1 Corinthians 6 19

1 Corinthians 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?

1 Corinthians 6:19 nkjv

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

1 Corinthians 6:19 niv

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

1 Corinthians 6:19 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,

1 Corinthians 6:19 nlt

Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,

1 Corinthians 6 19 Cross References

VerseTextReference
1 Cor 6:18Flee from sexual immorality.Direct command
1 Cor 3:16Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?Temple imagery
1 Cor 3:17If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him.Consequences of misuse
2 Cor 6:16For we are the temple of the living God.New Testament parallel
Rom 12:1Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.Consecration of body
Gal 5:19-21Works of the flesh contrasted with fruit of the Spirit.Conduct and the body
Gal 5:22-23Fruit of the Spirit to be manifested in the body.Spirit's work in believers
Eph 5:28-29Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.Body imagery, responsibility
Eph 5:30For we are members of his body.Believers as Christ's body
1 Thess 4:3-5God's will is your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor.Sexual purity, self-control
1 Tim 4:8For bodily training is of some value, but godliness is of value in every way.Value of the body and godliness
1 Tim 6:13by the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ.Christ's testimony
1 Pet 1:18-19knowing that you were ransomed from your futile ways...with precious blood, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.Redemption, value
1 Pet 2:5you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house.Temple imagery
Heb 10:10by the will of God we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.Christ's sacrifice, sanctification
Phil 3:19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.Contrast, misuse of body
John 2:19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."Jesus refers to his body as temple
Acts 17:24-25the God who made the world and everything in it...gives to all life and breath and everything...He himself gives to all life and breath and everything.God's creation, ownership
1 Cor 1:30of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.Christ's work in believers
Col 1:27to them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.Christ dwelling in believers
1 John 4:13By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.Spirit as evidence of union with God
Ezek 36:26-27I will give you a new heart, and a new in the Spirit... And I will put my Spirit within you.Old Testament prophecy of indwelling Spirit
Zech 2:10"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD."God dwelling with His people

1 Corinthians 6 verses

1 Corinthians 6 19 Meaning

The human body is presented as a sacred vessel. It is not one's own property but belongs to God. This indwelling of the Holy Spirit designates the believer as a temple. Therefore, believers are called to honor God with their bodies.

1 Corinthians 6 19 Context

First Corinthians chapter 6 addresses various issues within the Corinthian church, particularly concerning immorality and disputes among believers. Paul is directly responding to questions and practices that were causing division and disorder. The immediate context of verse 19 is a discussion about sexual immorality and its implications for believers. Paul asserts that the believer's body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit, purchased by Christ. This establishes a new standard of conduct regarding the body, differentiating believers from those outside Christ. The apostle urges them to use their bodies for God's glory, contrasting this with the practice of sexual immorality that dishonors both oneself and God.

1 Corinthians 6 19 Word Analysis

  • "Oida/Know" (οἴδαμεν): This is a perfect tense verb meaning "to know," often implying a settled, deep, or certain knowledge, not merely intellectual understanding but a deep conviction. Paul asserts this is a fundamental truth every believer possesses.

  • "Vpma/Humaas" (ὑμᾶς): Refers to "you" (plural), addressing the entire community of believers in Corinth.

  • "Vma/Huma" (ὑμῶν): "Your," indicating possession.

  • "Soma/Soma" (σῶμα): "Body." This word refers to the physical, earthly body. In this context, it signifies the entire physical person, their outward existence.

  • "Oikos/Oikos" (οἶκος): "House" or "temple." It denotes a dwelling place. In the Old Testament, "oikos" often referred to the Temple in Jerusalem, God's dwelling place. Here, it's used metaphorically for the believer's body.

  • "Tu/Tou" (τοῦ): The genitive definite article "the."

  • "Agiou/Hagiou" (ἁγίου): "Holy" or "sacred." It conveys set apart, consecrated, belonging to God.

  • "Pneutos/Pneumatos" (πνεύματος): "Spirit." Refers to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity.

  • "Nke/Enkei" (ἐνκέι): "Dwells" or "resides within." The present tense indicates a continuous, indwelling presence.

  • "Mtu/Meta" (μετ' with) + "Miin/Eme" (αὐτοῦ): "In you" or "among you" or "with him/it." In conjunction with the Spirit, it signifies indwelling. The specific preposition used in some manuscripts points to the Spirit's indwelling presence.

  • Phrase/Group Analysis:

    • "know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit": This is a profound theological statement. It connects the physical person (body) with the spiritual (Holy Spirit) and identifies this union with the sacredness of God's dwelling place (temple). It highlights the believer's new identity in Christ.
    • "temple of the Holy Spirit who is from God": This emphasizes the origin of the indwelling Spirit as coming directly from God, reinforcing His divine nature and authority over the believer's life.
    • "whom you have from God": This points to the gift of the Holy Spirit as originating from God, received through faith in Christ.

1 Corinthians 6 19 Bonus Section

The concept of the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer as a "temple" is a significant theological development. In the Old Testament, God's presence was manifested in specific locations like the Tabernacle and the Jerusalem Temple. However, with the coming of the Holy Spirit after Christ's ascension, God's presence is now distributed, residing in individual believers and the collective church. This universality of God's indwelling signifies the New Covenant reality where God’s law is written on their hearts (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10). This intimacy and accessibility to God’s presence in the believer is unique to the New Testament era.

1 Corinthians 6 19 Commentary

Paul declares that believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, making their bodies God's temple. This is not a personal achievement but a divinely bestowed reality through Christ. Consequently, the believer's body, as a sacred dwelling, must be honored and not defiled. Any action that pollutes the body, such as sexual immorality, is an offense against the Holy Spirit who resides within. This truth should lead to a lifestyle of sexual purity and bodily sanctity, reflecting Christ's ownership. Believers are thus called to be holy, mirroring God's own holiness, because the Spirit of holiness dwells in them. This doctrine serves as a powerful motivation for Christian conduct.