Introduction:
Focusing on verses 12-20 is an interesting study. In its context, Paul demonstrates that spiritual people think differently – the goal is different. He will bring to light the historical situation that these believers have been placed. Finally, he will share a life-changing principle if they will believe it and live it.
This church has had to deal with the problem of immorality and pride. Now, another problem is addressed. These Christians cannot handle their disputes between themselves – they are suing one another in court. Paul reminds them that if they were really “spiritual” then they should be able to solve these disputes. He chastises them in verse 7 – they have placed themselves in a “no-win” situation. It would be better to simply take wrong and be defrauded than hinder the name of Christ because of their carnal actions. Within that context, Paul introduces us to the fact that our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost.
The Thinking of a Mature Christian
Up to this point in the letter, we have already received clues how carnal Christians think and act. Now Paul would like to provide a contrast to that faulty thinking.
In verse 12, Paul states, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient…” Paul is more than likely borrowing a slogan from Corinth. The phrase, “All things are lawful” implies that all things are permissible. That is, the Corinthians believed they had freedom or liberty from the law. Paul understood the paradox of that thinking: It is a well-known paradox that if everyone claims unqualified autonomy, no one can be free, for everyone is threatened by the freedoms of the other.[1] Paul will not argue about the law; rather, he will argue about that which is helpful (expedient).
This helps us to see the different paradigms with which an immature and a spiritual Christian approach life. The carnal, or immature, Christians often ask, “What’s wrong with this?” In other words, if you cannot find for them a Bible verse that specifically condemns their practice, they feel like they have found a loophole!
Paul stands in contrast to this thinking. He asks, “What’s right with this?” He is not looking to justify an activity if he can find no express condemnation. Rather, he is thinking about the big picture – is this helpful?
Again in verse 12, Paul states that “all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” When Paul reminds these believers that he will not be mastered by his “liberty” (that is, brought into bondage by the very route that was assumed to bring liberty), the implication is, “Neither should you.”
Paul wants these believers to know that the body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. Just as God raised Christ, He will raise our bodies. Therefore, what is done in our bodies is important. We cannot count the body as unimportant because it will decompose one day. We cannot live as though whatever sins are committed in our body is of no consequence. Rather, we must understand that since our bodies are for the Lord, then the right we have is to serve the Lord by serving others (not by serving ourselves). Paul concludes his argument in verse 20 by exhorting these Corinthians to glorify God in your body…
It should be clear now: Paul’s thinking was vastly different from the carnal Corinthians. In their view of spirituality, they had concluded that there were no restraints. Freedom and liberty for them meant that they now had a license for sin since the body ultimately was going to be destroyed. They thought they had found a “loophole” by which to justify their sinful passions and still be spiritual.
Paul’s thinking was not about permissibility, but helpfulness. Considering eternity, future judgment, and fulfilling the purpose of a local church, “Is this helpful?” was a better question.
The Trouble in Corinth
Knowing that our bodies are members of Christ, Paul now applies this truth to a Corinthian vice – immorality, fornication, and prostitution that happened in the temples.
Paul’s emphasis here is not corporate church life. He is dealing with the individual. He is not describing here how each person forms the local body of Christ; he is dealing with the individual’s position of being “in Christ.”
It is important that we understand the world in which Paul was ministering. A second century quote, often used, will paint a picture that I trust you will not forget:
We keep mistresses for pleasure, concubines for daily concubinage, but wives we have in order to produce children legitimately and to have a trustworthy guardian of our domestic property.[2] – Demosthenes
In Corinth, believers were still thinking that mistresses, or temple prostitutes were culturally acceptable. If it was culturally acceptable, then it must be biblically acceptable. “All things were lawful” was the mantra their new spirituality cried out.
We must be careful in our generation to not confuse “culture” and “Bible” when seeking direction. Paul’s argument is simple: Your members were purchased by Christ. These members had been placed into union with Christ, as such, these believers were the ambassadors of Christ in their country. How they conducted themselves was very important for the testimony of Christ. It is not possible to be joined to the Lord and to a harlot at the same time. This action is condemned with the strongest language available, “God forbid!”
Paul gives a simple remedy for their trouble: “Flee fornication!” Fornication is dealt with throughout this letter. The idea of “fleeing” brings to mind that of Joseph in Potiphar’s house.
What did Paul mean when he said, “Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body…”? Consider this argument:
What about chemical dependency on drugs or alcohol? Are these also sins against the body? Granted that the craving for these substances originates within a person, the substances themselves enter the human body from the outside. But the sin of fornication which arises in the spirit seeks gratification of the physical body itself and thus is confined to the body. In a sense this sin is different from all other sins, because it stays within the body…the fornicator sinfully uses his body against the Lord who created, redeemed, and sanctified it.[3]
We have noticed from the text that Paul approaches life with a different paradigm than the Corinthians. His thinking reflects a more mature, or spiritual, approach. He judges actions and activities (without any concrete Scriptural condemnation) with the question, “Is it helpful? This does not mean he is pragmatic; on the contrary – Paul is very principled. However, when he comes upon a question of Christian liberty, where the question is not so much “right or wrong,” he looks at expediency as a factor in his decision.
We have a clearer picture of what was happening in Corinth during Paul’s day as well. Immorality was rampant both within the city and within the Church. Paul spoke this to their shame; their bodies did matter to Christ. When He redeemed them, He bought the “total package” and intended for these believers to serve Him with body, soul and spirit. Paul has attempted to point out the flaw in their thinking, as well as the flaw in their conduct. Now, he will share with them a principle that will help them become spiritual.
The Truth that Changes
In Corinth, there were at least twelve major temples, one of which was dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The Corinthians also allowed many diverse religious groups to practice their faith. Besides worshiping Aphrodite, Corinthians worshiped Asclepius, Apollo, and Poseidon. There were also altars and temples for the Greek deities Athena, Hera, and Hermes, and shrines had been erected for the worship of the Egyptian gods Isis and Serapis.[4]
According to the Lexham Bible Dictionary, there may have been as many as 800,000 people here during Paul’s day. More than to any other church, Paul gave his talents, time, and tears to the Corinthian congregation. The members received three visits (II Cor. 13:1), sound counsel, lengthy letters, and perpetual prayer. They presented several practical problems that beset the fledgling Corinthian congregation. As the father of this particular church (4:15), Paul told the believers how to cope with all their difficulties. Yet his words are not limited to certain people or to a given era; Paul wrote advice for the church universal. The theological message he sets forth applies to situations that are present in countless congregations throughout the world.
With these temples around the city, with the different religions represented, with the understanding already given that the church is God’s temple – Paul now teaches these Corinthians that individually they are temples. This principle furnishes the believer, both then and today, with two vital applications that strengthen our walk with Christ.
First, this truth of being the Spirit’s temple settles the question of ownership. In verse 19, Paul specifically says to this freedom-declaring church, “Ye are not your own…” In the book, Church Pulpit Commentary, Reverend G.A. Sowter makes the following statements about this verse: Ownership demands submission, offers a pledge of protection, and confers enjoyment.
Tozer wrote a classic: Man: The Dwelling Place of God. The title of his book underscores the truth of that which a temple really is. God has come to dwell with man; He makes His abode in our body which He has purchased. This truth can change us!
Second, this truth settles the question of purpose. In verse 20, Paul summarizes, “…Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” If our body is the temple of the Spirit, then our one purpose is to bring Him glory. The society in Corinth valued status and power. Wealth was a key to social standing and Corinth worshiped it like a god. The citizens competed for honor, and each promoted his own accomplishments and possessions to win praise from others. While all of Corinth ran around proclaiming their own glory, the Corinthian Christian, who truly understood spirituality, knew that the glory of God was what was most important. This was their purpose.
Conclusion:
In this passage, Paul has pointed out the flaw in their thinking and in their conduct. He has pointed them to a principle that, if rightly understood, will give focus and motivation to dealing with the vice of Corinth. If these believers will learn that their bodies are God’s dwelling-place, they will be reminded of their true Owner and their purpose. This truth will help them to ask the question “Is it helpful?” The same holds true for us today as well. We are the temples of God.
[1] Anthony Thiselton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000), 461.
[2] Simon Kistemaker and William Hendriksen, vol. 18, Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1953-2001), 197.
[3] Kistemaker and Hendriksen, Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, 201.
[4] Ibid., 5.