Context:  Paul returns to the topic about sexual immorality. This time, in contrast to a specific case about an incestuous man in chapter 5, Paul uses the case of prostitution to discuss the general principle with regard to Christian liberty. Similar to the above two topics, Paul addresses the problem of crisis of authority -- over the Corinthians' "freedom to act as they pleased" without restraint.

• Some Corinthians have a false view of freedom ("everything is permissible") and of the body ("God will destroy it"). They argued that going to prostitutes is permissible because they, being people of spirit, will not be affected by behaviour of the body.
• 6:12-14    Paul argues against their false presumption.
• 6:15-20    Paul forbids prostitution; the theological basis is that such sin is against their bodies.

6:12
"Everything is permissible for me" is a Corinthian slogan. Paul cites it again in 10:23. For Paul, "everything is permissible" has to do with the non-essentials: food, drink, days, circumcision, not with ethical or moral matters.

Corinthians use the term "right to determine" or "authority" (Greek exousia) [similar to 8:9 where Paul speaks of "this exousia of yours" of going to the pagan temples].

Two criteria in exercising Christian liberty:

• Is it "beneficial" to me and to others? (parallel with "constructive" or "build up" in 10:23)
• Will I be "mastered" by it ("anything" or anybody)?

6:13-14
First, the Corinthians' slogan consisted of two parts:

(a)    Food for the stomach and the stomach for food "and" (translated as "but" is incorrect)
(b)    God will destroy both the one (stomach) and the other (food).
 
Here, Paul is in essential agreement. Both food and the stomach belong to the present age, and God will do away with them both in the end. However, the Corinthians' application derived from this slogan is incorrect:
(a)    They thought that since food is for the stomach and the stomach for food, and since all bodily appetites are pretty much alike, that leads to the conclusion that the body is for sex and sex for the body.
(b)    They thought that food and the body are both temporal and God will destroy them both in the end, what happens to the body does not matter.
 
Paul corrects them on both counts starting with the word "but" (i.e., their derivation is wrong):
(a)    The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord "and"
(b)    The body is not destined for destruction but for resurrection, the proof of which is Christ's resurrection.
 
Paul counters their slogan with his own parallel theological construct: "The body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." The meaning of "the Lord is for the body" is not clear but may mean the Lord has given himself for the redemption of the body.

6:15-17
The argument against prostitution is in two parts.

(a)    The bodies of believers are "members" of the "body" of Christ (v.15a) because each individual believer is joined to ["united with"] Christ and becomes one S/spirit with him (v.17).
(b)    On the basis of Gen 2:24 (v.16b), in sexual intercourse two bodies become one. With prostitution, the body of the believer is joined to ["united with"] the prostitute (v.16a) and becomes a "member" of her body (v.15b).
 
Since a believer cannot be the member of the body of the prostitute and the member of the body of Christ, prostitution precludes a person from being in the body of Christ.

6:18-20
3 reasons why sexual immorality is wrong:

(a)    It is a sin against one's own body (v.18).
(b)    The body is the present habitation of God's Spirit (v.19) and should be kept holy.
(c)    The body is God's rightful possession because it is redeemed with a great price in the death of Christ (v.20).
 

•  What is the meaning of temple of God or temple of the Holy Spirit?

• Temple of the God is normally referred to the church as a whole (3:16, 2Co 6:16, Eph 2:21-22). Here, the emphasis is on the individual's body and the term is thus used for the body.
 
•  In what ways should Christians emphasize both body and spirit in our gospel?

• Evangelicals always emphasize faith and spiritual growth but the doctrine of the sanctity of the body needs to be heard anew within the church. Today, sin in particular sexual immorality is often justified under every conceivable rationalization.
• Christians need to take care of needs for both the body and the spirit. The tendency of some people to stress "saving souls" while caring little for people's material needs should be corrected.
• A complete gospel includes salvation of both the body and the spirit. The importance of such belief is evident in Paul's argument about resurrection of the body in 1Co 15.

• If you live in a building owned by someone else, you try not to violate the building's rules. Because your body belongs to God, you must not violate his standards for living. (v.19-20)

• Some Christians use the excuses:

(a)    Christ had taken away all sin, and so they had complete freedom to live as they pleased.
(b)    What they were doing was not strictly forbidden by Scripture.

Paul's answers:
(a)    While Christ has taken away our sin, this does not give us freedom to go on doing what is morally wrong.
(b)    Some actions are not sinful in themselves, but they are not appropriate because they can control our lives and lead us away from God OR they may hurt ourselves and hurt others. (v.1)