How does Proverbs 23:27 connect with 1 Corinthians 6:18 on sexual purity?

Text of the Two Verses

• Proverbs 23:27 — “For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an adulteress is a narrow well.”

• 1 Corinthians 6:18 — “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.”

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Shared Imagery: Entrapment and Self-Harm

• Both passages picture sexual sin as something that traps and destroys.

– The “deep pit” and “narrow well” of Proverbs portray sudden capture and difficulty of escape.

– Paul speaks of sinning “against his own body,” stressing the personal damage that sexual immorality inflicts.

• The literal warning: sexual immorality is not merely risky; it is inherently destructive, pulling a person down like a pit and wounding him from the inside.

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Call to Action: Flee, Don’t Flirt

• Proverbs implies distance—avoid the pit, stay away from the edge.

• 1 Corinthians states it outright: “Flee.” Run, don’t negotiate.

• Together they establish a unified strategy: separation, not negotiation, is the path of purity. Compare Genesis 39:12, where Joseph “fled and ran outside” when tempted.

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Why Sexual Sin Is Unique

• Paul distinguishes it from “every other sin.”

– Sexual sin unites body and soul with impurity (1 Corinthians 6:16-17).

– It violates the Holy Spirit’s temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

• Proverbs shows why: the pit may look inviting, but gravity makes escape nearly impossible. Sin alters appetites and enslaves desires (Proverbs 5:22-23; John 8:34).

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Guardrails for Purity Today

• Maintain clear physical and emotional boundaries (Proverbs 4:23).

• Guard media intake—what enters the eyes can lure the heart (Matthew 6:22-23).

• Cultivate accountability—“Two are better than one” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

• Pursue Christ-centered satisfaction—“Blessed are the pure in heart” (Matthew 5:8).

• Remember your identity—bought with a price, called to glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:20).

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Takeaway

Proverbs 23:27 warns of the trap; 1 Corinthians 6:18 commands the escape route. Together they affirm that sexual purity is preserved not by hovering near temptation but by wholeheartedly fleeing it, trusting the Lord who designed sexuality for covenant blessing, not personal ruin.