1 Corinthians 6:15
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
1 Corinthians 6:15
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.
Chapter Context
1 Corinthians 6 is a pastoral epistle chapter in the New Testament that explores themes of mercy, obedience, redemption. Written during Paul's third missionary journey (c. 55 CE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: The church existed in a prosperous, cosmopolitan, morally permissive Roman colony.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
This chapter is significant because it establishes important theological principles that resonate throughout Scripture. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within 1 Corinthians and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
1 Corinthians 6:15
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.
Analysis
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.
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).
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?
Word Studies
- Messiah: Χριστός (Christos) G5547 - Christ, Anointed One
Cross-References
- References Christ: 1 Corinthians 11:3, 12:27, Romans 12:5, Ephesians 4:12
- References God: 1 Corinthians 6:19, Luke 20:16, Colossians 2:19
- Parallel theme: Ephesians 5:30