gravity of this truth, Paul states: “Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.” This declaration grounds the believer’s bodily purpose in eschatological certainty. The resurrection of Jesus is not just a historical fact—it is a theological prototype. Just as God raised Christ bodily from the dead, so He will raise the believer. This eliminates any notion that the body is disposable or spiritually irrelevant. On the contrary, its eternal destiny demands present sanctity.

This teaching completely contradicts both ancient and modern assumptions about bodily autonomy. In Paul’s day, sexual promiscuity was culturally acceptable, even religiously celebrated. Corinth housed the temple of Aphrodite, serviced by hundreds of temple prostitutes, where immorality was ritualized. Yet Paul does not respond with moral outrage or cultural protest—he responds with theology. The body belongs to the Lord. It is holy now because it will be raised later.

Today, the situation is much the same. Secular culture promotes the idea that the body is one’s own, to be used according to personal preference or desire. But Scripture rejects this falsehood. The body is not self-owned, self-defined, or self-governed. It is created, redeemed, and destined by God. This is why sexual immorality is not just a violation of personal ethics—it is a desecration of divine purpose. One cannot claim allegiance to the Lord while treating the body in ways that dishonor Him.

Paul’s words also imply that the believer’s hope in bodily resurrection shapes present conduct. What a person does with his or her body now is directly tied to what God intends for it in the future. This demolishes any ethical system that disconnects present morality from future destiny. The resurrection is not merely about life after death—it is a call to holiness before it.

You May Also Enjoy

Tongues and Prophecy: Misunderstood and Misapplied – 1 Corinthians 14:22

About the Author

CLICK LINKED IMAGE TO VISIT ONLINE STORE

CLICK TO SCROLL THROUGH OUR BOOKS