1 Corinthians 6 20

1 Corinthians 6:20 kjv

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

1 Corinthians 6:20 nkjv

For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

1 Corinthians 6:20 niv

you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:20 esv

for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6:20 nlt

for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6 verses

1 Corinthians 6 20 Meaning

You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

1 Corinthians 6 20 Context

This verse is found in the context of Paul addressing issues of sexual immorality within the Corinthian church. In the preceding verses, Paul establishes that believers are united with Christ and that their bodies are members of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit. This understanding underpins his exhortation in verse 20. The Corinthian culture was characterized by polytheism and libertinism, where idol worship often involved sexual practices and where a dualistic view separating the spiritual from the physical was prevalent. Paul is directly countering any notion that because a believer's spirit is saved, their physical actions, particularly sexual ones, have no consequence or that they are free to engage in them as they please. He emphasizes their redeemed status and the corresponding responsibility to honor God with their entire being, body included.

1 Corinthians 6 20 Word analysis

• "For" (γάρ - gar): This is a coordinating conjunction introducing a reason or explanation for the preceding statement. It connects the command to honor God with the body to the fact of redemption.
• "you were bought" (ἠγοράσθητε - ēgorastēte): This is the aorist passive indicative, second person plural of ἀγοράζω (agorazō), meaning "to buy in a market, to purchase." In the passive voice, it means "you were bought" or "you have been bought." The aorist tense indicates a completed action in the past. The implication is that a purchase has taken place, a price has been paid. This word is used to denote purchasing slaves or property, highlighting that believers are no longer their own but belong to Christ.
• "with a price" (τιμῆς - timēs): This is the genitive singular of τιμή (timē), meaning "price," "value," "worth," or "honor." Here it refers to the price paid for redemption. While not explicitly stated in this verse, the New Testament elsewhere clarifies this price as the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:18-19). The use of "price" emphasizes the high cost of redemption.
• "Therefore" (ὥστε - hōste): This is a conjunction of result or consequence. It means "so that," "therefore," "consequently." It logically connects the fact of being bought with a price to the resulting obligation.
• "honor" (δοξάσατε - doxate): This is the aorist active imperative, second person plural of δοξάζω (doxazō), meaning "to glorify," "to praise," "to honor," "to magnify." The imperative mood commands an action. The aorist tense calls for the action to be done promptly and decisively, not as a continuous process but as a definite presentation. It signifies bringing honor to God.
• "God" (τὸν Θεὸν - ton Theon): The accusative case of ὁ Θεός (ho Theos), meaning "God." The direct object of the action "honor."
• "with" (ἐν - en): A preposition commonly translated as "in" or "with." Here it indicates the instrument or sphere in which God is to be honored, which is "your bodies."
• "your" (ὑμῶν - hymōn): Possessive pronoun, second person plural, meaning "your."
• "bodies" (σώμασιν - sōmasin): The dative plural of σῶμα (sōma), meaning "body." The dative case here signifies "by means of" or "in your bodies." It emphasizes that the physical body, often dismissed or debased in paganism, is the very means through which believers are to honor God.

Words Group Analysis:

• "bought with a price": This phrase directly links believers to Christ's atoning sacrifice. It speaks of deliverance from sin and spiritual death, transferring ownership from the dominion of darkness to the redeemed kingdom of God. This ownership implies not just forgiveness but also the responsibility of the redeemed.
• "honor God with your bodies": This is the core imperative. It means to use one's physical existence, every organ, every action, as a testament to God's glory and worth. It contrasts sharply with using the body for sinful indulgence or for serving idols, as was common in Corinth. It elevates the physical body from a mere vessel to a tool for divine worship.

1 Corinthians 6 20 Bonus Section

The concept of being "bought with a price" resonates with the Old Testament idea of redemption through sacrificial offerings, pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. It also reflects the concept of kinsman-redeemers in Leviticus, where a family member paid a price to redeem land or a relative. In this verse, Christ is our ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer, paying the ultimate price. The directive to honor God with the body also connects to the Mosaic Law, which often had regulations regarding physical purity and how the body was to be presented before God, foreshadowing the believer's complete dedication. The value established by the price paid for them grants their bodies immense dignity, making them precious in God's sight and deserving of care and proper use, not abuse.

1 Corinthians 6 20 Commentary

Paul's assertion that believers have been "bought with a price" is a profound reminder of their redemption through Jesus Christ. This price is the shedding of His blood, signifying their liberation from sin and death. Consequently, they are no longer their own. This bought-status demands a total allegiance to God. The resulting imperative is to "honor God with your bodies." This means living a life that reflects God's holiness and purposes, using their physical bodies—the very instruments of temptation and sin for many in Corinth—as instruments of righteousness and worship. It’s an act of consecration, dedicating the entire person, body, soul, and spirit, to God's service and glory. It implies abstaining from sexual immorality and anything that dishonors the indwelling Holy Spirit, who also resides within their bodies (1 Cor 6:19).