1 Corinthians 6:12-17

Flee Sexual Immorality

6:12 “All things are lawful for me” ¹  – but not everything is beneficial. “All things are lawful for me” – but I will not be controlled by anything. 6:13 “Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both.” ²  The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 6:14 Now God indeed raised the Lord and he will raise us by his power. 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 6:16 Or do you not know that anyone who is united with ³  a prostitute is one body with her? ⁴  For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” ⁵  6:17 But the one united with ⁶  the Lord is one spirit with him. ⁷ 

[6:12]  ¹ sn All things are lawful for me. In the expressions in vv. 12-13 within quotation marks, Paul cites certain slogans the Corinthians apparently used to justify their behavior. Paul agrees with the slogans in part, but corrects them to show how the Corinthians have misused these ideas.

[6:13]  ² tn Grk “both this [stomach] and these [foods].”

[6:16]  ³ tn Or “is in relationship with.”

[6:16]  ⁴ tn Grk “is one body,” implying the association “with her.”

[6:16]  ⁵ sn A quotation from Gen 2:24.

[6:17]  ⁴ tn Grk “in relationship with.”

[6:17]  ⁵ tn Grk “is one spirit,” implying the association “with him.”