Guided Question

How does God want us to view and use our bodies in a culture that either idolizes pleasure or dismisses the body as unimportant?

Summary

In this message, Dr. Robert Lewis unpacks Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 6:12–20, addressing the Corinthian church’s misunderstanding of Christian freedom and the body. Influenced by the prevailing Epicurean philosophy—“pleasure is the goal of life”—many in Corinth justified sexual indulgence with slogans like “All things are lawful for me” and “Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food.”

Paul responds by clarifying that while Christians have freedom in Christ, not all things are beneficial, nor should believers be mastered by anything. The body is not a throwaway vessel for pleasure but an eternal instrument designed for the Lord. Because our bodies are members of Christ, sexual immorality is a profound contradiction to our union with Him.

Paul calls believers to flee immorality and reminds them that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. True intimacy is not found in physical indulgence but in spiritual union with Christ. The cure for immorality is not legalistic rule-keeping but learning to “think Jesus,” cultivating fellowship with the indwelling Spirit, and glorifying God in body and spirit.

Outline

Context and Background
- Paul in Athens and Corinth (Acts 17).
- Epicurean vs. Stoic philosophies shaping Corinthian culture.
- Epicurean emphasis on pleasure over truth.
Corinthian Misunderstandings of Freedom (1 Cor. 6:12–13)
- Slogans: “All things are lawful” and “Food is for the stomach.”
- Paul’s clarifications: Is it profitable? Will it master me?
- Freedom in Christ is not license for indulgence.
The Body’s Eternal Purpose (1 Cor. 6:14)
- God raised Christ’s body and will raise ours.
- The body is eternal and central to salvation.
Union with Christ vs. Union in Immorality (1 Cor. 6:15–17)
- Sexual immorality contradicts union with Christ.
- Contrast: intimacy through merging of bodies vs. merging of spirits with the Lord.
The Call to Flee (1 Cor. 6:18)
- Immorality uniquely sins against one’s own body.
- Subtle items of immorality: pornography, media, cultural messages.
- Principle: All things lawful, but not all profitable; avoid what enslaves.
The Body as Temple of the Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19–20)
- Believers are bought with a price.
- The body is God’s dwelling place, meant for His glory.
- The cure: “Think Jesus” — fellowship with the indwelling Spirit.

Key Takeaways

Christian freedom has boundaries: ask “Is it profitable?” and “Will it control me?”
The body matters to God: it is eternal, destined for resurrection, and united with Christ.
Sexual sin is unique: it affects the whole person — body, soul, and spirit.
True intimacy is spiritual: union with Christ satisfies more deeply than physical indulgence.
The Holy Spirit indwells believers: we are temples, called to glorify God with our bodies.
The path to purity is not legalism but fellowship with Christ — learning to “think Jesus.”

Scripture References

Acts 17:16–18 — Paul confronts the philosophies of Athens.
1 Corinthians 6:12–20 — Paul’s correction of Corinthian slogans.
Philippians 4:8 — Think on what is pure and honorable.
Psalm 101:2–3 — “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes.”
Colossians 1:27 — “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Recorded 9/20/81