What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 6:17? But The verse opens with a sharp contrast to what came just before. Paul has been warning against the destructive union of sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:15-16). • “But” shifts the spotlight from an illicit bond that corrupts to a holy bond that sanctifies. • Rather than being glued to sin, we are invited to be glued to Christ. Cross reference: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). The pivot word “but” signals that same redirection—from the old pattern to God’s better way. he who unites himself The phrase highlights a deliberate, personal choice. • No one drifts into union with the Lord; we respond to His call by faith (John 3:16). • Jesus said, “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you” (John 15:4). Union requires abiding, an ongoing decision to stay connected. • Union is covenantal: “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Our old self yields; Christ takes center stage. with the Lord The focus is not on an abstract spirituality but on a living Person—Jesus Christ, the risen Lord. • Lord means Master. Union implies yielding every area of life to His rule (Luke 6:46: “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”). • The goal is intimacy, not mere religious duty. Jesus prayed “that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You” (John 17:21). • Because He is Lord, the relationship is secure; His authority guarantees our acceptance (Romans 8:1). is one Paul borrows marriage language (cf. Genesis 2:24) to picture perfect union. • Physical oneness in marriage points to a deeper spiritual oneness with Christ (Ephesians 5:31-32). • “For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection” (Romans 6:5). • Oneness means shared identity—His righteousness counted as ours, our sins counted as gone (2 Corinthians 5:21). with Him in spirit The union is real, though unseen, forged by the Holy Spirit. • “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). • The Spirit indwells every believer: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). • This inner oneness empowers outward holiness; we carry His presence into daily life (Romans 8:9). Practical implications: – Our bodies become temples (1 Corinthians 6:19). – Sin now contradicts our true identity. – Fellowship with other believers deepens, because we share the same Spirit. summary 1 Corinthians 6:17 declares that anyone who intentionally clings to Jesus Christ enters a Spirit-wrought union so profound that we and the Lord are counted as “one.” This oneness replaces sinful bonds with a holy, life-giving relationship, rooting our identity, morality, and hope in the living Lord who dwells within us. |
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