1 Corinthians 6:15
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
Original Language Analysis
οἴδατε
Know ye
G1492
οἴδατε
Know ye
Strong's:
G1492
Word #:
2 of 20
used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent g3700 and g3708; properly, to see (literally or figuratively); by impl
ὅτι
that
G3754
ὅτι
that
Strong's:
G3754
Word #:
3 of 20
demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because
τὰ
G3588
τὰ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
4 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
σώματα
bodies
G4983
σώματα
bodies
Strong's:
G4983
Word #:
5 of 20
the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively
ἄρας
shall I
G142
ἄρας
shall I
Strong's:
G142
Word #:
10 of 20
to lift up; by implication, to take up or away; figuratively, to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind), specially, to sail away (i.e., weigh
τὰ
G3588
τὰ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
12 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
τοῦ
G3588
τοῦ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
14 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ποιήσω
and make
G4160
ποιήσω
and make
Strong's:
G4160
Word #:
16 of 20
to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct)
Cross References
Ephesians 5:30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.Romans 12:5So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.Colossians 2:19And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.1 Corinthians 12:27Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.Ephesians 4:12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:1 Corinthians 6:19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?1 Corinthians 11:3But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.Luke 20:16He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.
Historical Context
Corinth's Aphrodite cult may have involved sacred prostitution—religious sex as worship. Roman culture broadly tolerated prostitution as male prerogative. Male believers likely saw brothels as neutral recreation. Paul shocks them: you're not autonomous individuals—you're Christ's body parts. Your sexual choices implicate Him. This theology revolutionized sexual ethics: sex isn't recreational but covenantal, uniting persons at the deepest level (Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:31-32).
Questions for Reflection
- How does union with Christ (your body as His member) change your view of sexual temptation and purity?
- What would it mean to pause before sexual decisions and ask, 'Am I joining Christ to this act/person?'
- How does Paul's visceral horror at sexual sin challenge casual cultural attitudes toward hook-up culture and pornography?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Paul intensifies union-with-Christ theology. Melē Christou (μέλη Χριστοῦ, 'members of Christ')—believers' bodies are literally parts of Christ's body (12:27, Ephesians 5:30). Not metaphor: mystical union. Then the horrifying implication: shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? (aras oun ta melē tou Christou poiēsō pornēs melē; ἄρας οὖν τὰ μέλη τοῦ Χριστοῦ ποιήσω πόρνης μέλη;)
Pornē (πόρνη, 'harlot, prostitute') was common in Corinth—temple prostitution and street trade. Paul's logic: sexual union joins bodies (v. 16), so sleeping with a prostitute unites Christ Himself to her. God forbid (mē genoito, μὴ γένοιτο, 'may it never be!')—Paul's strongest negative. The very idea is blasphemous. Sexual sin isn't private; it drags Christ into defiling union.