Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox
Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox
Word Pictures in the NT [1 Corinthians: Chapter 6]. mixed up matters not alike at all (questions of food and sensuality). " We have traces of this gross moral confusion in the circumstances which dictated the Apostolic Letter (Ac 15:23-29), where things wholly diverse are combined, as directions about meats to be avoided and a prohibition of fornication" (Lightfoot). Both the belly (\taut•n\) and the foods (\tauta\) God will bring to an end by death and change. {But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body} (\to de s•ma ou t•i pornei•i alla t•i kuri•i, kai ho kurios t•i s•mati\). Paul here boldly shows the fallacy in the parallel about appetite of the belly for food. The human body has a higher mission than the mere gratification of sensual appetite. Sex is of God for the propagation of the race, not for prostitution. Paul had already stated that God dwells in us as the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit (3:16f.). This higher function of the body he here puts forward against the debased Greek philosophy of the time which ignored completely Paul's idea, "the body for the Lord and the Lord for the body" (dative of personal interest in both cases). "The Lord Jesus and \porneia\ contested for the bodies of Christian men; loyal to him they must renounce _that_, yielding to _that_ they renounce him" (Findlay). 6:14 {Will raise up us} (\h•mas exegerei\). Future active indicative of \exegeir•\ though the MSS. vary greatly, some having the present and some even the aorist. But the resurrection of the body gives added weight to Paul's argument about the dignity and destiny of the body (_quanta dignitas_, Bengel) which should not be prostituted to sensuality. 6:15 {Members of Christ} (\mel• Christou\). Old word for limbs, members. Even the Stoics held the body to be common with the animals (Epictetus, _Diss_. l. iii. 1) and only the reason like the gods. Without doubt some forms of modern evolution have contributed to the licentious views of animalistic sex indulgence, though the best teachers of biology show that in the higher animals monogamy is the rule. The body is not only adapted for Christ (verse 13), but it is a part of Christ, in vital union with him. Paul will make much use of this figure further on (12:12-31; Eph 4:11-16; 5:30). {Shall I then take away?} (\aras oun;\). First aorist active participle of \air•\, old verb to snatch, carry off like Latin _rapio_ (our rape). {Make} (\poi•s•\). Can be either future active indicative or first aorist active subjunctive (deliberative). Either makes good http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/1CO6.RWP.html (5 of 7) [28/08/2004 09:11:20 a.m.]
Word Pictures in the NT [1 Corinthians: Chapter 6]. sense. The horror of deliberately taking "members of Christ" and making them "members of a harlot" in an actual union staggers Paul and should stagger us. {God forbid} (\m• genoito\). Optative second aorist in a negative wish for the future. {May it not happen!} The word "God" is not here. The idiom is common in Epictetus though rare in the LXX. Paul has it thirteen times and Luke once (Lu 20:16). 6:16 {One body} (\hen s•ma\). With the harlot. That union is for the harlot the same as with the wife. The words quoted from Ge 2:24 describing the sexual union of husband and wife, are also quoted and explained by Jesus in Mt 19:5f. which see for discussion of the translation Hebraism with use of \eis\. {Saith he} (\ph•sin\). Supply either \ho theos\ (God) or \h• graph•\ (the Scripture). 6:17 {One spirit} (\hen pneuma\). With the Lord, the inner vital spiritual union with the Lord Jesus (Eph 4:4; 5:30). 6:18 {Flee} (\pheugete\). Present imperative. Have the habit of fleeing without delay or parley. Note abruptness of the asyndeton with no connectives. Fornication violates Christ's rights in our bodies (verses 13-17) and also ruins the body itself. {Without the body} (\ektos tou s•matos\). Even gluttony and drunkenness and the use of dope are sins wrought on the body, not "within the body" (\entos tou s•matos\) in the same sense as fornication. Perhaps the dominant idea of Paul is that fornication, as already shown, breaks the mystic bond between the body and Christ and hence the fornicator (\ho porneu•n\) {sins against his own body} (\eis to idion s•ma hamartanei\) in a sense not true of other dreadful sins. The fornicator takes his body which belongs to Christ and unites it with a harlot. In fornication the body is the instrument of sin and becomes the subject of the damage wrought. In another sense fornication brings on one's own body the two most terrible bodily diseases that are still incurable (gonorrhea and syphilis) that curse one's own body and transmit the curse to the third and fourth generation. Apart from the high view given here by Paul of the relation of the body to the Lord no possible father or mother has the right to lay the hand of such terrible diseases and disaster on their children and children's children. The moral and physical rottenness wrought by immorality defy one's imagination. 6:19 {Your body is a temple} (\to s•ma hum•n naos estin\). A http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/1CO6.RWP.html (6 of 7) [28/08/2004 09:11:20 a.m.]
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<strong>Word</strong> <strong>Pictures</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> NT [1 Cor<strong>in</strong>thians: Chapter 6].<br />
mixed up matters not alike at all (questions of food and<br />
sensuality). " We have traces of this gross moral confusion <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> circumstances which dictated <strong>the</strong> Apostolic Letter (Ac<br />
15:23-29), where th<strong>in</strong>gs wholly diverse are comb<strong>in</strong>ed, as<br />
directions about meats to be avoided and a prohibition of<br />
fornication" (Lightfoot). Both <strong>the</strong> belly (\taut•n\) and <strong>the</strong> foods<br />
(\tauta\) God will br<strong>in</strong>g to an end by death and change. {But <strong>the</strong><br />
body is not for fornication, but for <strong>the</strong> Lord, and <strong>the</strong> Lord for<br />
<strong>the</strong> body} (\to de s•ma ou t•i pornei•i alla t•i kuri•i, kai ho<br />
kurios t•i s•mati\). Paul here boldly shows <strong>the</strong> fallacy <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
parallel about appetite of <strong>the</strong> belly for food. The human body has<br />
a higher mission than <strong>the</strong> mere gratification of sensual appetite.<br />
Sex is of God for <strong>the</strong> propagation of <strong>the</strong> race, not for<br />
prostitution. Paul had already stated that God dwells <strong>in</strong> us as<br />
<strong>the</strong> sanctuary of <strong>the</strong> Holy Spirit (3:16f.). This higher function<br />
of <strong>the</strong> body he here puts forward aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong> debased Greek<br />
philosophy of <strong>the</strong> time which ignored completely Paul's idea, "<strong>the</strong><br />
body for <strong>the</strong> Lord and <strong>the</strong> Lord for <strong>the</strong> body" (dative of personal<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> both cases). "The Lord Jesus and \porneia\ contested<br />
for <strong>the</strong> bodies of Christian men; loyal to him <strong>the</strong>y must renounce<br />
_that_, yield<strong>in</strong>g to _that_ <strong>the</strong>y renounce him" (F<strong>in</strong>dlay).<br />
6:14 {Will raise up us} (\h•mas exegerei\). Future active<br />
<strong>in</strong>dicative of \exegeir•\ though <strong>the</strong> MSS. vary greatly, some<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> present and some even <strong>the</strong> aorist. But <strong>the</strong> resurrection<br />
of <strong>the</strong> body gives added weight to Paul's argument about <strong>the</strong><br />
dignity and dest<strong>in</strong>y of <strong>the</strong> body (_quanta dignitas_, Bengel) which<br />
should not be prostituted to sensuality.<br />
6:15 {Members of Christ} (\mel• Christou\). Old word for limbs,<br />
members. Even <strong>the</strong> Stoics held <strong>the</strong> body to be common with <strong>the</strong><br />
animals (Epictetus, _Diss_. l. iii. 1) and only <strong>the</strong> reason like<br />
<strong>the</strong> gods. Without doubt some forms of modern evolution have<br />
contributed to <strong>the</strong> licentious views of animalistic sex<br />
<strong>in</strong>dulgence, though <strong>the</strong> best teachers of biology show that <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
higher animals monogamy is <strong>the</strong> rule. The body is not only adapted<br />
for Christ (verse 13), but it is a part of Christ, <strong>in</strong> vital<br />
union with him. Paul will make much use of this figure fur<strong>the</strong>r on<br />
(12:12-31; Eph 4:11-16; 5:30). {Shall I <strong>the</strong>n take away?} (\aras<br />
oun;\). First aorist active participle of \air•\, old verb to<br />
snatch, carry off like Lat<strong>in</strong> _rapio_ (our rape). {Make}<br />
(\poi•s•\). Can be ei<strong>the</strong>r future active <strong>in</strong>dicative or first<br />
aorist active subjunctive (deliberative). Ei<strong>the</strong>r makes good<br />
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