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Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 6:12-18
In 1 Corinthians Paul deals with matters in a particular sequence. First he deals with soulish desires and aspirations; second, with the fleshly lusts; and third, with the claiming of rights. As we have pointed out, this sequence is very meaningful. In this message we come to Paul’s dealing with the abuse of freedom in foods and in the body, the fourth matter covered in this Epistle.
Foods for man to exist and marriage for man to propagate himself are both necessary and ordained by God. Man has the right to use them. However, he should not abuse them, nor should he be under their power, controlled and enslaved by them. Abusive eating, like the eating of sacrifices to idols, causes the weak brothers to stumble (8:9-13; 10:28-30, 32), and excessive eating damages our body. Both foods and our belly will be done away with; God will bring both to nothing (6:13). The abuse of sex is fornication. It is not only condemned by God; it also destroys our body (v. 18), which is for the Lord.
Both eating and marriage have been ordained by God and are necessary for the existence of mankind. If mankind is to continue on earth for the fulfillment of God’s purpose, there is the need for eating and for marriage. Food is not only created by God, but also ordained by Him for our existence. Marriage is for the propagation of mankind. Because eating and marriage are both ordained by God, both are legal. In each case we have freedom, the freedom to eat and the freedom to marry. However, fallen man has abused his freedom in these matters. For this reason, after dealing with soulish aspirations, fleshly lusts, and the claiming of rights, Paul turns to the matter of the abuse of freedom.
Some teachers of the Bible do not regard 6:12-18 as a separate section. Instead, they place it with the following two sections, the sections on marriage and the problem of eating idol sacrifices. This portion is considered an introduction to the following two sections, since these verses deal with eating and marriage. Many years ago, I did not think that 6:12-18 was an individual section. But after reading this book again and again over many years, I now believe that these verses are a separate section dealing with the abuse of human freedom.
We have seen that soulish people open the door to the lusts of the flesh and that fleshly people will insist on claiming their rights. Following this comes the abuse of freedom. In the church the soul must be denied. This is the basis for the church life on the negative side. On the positive side, the basis of the church life is the truth regarding Christ and His cross. In the church life we all must learn to deny the soul; that is, not to give any ground, occasion, or opening for the soul to do anything. Once the believers in a church become soulish, the church life is terminated, for the door will be open to the lusts of the flesh, and these lusts will give rise to the claiming of rights. There will even be the building up of a base both for claiming rights and for the abuse of human freedom. As we consider these matters, we realize that the sequence in which Paul deals with the problems in Corinthians is marvelous.
Paul opens this section with these words: “All things are lawful to me, but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful to me, but I will not be brought under the power of anything.” The Greek word rendered lawful literally means under my power of choice to do; hence, permissible, allowable, lawful. The word for expedient means profitable (not merely convenient), advantageous, good, worthwhile. This Greek word means profitable, economical, convenient, helpful in reaching the goal quickly. It also refers to things that are good. Here Paul’s thought may be that all things are lawful, but not all things help us to remain in the central lane of God’s economy. All things are lawful, but not all things help us in bearing the cross or are profitable in experiencing Christ.
If we would understand Paul’s use of the word expedient here, we need to have a proper realization concerning the book of Corinthians as a whole. All things are lawful to us, but not all things help us to gain the profit revealed in this Epistle. Not all things help us to live the Body life. Yes, you may be free to do certain things, but those things will not help you in the church life, and they will not strengthen your prayer life. If we apply what Paul says in 6:12 according to the context of the entire book of 1 Corinthians, we shall see that Paul’s word here is all-inclusive. In 6:12 Paul seems to be saying, “All things are lawful to me, but not all things are good, profitable, convenient, or economical for me to live the Christian life, the church life, and the Body life. Not all things help me to enjoy Christ or keep the feast of unleavened bread.”
In verse 12 Paul twice says, “All things are lawful to me.” The first use of these words is somewhat objective; the second use is very subjective. Paul says, “All things are lawful to me, but I will not be brought under the power of anything.” Literally the Greek words rendered “be brought under the power of” mean to be brought under the authority of. All things are under my power, but I will not be brought under the power (authority) of anything. All things are permissible, allowable, lawful, to me, but I will not be ruled (enslaved) or brought under the authority, the control, of any. Verse 12 may be considered a proverb that governs the apostle’s dealings with some problems in the following section, from 6:13 through 11:1.
When you consider whether or not to do a certain thing, you should ask if you are under the power or control of that thing. If a particular thing controls you or has power over you, you should not do it. For example, you may wonder if you should eat certain foods. It may be all right to eat those foods, but they should not have any power over you. We must fully deal with anything that has power over us.
In verse 13 Paul goes on to say, “Foods are for the belly and the belly for foods; but God will bring to nothing both it and them.” Foods and the belly are for the existence of the body. By themselves they do not mean anything; God will bring them to nothing.
Paul’s composition here may seem awkward. He says, “God will bring to nothing both it and them.” If we were writing this verse, we might say, “God will bring both to nothing.” However, if the verse were written in this way, the meaning and significance would be lost. By referring to “both it and them,” Paul means both the belly and the foods. He refers to the belly first because God will bring it to nothing before He brings foods to nothing. The reason for this is that the abuse of freedom in the matter of eating is not caused by the food; it is caused by the belly. The problem comes not from the food itself, but from the belly. After a person’s belly has been brought to nothing, food will no longer be a problem. Food is for the belly, and the belly is for food. God uses these things so that we may exist for the fulfillment of His purpose. But one day God will bring both the belly and the foods to nothing.
In verse 13 Paul also says, “But the body is not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” Our body was created for the Lord, and the Lord within us is for our body. He feeds it with material food (Psa. 103:5) and gives it His resurrection life (Rom. 8:11), which swallows its death element with its weakness and sickness. Eventually He will transfigure it, conforming it to His glorious body. We should not abuse it by fornication.
On the one hand, Paul says that the belly is for food; on the other hand, he tells us that the body is not for fornication. We are free to eat what we choose, but we may not commit fornication. However, if we eat excessively, we shall cause damage to our body. Thus, although we are free to eat, we should be careful to eat in a healthy way. Our appetite easily runs wild. Thus, it needs to be bridled, restricted.
Although Paul says that the body is for the Lord and the Lord for the body, he does not say that God is either for the belly or for foods. God will bring both the belly and the foods to nothing, but the Lord will not bring our body to nothing. Our body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for our body.
In verse 14 Paul says, “And God has both raised up the Lord and will raise up us through His power.” God raised up the Lord bodily. Our body is destined to participate in the Lord’s glorious body in resurrection (Phil. 3:21) and to be raised incorruptible (1 Cor. 15:52). This will be the redemption of our body (Rom. 8:23). Even now the Spirit of the resurrected Christ, who dwells in us, gives life to our mortal body (Rom. 8:11), making it a member of Christ (1 Cor. 6:15) and a temple of God indwelt by His Holy Spirit (v. 19).
I am thankful not only that the Lord is for our body, but also that God will raise up our body, even as He raised up the body of the Lord Jesus. We all have some physical defects, and none of us is absolutely healthy. We become tired and sometimes we become ill. These weaknesses help us appreciate the Lord’s promises concerning our body. In verses 13 and 14 we have a dual promise: first, that the Lord is for the body; second, that God will raise up the body. We know from Romans 8:11 that even today our mortal body can receive the supply of resurrection life and be sustained by it. Sometimes He heals us. The first aspect of the dual promise concerning our body is that the Lord is for it and sustains it.
From experience I have learned that the Lord is for our body. In 1943 I became seriously ill with tuberculosis and I was charged to have a complete rest. For a long period of time I had to lie in bed. One day my firstborn child, who was thirteen years of age, came to visit me. As I looked at him, I came very close to weeping. I prayed, “Lord, will You grant me another fifteen years? Lord, look at my child, my firstborn. In fifteen years he will be twenty-eight. If you will give me another fifteen years, I shall be content and willing to die when these years are over.” I praise the Lord that more than thirty-eight years have passed since I prayed to the Lord in this way. My body fully recovered from that illness, and during all these years I have been able to work hard. The Lord truly is for our body.
Although the first aspect of the dual promise is for the present, the second aspect is for the future. The Lord is for our body today, but God will raise up our body in the future. This raising up of the body refers to its transfiguration. When our body is resurrected, it will be transfigured.
In verse 15 Paul goes on to say, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then, taking the members of Christ, make them members of a prostitute? Certainly not!” Here Paul says clearly that our bodies are members of Christ. This is not an illustration, a metaphor, or a parable. On the contrary, it is a statement of fact. Our bodies are actually members of Christ. How marvelous!
In verse 15 Paul says that our bodies are members of Christ, and in verse 17 he says that he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. How can we reconcile these two matters? Are we one with the Lord physically or spiritually? If we say that we are not one with Him physically, then how can our bodies be His members? But if we claim that our oneness with the Lord is physical and not spiritual, we fall into serious error, even heresy. Our oneness with the Lord is both spiritual and physical. Although we may not realize much of this now, one day it will be fully manifested that we are actually one with the Lord in body, soul, and spirit. Then according to 1 John 3:2, we shall be fully like Him not only in spirit, but also in our body. First John 3:2 is a verse which emphasizes our likeness to the Lord in body. Philippians 3:21 has the same emphasis. This verse says that the body of our humiliation will become the same as the Lord’s glorious body. These verses indicate that we are one with the Lord both physically and spiritually. Our body will one day be absolutely like the Lord’s glorious body in resurrection.
Our physical body can be likened to a seed sown into the soil. According to 1 Corinthians 15, resurrection is actually the growth of a seed which has been sown into the ground. When a seed is sown, it is simply a seed. But when the seed grows and blossoms, it takes on a very different appearance. Today our body is a seed sown into Christ. But one day this seed will grow up through resurrection. When it grows in this way, it will change in appearance, although it will still be our body. When a grain of wheat is sown into the soil, it is wheat. When this seed grows up, it is still wheat even though it is very different in appearance. At present, our physical body does not have a good appearance. For this reason, we do not appreciate our body so much. However, because our body is a member of Christ, it is dear and precious. Eventually, in resurrection, this body will become exactly the same as Christ’s glorious resurrected body.
In verse 18 Paul says, “Flee fornication. Every sin which a man may do is outside the body, but he who commits fornication sins against his own body.” Fornication is a sin against our own body, which is a member of Christ. This is a serious warning not to abuse our body.
