1 Cor. Commentary, Chapter 6 - CHRISTIANS AND SEXUAL IMMORALITY

[Dr. Henry, President of the AOCI]

CHAPTER 6: CHRISTIANS AND SEXUAL IMMORALITY

v. 1-6 Members of the Corinthian church were suing each other in the civil court. Paul told them to settle their disputes within the church, because the least-esteemed man in the church could judge better than a man in the worldly court. Paul explained that this type of behavior would damage their testimony in that the pagan world would wonder about the love proclaimed by Christians. This absolutely horrified Paul. If Christians will judge the world and evil angels, then they should be able to judge small things between each other.
v. 9 The “abusers of themselves with mankind” are homosexuals. Paul again makes his case that some people thought that because they were once saved, they are eternally secure even if they return to sinful practices or to a lifestyle that is wicked in the sight of God. They deceive themselves.
v. 11 Jesus washes (from sin past, present, and future), sanctifies (makes holy and sets apart), and justifies (pronounces not guilty, treated as righteous, acquitted from guilt). In this passage the Greek uses the aorist passive so it is not talking about a process or progression but of POSITION IN CHRIST. This happens when we turn our lives over to Him instantaneously.
v. 12 We shouldn’t exercise our freedom in such a way that we are NOT brought into bondage to anything. Because of the Corinthians Greek background, they took a negative view of the body, considering it of no importance. The Greek thinking in that day was that the body is a prison for the soul, so they thought that the things that were done in the body did not affect the soul.
v. 15 Since our bodies belong to Christ, we involve Him in everything we do.
v. 20 God purchased us at a tremendous price from the old life of sin. Now we re obligated to glorify Him with our bodies and our spirits which belong to Him. We are to “work out” our salvation.