1 Corinthians 6: 1-20

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1 1 Corinthians 6: th February 2017 THE LETTER SO FAR After his introduction and greetings, Paul has spent much of this letter so far trying to set them right on things that have been reported to him. So for three and a half chapters (1:10 to 4:20), he has been trying to stop them forming cliques and asserting their superiority and pride in their greater wisdom. Then in chapter 5 he has to address an urgent issue that s been reported, in which a member of the church is tolerated and even celebrated while engaging in extreme sexual immorality with no indication that he (or they) view it as wrong. There seems to be a complete absence of church authority or discipline possibly because they are too caught up in arguing who is the wisest or the more superior! And he has another couple of issues to deal with in Chapter 6 before he can move onto the questions they actually asked they start in Chapter 7 when he says Now for the matters you wrote about and starts to tell them about marriage. The more I look at Corinthians and the culture they faced, the more similarities I see with our culture. They are so concerned to exert their rights all the time without ever thinking about their responsibilities. They want their right the freedom broadly to do as they pleased (verse 12). And yet the Christian life is based on God given grace, achieved by Jesus giving up his rights and should be about responsibility, about love and mutual service. Paul is trying to emphasise that the new Christian community should stand out as different not by being the most exclusive club in the area but by their behaviour being distinct from that of the surrounding culture because they have a fundamentally different foundation on which their lives are built. DISPUTES (1-8) So Paul moves on in his letter to the third thing he s heard about their behaviour. This time it s disputes within the church and whereas in Chapter 5 they didn t take any action at all, in this case they re too keen to take action! They are concerned about enforcing their rights against others in the church whenever they feel they have been infringed, and are ending up going to court. In fact, at that time court cases were both long and expensive and one of the chief sources of amusement and gossip; the Greeks loved going to law and nearly everyone was an amateur lawyer. The Christians in Corinth, rather than standing out as different had so absorbed the local culture that they were presenting their differences as entertainment for the masses. Like conducting a dispute in the church in the Sun newspaper. As in Chapter 5, it seems the church was trying to be different by outdoing the local society at its own game! Occasionally there are reports nowadays in the media about families that have fallen out and launched court cases against each other often about an inheritance or a divorce settlement. What do you think when you read those reports? Sad? Pity? Glad that I m not in that family that can t sort out their differences privately within the family? So how did God s family, this newly established Christian church, look to the locals in Corinth as they watched them suing each other in the courts? Of course, in our age the church is better known, and secular society loves stories of wrongdoing or disputes in the church because it shows that we are no different every little titbit about a misbehaving cleric or arguments at Synod is reported and pored over to reassure everyone that it s just an odd club and Christians are just like everyone else. But we re meant to be different! And Paul has another reason why they shouldn t go to court with each other, over and above the bad impression it gives. The magistrates didn t operate with the same foundation and guiding principles to their lives (he calls them the ungodly in verse 1) and every judgement is made in the context of a person s underlying values.

2 Paul goes on in verse 2 to point out that Christians will judge the world (notice the Do You Not Know?, the first of 7 in this chapter (verses 2, 3, 9, 5, 16, and 19) which suggest astonishment at their ignorance of fundamental truths) and even the fallen angels who were unable to accept God s plan of salvation. He may be referring to Daniel 7, which talks of holy ones set in authority or to Jesus in Matthew 19 vv saying you who have followed me will sit on thrones and judge the 12 tribes of Israel. But it might simply mean that by living different lives, set apart for God, the church is an example and a condemnation of the rest of the world and in that sense judges them hard to do if there is little difference. But, Paul continues, if this is what we are destined and meant for, can we not even arbitrate with wisdom in disputes between members? He has spent 4 chapters trying to tell them that they do not have some kind of superior wisdom to others because they followed Apollo or Paul or Peter. But if they think they re so wise, surely they can find someone wise enough to arbitrate? He suggests that even the lowliest in the church should be able to do it. They need to become what they actually are God s community and the community needs internal discipline as well as the members. In fact in verse 7, Paul says that going to law against each other shows that you have already been defeated by Satan who wishes to sow discord in the church and by reassuring people outside the church that there is no discernible difference made by being a Christian. It would be better to suffer the wrong or be cheated (verse 7) than to drag it to the courts if you can t resolve it inside the church community that would really show a difference in the conduct of Christians. But instead they go to court to try to screw an advantage out of their brother or sister in Christ; they may harm their immediate target but also, by harming the reputation of the church, they harm their brothers and sisters in Corinth and further afield. Of course, we wouldn t dream of taking another church member to court but do we play out our concerns, our worries, our irritations, our anger about issues within our church family to a wider public audience? Our girls always behaved well when they were out but that doesn t mean we have a perfect family; the perfect family doesn t exist and there isn t a perfect church family (if there was, it wouldn t let me in). But we should be loyal to God and his family as represented by this motley crew you see around you now and that you will spend the rest of eternity with. Maybe we need to ask God for the strength to really love each other even or maybe especially those that we don t take to naturally. INHERITANCE (9-11) Again Paul asks Do you not know? as he emphasises the different futures mapped out for the Christian community and those outside it. And if there is a difference in their future there should be a difference in their present. Paul lists the normal behaviour of the society in which they lived; he makes no distinction, no ranking of big and little sins the greedy and the slanderous are not distinguished from the thieves, the drunkards, the casual sex seeker. All have fallen short of the glory of God. We don t have time to go into detail here, but notice he puts homosexual practices in this list. Of course, it s different now and Paul clearly didn t understand the mutually respectful loving relationship which is possible in today s society. But the Greek and Roman world practised homosexual partnerships extensively it s not a new invention. Of the first 15 Roman emperors, 14 had homosexual relationships and Nero, never one to do things by half, took two husbands. Socrates and Plato both indulged. So Paul knew perfectly well what we have in our society nowadays what is here translated male prostitutes and homosexual offenders just means the passive and the active partner. So why did he mention these? Because that is what they faced in Corinth on a daily basis. In close knit families, with parents and grandparents and cousins and uncles and aunts around, sexual and other behaviour tends to be more regulated (with the occasional warped exception) but a society on the move, rootless, with nobody paying you any attention, in a port city such as Corinth with a transient population you could do what you wanted with impunity it was easy to live irresponsibly as you didn t have to face the consequences of your actions - you can be anonymous in a big bustling city (or on the internet) where nobody really knows you or cares what you do. Prostitution thrived both in the pagan temples and because it was a port city and theft at the baths, gym and from houses was endemic. But a Christian family should be close knit, looking out for and looking after each other.

3 It s no surprise that Paul is effectively warning them about behaviour in the areas of sex, money, possessions, drink and the tongue; we always have the same sinful nature, just expressed in different ways in different ages. Because deep down we are all like that we want to live our lives for ourselves, selfishly, without God as the foundation of our lives. I wonder what would Paul pick on today if he was speaking to us that demonstrated our complete disregard for God s law? Self-absorbed, uncaring, lying, cheating, greedy, status obsessed, gossiping, quick to criticise? And Paul says as much to the Corinthians in verse 11: and that is what some of you were unsurprising really, given that they lived in Corinth. But, but but a small but great word so powerful that Paul repeats it three times: but you were washed (cleaned of their sins), but you were sanctified (that is put aside for God), but you were justified by the Holy Spirit and by the grace of God. In each case Paul uses the aorist tense a one off past event, a once for all event that transformed them. No power on earth could achieve that. So does that mean they are pure and spotless now? No, Paul is not naïve! But they have a different underlying foundation so Paul can say they will inherit ( will inherit means coming into full possession of something already promised). Although they might fail from time to time in the areas Paul has mentioned, it is not the driving force in their lives, it is a failure that they regret and try to put right. That s why the culprit in chapter 5 had to be expelled he couldn t call himself a Christian and be accepted by the fellowship if he was proud of what he had done. It s about knowing where we came from and where we re going. We re on a road and our position on that road may not have changed but we re facing the other way and slowly, step by step and often stumbling, tripping, falling over, we moving forwards towards our destination. FREEDOM (12-13) So if we re free, then we can do what we like; it doesn t matter if we sin or not as we have been washed and justified. In verse 12, Paul quotes a phrase that was being bandied about to justify this kind of behaviour and it was probably a catchphrase he used: Everything is permissible for me. When Paul used this, it was probably in the context of the freedom to not to have to follow the myriad of rules for Jewish daily living but given what he s just said, he is also clear that falling short of God s standards do not invalidate the washing, the sanctification and the justification by the grace of God. But he wants to caveat it in the way that the Corinthians were using it. Paul qualifies his statement about freedom 3 times; twice here and once in Chapter 10 verse 23. o Firstly he says in verse 12 that although everything is permissible, not everything is helpful. Does it have a positive impact or a negative one and who does it affect (of, course, it may only be the individual concerned but that still matters)? o Secondly in verse 12, Paul says he won t be mastered by anything; in other words he wasn t going to be the slave of anything, to allow anything to control his life. In our age, we have the freedom to protest peacefully but a few people do nothing but protest on the streets, the freedom to buy things on credit and some people buy everything they like the look of and get into overwhelming debt, the freedom for men and women to work and have childcare but then anyone who stays at home to look after children is often disparaged. Freedom often means exercising rights which can turn into compulsion or addiction which is not freedom at all. It may not be that extreme, but what habits or hobbies or appetites drive your life? They are probably morally neutral but what would a friend say is the mainspring of your life your Christian faith? o We have been redeemed so we really belong to the one who bought us. Christian freedom is about being free from the pressure to conform to the world s standards and its culture: so missionaries work for little money in dangerous places; teenagers resist having sex before marriage; people give up time, money, resources and energy to the church; all things the world would view as mad. o And the third qualification is in 10:23 in which Paul says not all things build up, are constructive; we need to do things which will build up the church and its members. o So Paul then says, let s use that principle in an example; what is a big problem in Corinth? Well, as we ve seen sexual morals were pretty low so Paul works it through with them to show how to apply it.

4 EXAMPLE OF THE BODY (13-20) He starts in verse 13 by quoting what seems to have been a common saying in Corinth Food for the stomach and the stomach for food. This suggests that food only affects the stomach and that the stomach needs food, but the meaning was broader it meant the body and spirit are quite separate and that the body has its own appetites which should be fulfilled. In fact, there is a strong cultural influence from the Greeks, which suggested that the spirit is a prisoner of the body. Your connection to God is through your mind and spirit and the body is simply an annoying irrelevance which should be left to its own devices. But Paul says that shows a fundamental misunderstanding about how God views the body and what it s for and hence what we should or can do with it. He lists 5 things we need to understand about our bodies and how that should affect what we do: PURPOSE o First of all in verse 13, he takes up the catchphrase and turns it round. The body is for the Lord ie the body needs the Lord God and the Lord for the body ie the Lord God will affect our whole bodies. Jesus took human form so it is hardly an anathema to God (and He created us!). So conversion should be both spiritual and physical in that how we use and treat our bodies should change. After all, the only way others can see any difference in us is through our behaviour which relies on our bodies. Jesus wants to know and work through us as fully physical human beings, both now and hereafter. RESURRECTION o In verse 14, Paul points out that Jesus was not defeated by death and neither will we be now that we are in Christ. God raised him up, in other words raised his body, and will raise up ours. Death doesn t terminate the purpose for our bodies. It s not the separation as envisaged by the Greeks in which the spirit is set free from the body the body itself is the raw materials of an even more glorious creation. So it matters what you do with it now. Not in terms of physical destruction God can bring back our body whatever has happened to it but how we use and treat our own bodies during this life has a serious impact on our attitude. It really isn t possible to let our bodies indulge in all sorts of activities and keep our minds pure we are body mind and soul all linked together and influencing each other. INTERACTION o Then in verses 15-17, Paul reminds us that there is an interaction of the body with the Lord. When we became Christians we were fused together in such a way that we became one (v17: he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit ). He uses the same terminology in chapter 7 to talk about marriage and the Greek word (kleronomeo) means glued together. I don t know if you ve ever superglued two items together and then later tried to separate them; one or both of the parts are going to be damaged (and you can see the deep hurt in a divorce and the breakup of both long term and even casual relationships, or on the death of a partner). There is a deep sharing and interaction, whether you intend there to be or not, when you have sexual relationships. o This was a particular problem for the men in Corinth, hence Paul s comments. Prostitutes were freely and easily available and encouraged. But if you are intricately bound to the Lord God, how can you superglue yourself to a prostitute? Think it through, says Paul, learn to grow up a little and apply what you should know! TEMPLE o In chapter 3, Paul described the church as the temple of God but in verse 19 he says an individual Christian is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. This must be true if we receive the Holy Spirit and He stays with us once we are saved by grace. And He is with us and in us all the time, not just when we re at church or praying but even in those moments of which we re most ashamed. o But being reminded of that can be a good thing; rather than being viewed as an inhibitor, we should see the Holy Spirit as a strengthener, the great helper and comforter, always with us even in the darkest times, who can give us the strength to carry on and to resist temptation. REDEMPTION o Finally in verses 19-20, he makes the point that we were bought / redeemed by God through Jesus death and therefore our bodies are not ours to do what we please with; the same point comes up in chapter 7 when he talks about marriage, in which each spouse s body belongs to the other. So we should seek to honour God with our bodies as well as our minds.

5 There seemed to be a suggestion, as there is in today s culture, that the body needs sex, that an active sexual experience of whatever sort is needed to be fully alive. Paul and the rest of the Bible say emphatically no, this isn t true you are fully alive in Christ, more than you can possibly imagine, whether you are single, married, widowed or divorced, and he develops this more in the next chapter. Back in verse 18, Paul says Flee from sexual immorality; the only other place he says to do this is in 10:14 when he talks about idolatry; both these have a deep and lasting impact on us if I lie or cheat or steal, these are all bad but if I am sexually immoral or have something other than God as the main driver of my life, then these will affect every bit of my mind and my behaviour and colour every bit of my life. So Paul says, Flee don t even think about being tempted, don t put yourself into those situations. CONCLUSION In many ways, Corinth was very like our society and culture today, so Paul s advice is particularly relevant. We have been redeemed and that sets us free not to do what we like but to have a different foundation, different values, a different direction, a different road. Instead of rights, we should think of responsibilities, instead of status of service, instead of disputes and arguments there should be love and consideration. We will stumble and fall along the way, but the complete you, the real you, body, mind and soul together, has been washed of sins, sanctified and justified. We know what we once were but our future is no longer defined by our past and with the Holy Spirit working in us, we can start to become, as Paul wrote to the Philippians (Phil 2: 14-16) children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.