Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [1 Corinthians: Chapter 6].
were ye (some of you)." The horror is shown by \tauta\, but by
\tines\ Paul narrows the picture to some, not all. But that was
in the past (\•te\, imperfect indicative) like Ro 6:17. Thank
God the blood of Jesus does cleanse from such sins as these. But
do not go back to them. {But ye were washed} (\apelousasthe\).
First aorist middle indicative, not passive, of \apolou•\. Either
direct middle, ye washed yourselves, or indirect middle, as in
Ac 22:16, ye washed your sins away (force of \apo\). This was
their own voluntary act in baptism which was the outward
expression of the previous act of God in cleansing
(\h•giasth•te\, ye were sanctified or cleansed before the
baptism) and justified (\edikai•th•te\, ye were put right with
God before the act of baptism). "These twin conceptions of the
Christian state in its beginning appear commonly in the reverse
order" (Findlay). The outward expression is usually mentioned
before the inward change which precedes it. In this passage the
Trinity appear as in the baptismal command in Mt 28:19.
6:12 {Lawful} (\exestin\). Apparently this proverb may have been
used by Paul in Corinth (repeated in 10:23), but not in the
sense now used by Paul's opponents. The "all things" do not
include such matters as those condemned in chapter 1Co 5;
6:1-11. Paul limits the proverb to things not immoral, things
not wrong _per se_. But even here liberty is not license. {But
not all things are expedient} (\all' ou panta sumpherei\). Old
word \sumpherei\, bears together for good and so worthwhile. Many
things, harmless in themselves in the abstract, do harm to others
in the concrete. We live in a world of social relations that
circumscribe personal rights and liberties. {But I will not be
brought under the power of any} (\all ouk eg• exousiasth•somai
hupo tinos\). Perhaps a conscious play on the verb \exestin\ for
\exousiaz•\ is from \exousia\ and that from \exestin\. Verb from
Aristotle on, though not common (Dion. of Hal., LXX and
inscriptions). In N.T. only here, 7:4; Lu 22:25. Paul is
determined not to be a slave to anything harmless in itself. He
will maintain his self-control. He gives a wholesome hint to
those who talk so much about personal liberty.
6:13 {But God shall bring to nought both it and them} (\ho de
theos kai taut•n kai tauta katarg•sei\). Another proverb about
the adaptation of the belly (\koilia\) and food (\br•mata\, not
just flesh), which had apparently been used by some in Corinth to
justify sexual license (fornication and adultery). These Gentiles
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