Why do we Dig Deeper?
Check It Out!
The Passage
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 English Standard Version (ESV)
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
My Questions
1) What does Paul mean when he says “our body is a temple”?
2) Paul says we are bought with a price. What was the price that he was referring to?
3) What does it mean to glorify God with our bodies?
The Tools
A trip to www.studylight.org is in order here.
We will get super cozy with this site as we study Scripture together!
Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom!
It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse?
Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage?
Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
The Findings for Original Intent
1) The actual word for temple means sanctuary, a place of worship. Paul is not saying worship our bodies, but in Corinthians, Paul is addressing some serious issues within the church in Corinth. One of those issues being sexual immorality among believers and believers within the community sexually interacting with temple prostitutes specifically. God desires us to treat our bodies well, see them as true creations of His, and to use them to bring glory to His Kingdom.
2) Paul uses the analogy of “bought with a price” throughout his letters. The item being purchased was our life and the price was set by sin. The price, all the sin in the world, required death on the Cross for Christ so that we could be free of God’s eternal judgement.
3) Honoring God means doing things that build His Kingdom within us and within those in our sphere of influence. In this specific passage, God uses Paul’s letter to admonish the Corinthians for their sexual immorality. It doesn’t have to be just sexual though. Paul talks about the food we eat (1 Corinthians 6: 13), James talks about the way we use our mouth (James 3), and Peter addresses our attire and the way we dress, specifically women. (1 Peter 3:3-4). Our body, every part from head to toe, inside and out, must be taken captive by the gospel!
Some Applications for Our Everyday Lives
1) Our bodies are part of us, God’s creation. He desires us to use it like we use our gifts and talents for His glory. Our perceptions of the way we feel towards our bodies, positive or negative, isn’t the full truth of God’s design. He created us each with a plan and purpose and we are to treat our bodies as something of value and something that has purpose!
2) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-24) We are all sinners in need of a Savior. Jesus’ death on the cross is the free gift we have all been given. “You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.” (1 Corinthians 7:23) The price was paid so we would no longer be enslaved to this world in body, mind, or spirit but rather honor the One True King with every area of our life, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually!
3) Honoring God means we constantly evaluate ourselves in the light of the Gospel: Is what we are doing God’s way or my way? God’s way or the world’s way? Honoring God with our body means the lens we see through is saturated with Scripture and the body we take into action for the Kingdom, is armed in the power of the Holy Spirit. We see our bodies for what they are, creations of God, created in His image for His Kingdom!
Don’t miss today’s other Journey Study, Glorified Beauty!
Sign up to receive every Journey to your inbox!
Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Beauty Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
