What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 6:15? Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” • Paul reminds believers of a truth they should already grasp: when we trusted in Jesus, we were spiritually joined to Him, becoming part of His very body (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 5:30). • This union is not abstract; it reaches right down to our physical bodies. What we do with our flesh reflects on Christ because He has claimed every part of us (Romans 12:1; Romans 6:13). • Our identity is therefore inseparable from His. Just as branches draw life from the vine (John 15:5), our bodies draw purpose and holiness from our living Head. Shall I then take the members of Christ “Shall I then take the members of Christ…” • Paul uses a shocking hypothetical to expose the absurdity of dragging Christ’s members into sin. • The word “take” pictures wrenching body parts away from their God-given place—an act both violent and unthinkable (Colossians 1:18). • Because God has joined us to Christ, the believer has no right to reassign his or her body to any rival claim (Matthew 19:6). • We cannot compartmentalize spirituality: the same body that serves in worship gatherings is the body that must honor Christ in private (1 Corinthians 3:16). and unite them with a prostitute? Never! “…and unite them with a prostitute? Never!” • Sexual sin creates a “one flesh” bond (1 Corinthians 6:16; Genesis 2:24). To engage a prostitute—or any sexual activity outside God’s design—is to forcibly link Christ’s members to immorality. • Such a union profanes the sacred relationship Christ shares with His church, which is meant to picture covenant faithfulness (Ephesians 5:31-32). • Paul’s exclamation “Never!” expresses moral outrage. It affirms that for those in Christ, sexual immorality is not a harmless private choice but a direct assault on His holiness (Ephesians 5:3; Hebrews 13:4). • The believer’s only fitting response is decisive refusal, fueled by gratitude for redemption and the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:24-25). summary Because our bodies belong to Christ, every decision involving them carries kingdom significance. To misuse our bodies in sexual sin would drag the very members of Christ into impurity—a contradiction so severe Paul can only cry, “Never!” Embracing this truth guards our purity, honors our Savior, and showcases the holy union we enjoy with Him. |
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