13 “Food(A) for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will do away with both of them.[a] The body is not for sexual immorality(B) but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.(C) 15 Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body?(D) So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not! 16 Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh.(E)[b] 17 But anyone joined(F) to the Lord is one spirit(G) with Him.

18 Run(H) from sexual immorality! “Every sin a person can commit is outside the body.”[c] On the contrary, the person who is sexually immoral(I) sins against his own body. 19 Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary(J) of the Holy Spirit(K) who is in you,(L) whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought(M) at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 6:13 Lit both it and them
  2. 1 Corinthians 6:16 Gn 2:24
  3. 1 Corinthians 6:18 See note at 1Co 6:12-13.
  4. 1 Corinthians 6:20 Other mss add and in your spirit, which belong to God.

13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food, but God will do away with both of them. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body [to save, sanctify, and raise it again because of the sacrifice of the cross]. 14 And God has not only raised the Lord [to life], but will also raise us up by His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Am I therefore to take the members of Christ and make them part of a [a]prostitute? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall be one flesh.”(A) 17 But the one who is united and joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Run away from sexual immorality [in any form, whether thought or behavior, whether visual or written]. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the one who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]? 20 You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 6:15 Corinth was famous for its prostitutes, and many if not all probably practiced their trade in connection with the worship of Aphrodite. Having relations with temple or cult prostitutes was considered acceptable behavior, and Paul’s admonitions here indicate that some of the Corinthian converts were continuing the practice.