18Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; however, the one sinning sexually sins against their own body. [6:19] Or surely you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? [6:20] For you were bought with a price; do glorify God, then, in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
1CO 6:18-20
The Temple of the Holy Spirit
In the world it was spoken into
In 1st-century Corinth, (sexual immorality) was deeply embedded in the city’s culture, tied to its reputation for temple prostitution and the worship of Aphrodite. For the Corinthian believers, many of whom were Gentiles, sexual ethics were a significant point of tension between their new identity in Christ and their former pagan practices. The speaker’s emphasis on the body as a (temple) of the Holy Spirit would have been striking, as referred to the sacred inner sanctuary where the deity dwelled, not the outer courts. This metaphor elevated the body to a place of divine presence, contrasting sharply with the Greco-Roman view of the body as morally neutral or inferior. The reminder that they were “bought for a price” invoked the language of manumission, where slaves were purchased to gain freedom, underscoring their new status as belonging to God. The call to glorify God in their bodies challenged them to live in a way that honored their redeemed identity.
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How other translations render this
1CO 6:18
- KJV
- Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
- BSB
- Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
- Koinōnos
- Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; however, the one sinning sexually sins against their own body.
1CO 6:19
- KJV
- What? 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?
- BSB
- Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
- Koinōnos
- Or surely you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
1CO 6:20
- KJV
- For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
- BSB
- you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.
- Koinōnos
- For you were bought with a price; do glorify God, then, in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
1CO 6:18
- sexual immorality.:The word translated 'sexual immorality' was a broad term encompassing all illicit sexual activity, including prostitution, fornication, and adultery, and was often associated with idolatrous practices in the ancient world.
1CO 6:19
- a temple:The term translated 'a temple' referred specifically to the inner sanctuary of a temple, the dwelling place of the deity, rather than the entire temple complex.
1CO 6:20
- with a price;:The word translated 'with a price' also carried the sense of honor, value, or esteem, implying that the price paid was of great worth and conferred dignity.
- do glorify:The word translated 'do glorify' means to honor, praise, or magnify, often in a way that acknowledges the inherent worth and splendor of the one being glorified.