1 Corinthians 6:16
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
1 Corinthians 6:16
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
Chapter Context
1 Corinthians 6 is a pastoral epistle chapter in the New Testament that explores themes of prayer, wisdom, judgment. 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 illustrates divine judgment and mercy in response to human actions. 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 6:16
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
Analysis
What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? Kollaō (κολλάω, 'joined, united, glued') indicates permanent bond—the same word for cleaving in marriage (Genesis 2:24 LXX). Paul cites Genesis: for two, saith he, shall be one flesh (esontai gar, phēsin, hoi dyo eis sarka mian, ἔσονται γάρ, φησίν, οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν). Mia sarx (μία σάρξ, 'one flesh') isn't mere physical contact but ontological union—two become a single entity.
The scandal: Paul applies marital one-flesh language to prostitution. This devastates any 'it's just sex' rationale. There's no such thing as casual sex—every sexual union creates one-flesh bond, whether within or outside covenant. Prostitution profanes what God designed for lifelong, exclusive union. The Corinthians thought they could compartmentalize: spiritual union with Christ, physical recreation with prostitutes. Paul says: impossible—bodies aren't shells but integral to personhood.
Historical Context
Genesis 2:24 described marriage, but Jewish and Christian interpreters saw it as revealing sex's intrinsic nature: unitive. Unlike animals, human sexuality carries personal, relational, spiritual weight. Corinthian culture trivialized sex—slaves as sexual objects, prostitutes as service providers. Paul's revolutionary claim: every sexual act has marital-level significance. This dignifies the marginalized (prostitutes are persons, not commodities) and calls believers to sexual integrity reflecting God's covenant faithfulness (Hosea 1-3).
Reflection
- How does the 'one flesh' teaching challenge beliefs that sex can be purely physical without emotional or spiritual bonding?
- What past sexual unions (even those you considered 'casual') might still affect you, requiring confession, healing, and renewing of the mind?
- How can the church recover the biblical vision of sex as sacred, covenant-creating, and inseparable from permanent commitment?
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: Genesis 2:24, 34:31, 38:24, Judges 16:1, Mark 10:8, Ephesians 5:31