1 Corinthians 6:15-17
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Paul's urgent question isn't just about avoiding sex with prostitutes; it's a profound statement that every part of us, our bodies, are already claimed and intimately connected to Christ. To engage in sexual immorality is to tear that sacred connection apart, essentially using Christ's own "members" for something that desecrates His union with us.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing the Corinthian church's struggle with sexual immorality and divisive issues. He’s been detailing the problems within the community, and in this section, he's directly confronting the idea that Christians can engage in sexual sin without serious consequences, arguing that their bodies, as part of Christ, are sacred. Immediately after this, he elaborates on the sacredness of the body by referencing the Holy Spirit living within them.
Paul throws down a radical idea: our bodies aren't just ours. They belong to someone else entirely. What does this mean for how we live?
Paul uses a powerful image here – our bodies are 'members of Christ.' This isn't just about physical actions; it's about identity and belonging.
A Sacred Union
When we become followers of Jesus, we're joined to Him in a profound way. The Holy Spirit literally indwells us (1 Corinthians 3:16), making our bodies a place where Christ lives.
The Implication: Purity
Knowing our bodies are 'members of Christ' radically changes how we should view sexual sin. Paul's rhetorical question is sharp: why would we connect a part of Christ to a prostitute? It's a betrayal of that sacred union, a desecration of what belongs to God.
Paul doesn't pull any punches. He calls sexual immorality a 'scandal' that tears apart our connection to Christ. Let's unpack why.
The Greek word Paul uses for 'prostitute' can refer to any illicit sexual activity. In the context of 1 Corinthians, where the Corinthian church was struggling with severe moral issues, this was a major concern.
Union with Christ vs. Union with Sin
Paul contrasts two unions: our union with Christ and the union of sexual immorality. He makes it clear that these are mutually exclusive. You cannot be intimately joined with Christ and simultaneously engaged in sexual sin without compromising your identity in Him.
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A Public Declaration
Engaging in sexual immorality isn't just a private act; it's a public declaration that contradicts our identity as Christ's own. It's like taking a piece of the King's own royal garment and dragging it through the mud. Paul’s emphatic 'Never!' ('Me genoito' in Greek – 'absolutely not!' or 'may it not happen!') underscores the gravity of this.
Understand the original words
melos · Greek Noun
An individual part or organ of a larger whole; believers are organically and spiritually united to Jesus as parts of His one body, the Church.
pornē · Greek Noun
One who engages in sexual relations for payment; Biblically represents a profound desecration of the body, which belongs to Christ, by uniting it with what is impure.
kollaō · Greek Verb
To be united, glued, or cleaved to something or someone; it implies an intense, intimate, and often inseparable connection. In a marital or spiritual sense, it denotes the formation of a single entity out of two.
pornē · Greek Noun
In the biblical sense, this refers to a person who sells sexual favors. It carries strong associations with moral corruption, apostasy, and the abandonment of God's design for human sexuality.
sarx · Greek Noun
This represents the human being in their entirety, particularly in a physical or sexual union. Biblically, it signifies the essential unity of a man and woman as established by God in creation.
pneuma · Greek Noun
The third person of the Trinity, who indwells the believer. He is the presence of God within the person, providing guidance, sanctification, and evidence of salvation.
Paul's stern warning in 1 Corinthians 6 directly confronts the deep-seated cultural norms of Corinth, a city notorious for its sexual immorality and pervasive pagan temples. He reminds believers that their bodies are now sacred, irrevocably linked to Christ, and therefore cannot be defiled by participating in the city's prevalent sexual practices.
c. AD 41-54
Roman Influence and Corinth's Status
Corinth, a major Roman colony, experienced a resurgence under Emperor Claudius. This period saw significant Roman cultural and economic influence, but also the continuation of its reputation for vice and religious syncretism.
c. AD 49
Jews Expelled from Rome
Emperor Claudius expelled Jews from Rome due to disturbances related to 'Chrestus.' This event likely dispersed many Jewish Christians, some of whom may have later traveled to Corinth, impacting the community's makeup.
c. AD 50
Paul Founds the Corinthian Church
The Apostle Paul spent about 18 months in Corinth establishing the church. During this time, he encountered significant challenges with the prevailing pagan culture and its impact on believers.
c. AD 55— this verse
Paul Writes 1 Corinthians
Writing from Ephesus, Paul addresses serious issues within the Corinthian church, including divisions, immorality, and misunderstandings about Christian life and worship. This letter is a direct response to reports and a letter from the church.
c. AD 57
Paul's Second Visit to Corinth
Paul made a difficult ('painful') second visit to Corinth. This visit likely reinforced his concerns about the ongoing issues that prompted his letters.
This passage directly calls believers the 'body of Christ,' reinforcing Paul's argument in chapter 6 that actions impacting our bodies have profound implications for our union with Christ.
Romans 12:5Similar to 1 Corinthians 6:15, this verse emphasizes that believers, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another, highlighting the interconnectedness and sacredness of our union.
1 Corinthians 1:10Paul calls for unity and absence of divisions among believers, setting the stage for his strong admonition against actions like sexual immorality which would fracture that unity and dishonor Christ.
Ephesians 5:30This verse speaks to believers being 'members of his body,' directly echoing the imagery Paul uses and underscoring the deep spiritual reality of our identification with Christ.
Genesis 2:24The foundational principle of 'one flesh' in marriage, established at creation, provides a framework for understanding sexual union as meant to be exclusive and a profound expression of unity, which Paul contrasts with illicit unions.
Paul's urgent question isn't just about avoiding sex with prostitutes; it's a profound statement that every part of us, our bodies, are already claimed and intimately connected to Christ. To engage in sexual immorality is to tear that sacred connection apart, essentially using Christ's own "members" for something that desecrates His union with us.
Paul is addressing the Corinthian church's struggle with sexual immorality and divisive issues. He’s been detailing the problems within the community, and in this section, he's directly confronting the idea that Christians can engage in sexual sin without serious consequences, arguing that their bodies, as part of Christ, are sacred. Immediately after this, he elaborates on the sacredness of the body by referencing the Holy Spirit living within them.
Paul is addressing the Corinthian church's struggle with sexual immorality and divisive issues. He’s been detailing the problems within the community, and in this section, he's directly confronting the idea that Christians can engage in sexual sin without serious consequences, arguing that their bodies, as part of Christ, are sacred. Immediately after this, he elaborates on the sacredness of the body by referencing the Holy Spirit living within them.
"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is…" — Paul's urgent question isn't just about avoiding sex with prostitutes; it's a profound statement that every part of us, our bodies, are already claimed and intimately connected to Christ. To engage…
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Last reviewed October 2026
