6:12 "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are
beneficial. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be
dominated by anything.
6:13 "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food," and
God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for
fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
6:14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.
6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should
I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a
prostitute? Never!
6:16 Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes
one body with her? For it is said, "The two shall be one flesh."
6:17 But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
6:18 Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside
the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself.
6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy
Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not
your own?
6:20 For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your
body.
It seems to me that Paul is saying that Christian freedom means TRUE
freedom. If we say we are free to do anything, but are compelled to
do those things by our sinful nature, then we are not free, but in
slavery. Christian liberty makes us masters of our bodies, so that
we no longer endulge the sinful compulsions that reign within us.
When we do endulge those compulsions, it is not out of our Christian
freedom, it is out of submission to some desire that has control of
us.
MRA
So how do we relate this passage to Epiphany? And to the gospel
lesson? Seems schizophrenic to me. A better epistle lesson to go
along with the gospel might be 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 about knowing
Christ from the human vs divine point of view; and about reconciling
the world to God. Clare in Iowa
"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial."
Trying to help people to distinguish between law and gospel is a
challenge. Many would prefer to be captive to the law than take
responsibility for choosing their own behavior. When we are under
the law we are able to resent the law giver for "making" us
miserable. When accept that we are free to choose, we give up the
right to blame. When we are under the law sexually transmitted
diseases are a punishment. When we are free, they are a consequence.
SS in PA
Doesn't seem to be a hot text for this Sunday since no one is making
comment. I have been reading John Ortberg's book "The Life You've
Always Wanted". One chapter addresses the issue of discipline. He
comments "Disciplined people can do the right thing at the right
time in the right way for the right reasons." It seems much of the
instruction of Paul in Corinthians centers around the issue of
discipline or training to enable a person to be more open to the
relationship God wants to have with each of us and to enable us to
be free to share the good news without hindrance. If Paul was 'hung
up' on sexual function (or dysfunction) he was no different than a
society like our own American culture that uses sexuality not only
for pleasure but to sell products. It seems the expression of our
sexuality falls easily into a lesson on living a disciplines life or
a carefree(careless) life. ORtberg quotes Martin Luther'sbeginning
to The Freedom of the Christian; "A Christian is a perfectly free
lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful
servant of all, subject to all." As I think of Dr. Martin Luther
King, surely he could not have met the challenges in his life had he
not trained, prepared for those challenges. Before the demostrations
protesters were informed about the violence that would be dished out
and were told how to respond. It kept the protestors peaceful in the
midst of a frustrated and confused nation.
I will preach this text, using the title "Tending the Temple." I
believe that it is important that we preach about taking care of
ourselves. We focus so much on the "spiritual," but the physical is
also a gift of God's making which needs to be tended well. Our
response to the word may include step aerobics!
-Dale in Chattanooga
On the other lectionary readings, there are several comments about
tying the readings together, and doubt and confusion as to how to
add in this particular passage. I wonder, as I dwell on these
verses, if they do not tie together very well. There are two calls
to us: The call to Christ and salvation, and then the call to
obedient discipleship. This passage helps us to focus on the call to
discipleship. How can we respond to God's call and be ONE with GOD
if we are ONE with sin and worldliness? just a few beginning
thoughts..... any comments will be much appreciated.... Rev Janet in
NY
"...your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit ... you are not your
own ... you were bought with a price..."
What does this do to the pro abortion argument that "A woman must
control her body" or to the new age argument that "I don't need a
marriage to live in sexual union" ?
Just asking, you understand!
Deacon Gary
If this is a second posting, I apologize. I am preaching this
passage, using the idea of "Tending the Temple." I believe that it
is important for us to talk about how we treat our bodies - the
Temple of the Holy Spirit. Thus, this scripture will be a
springboard for discussing how we should tend to the physical just
as we tend to the spiritual. -Dale in Chattanooga
These may be extremely difficult things to talk about in a church
setting. Especially for someone, like me, who is seen to be without
experience. But when you connect this scripture with the others in
the lectionary this week and see that the major portion is about
God/Holy Spirit's presence with each of us all the time, perhaps
that makes it a little more palatable.
So, not only is God taken with us into the bed of a prostitute (if
that's where we go) but also into the stock exchange, the local
hangouts, the grocery store. We carry God with us in to places where
we sin and places where we proclaim the good news and they can be
the same places. If we just do less of the former and more of the
latter, perhaps we carry it where it needs to go.
AW in IL
Well, I was hoping there would be some contribution, but I guess the
Epistles don't get as much attention as the Gospels do.
Anyway, I am thinking about what Paul is arguing against.
Apparently, the people he is arguing against think that because they
have been baptized into Christ and are forgiven for their sins, they
can do anything they want now.
That's bad news. Like Paul pointed out, maybe so, but that doesn't
mean that everything is good for us and can even dominate us! I'm
thinking of drugs and food for example. Sex, alcohol, and television
can be more example.
Anyhow, let's hear some comments, folks!
Brandon in CA
I'm titleing my sermon "No such thing as an Out-of -body experience"
Yes, In Christ, we are free from the law with all its do's and
don't's. But being free doesn't mean we are disconnected. In Christ
we are the body of Christ. When believers go in to the prostitutes
of the idols they are part of the body and take Christ, and us, with
them. When we worship the idols of our age we take Christ with us.
We are never separate from the Body. That's part what Paul is
meaning when he says when one suffers we all suffer, when one is
glad we all are glad. When one goes in to the prostitute the whole
body is corrupted. We are free, but we are not our own. We belong to
God, and thus to his body. FISHER IN TN
I was very tempted to preach on this text if only because it stands
there as the liturgical equivalent of a purple cow. Shun
fornication! is what people hear and the 2 primary responses are to
start feeling judgmental about the sexual sins of others or to start
feeling uncomfortable about all the ways we fail to honor our
bodies. What I really think is that Paul is putting the theology of
the Incarnation into immediate life terms: if God has taken flesh,
what does that say about the value of who we are, body and soul?
What does that say aabout the sanctity of relationship? Also, when
Paul talks about porneia (here translated fornication), isn't he
referring to exploitive sexual relations? Using someone else without
benefit of actual relationship? Just some thoughts. I'm actually
working with the Gospel. L in NY
1,14,2000 We are not our own! What a statement in the land of rugged
individualism. What a thing to say to the editors of "Self"
magazine. What a thing to say to those who tout "fat is beautiful."
What a thing to say to those who talk about "their orientation."
What a thing to say to the person holding the remote control in one
hand and a Bible gathering dust on the shelf. What a thing to say to
the person who is convinced that, "I am in charge of my life, and I
will make my own choices and decisions." What a thing to say to
those who are "pro-choice." What a thing to say to a rebellious
body-of-Christ.
Dale in Kansas
Dear Clare and others; I believe often the lectionary has no
intention of blending readings; in this case the psalm "thou hast
seen me and known me" couples with the Cor. pasage but not with the
others. I chose for this week to hit the cor. passage since it goes
against my nature to deal with fornication from the pulpit.
sometimes we have to let the lctionary lead us into uncomfortable
waters in order to be faithful to the scriptures. More later.
-"desperate Jeff" in NY-
the main portion of this text I am going for it the body as the
temple of the holy spirit, which is also voiced in chapter 5,
beginning. This is an impt. concept to paul, who knew the gnostic
views of anything goes with the body, since our spiritual lives are
not affected by the body. Also, impt. to paul because he know the
greco roman world and its thought, having studied in it under
Gamaliel. They believed that they were indeed free to think and do
"as long as my actions dont hurt another person." Does this sound at
all familiar? No wonder we struggle with even mentioning the concept
of sin from our pulpits. The other reason, of course, is our own
worry at being hypocrites, since most preachers I know are also
people, who have struggled with the same sexual sins as our
parishoners. No one wants to be the pot calling the kettle black.
Seems the only way to focus for this passage is to look at the body
as temple, which includes far more ramifications for our behavior,
and sets our future goals for holiness in a positive context. That
Christ may be glorified by our actions; this will preach!
-desperate Jeff in NY-
