the skin we are in - 1 Cor. 6:12-20

By my count, the word “body” is used 8 times in these 9 verses. Paul seems to be infatuated with the human body; or rather he is upset that the Corinthians were so pre-occupied with their bodies. I think the latter is true.

Paul speaks for God in explaining the incredible need for physical purity. This is not a passage about lusting or mental desires, although he speaks about this in other places. It is a passage about your body, and mine. It is a discourse on how we are to treat this skin we are in.

Let’s break down what God is saying to me about my body, verse by verse:

1. Sin can enslave me (vs. 12)
2. God did not create my body for sexual impurity (vs. 13)
3. God intended my body for His pleasure (vs. 13)
4. My body is somehow eternal (vs. 14)
5. My body is part of God’s body (vs. 15)
6. My body must not be part of a harlot’s body (vs. 15)
7. Sexual impurity prostitutes Christ, and causes Him to be defiled (vs. 15-17)
8. Sexual impurity is more than physical, it is a spiritual and emotional bond (vs. 15-16)
9. The only solution to sexual sin is running…away!!! (vs. 18)
10. Sexual impurity destroys my body (vs. 18)
11. My body is where the Holy Spirit lives (vs. 19)
12. I do not own my body (vs. 19)
13. Christ paid for my body with His blood (vs. 20)
14. My body must glorify God, because it is God’s! (vs. 20)

I am not sure I grasp just how deeply sexual sin destroys Christ, the church, and my body. We are all afraid of STDs. Nobody wants Herpes, Gonorrhea, or HIV. These possible consequences of impurity scare some into purity – at least physical purity. But has the thought of defiling Christ ever stopped you from getting involved in an impure relationship? Has the thought that you can ruin the Holy Spirit’s house ever kept you from getting physical with another person? What motives you to remain pure?

There is an awful lot we could talk about in this passage. Some quick background issues that we have touched on before: the city of Corinth was a cesspool of immoral slime! Instead of the two nude strip clubs and one adult toy store like Kirkwood, there was a massive temple to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Instead of a handful of gals who worked the 2^nd shift, they had 1,000 “priestess” who offered their services to visiting guys in the evening. I could go on, but you get the point.

Having a church in this sexual city should have been like having a lighthouse in the midst of a dark stormy inlet. Instead, the church at Corinth became part of the darkness and filth. Sure they worshipped God on Sundays, but during the week you could find Joe Christian visiting the temple and Sally Christian visiting the home of a lonely guy.

How did they ever rationalize their impurity? They were pretty good at it, just like we are. But they used some different rationalizations than we do. Some of them subscribed to something called philosophical dualism – where the body is viewed as evil and what you did physically made no difference. An immoral relationship is only temporary and biological. It has no permanent consequence.

Some of them thought of it this way – my stomach was made for food, and my body was made for sex (vs. 13). Sex is just a natural biological function. Humans are sexual beings. Ever heard this before?

I am going to stop this post pretty abruptly, and throw out a question. I have lots more to say, but will add more later. We have some things to think through first...

Based on this passage, why must I repress my body’s natural functions?