1 Corinthians seems to worry about what others think of us.  This seems strange because we hear so often that it doesn’t matter what others think of you.  The aim of good beaviour, though, is not that we would have a good reputation ourselves.  The aim for good behaviour is that the church, and ultimately Christ develop a good reputation.  In our lone-ranger, maverick society, we tend to see the church as somewhere we might go rather than something of which I am an arganic part.  The way we behave as individuals is the way the church behaves.  It is not someone else, it is you.  When you drive like a maniac, the Jesus sticker on your car is an embarassment to the rest of us.  When I make an inappropriate joke, the church makes an inappropriate joke.  As far as others are concerned, Jesus makes an inappropriate joke because the church is his body.  So, chapter six reminds us, don’t take each other to court and don’t sleep around.  It doesn’t make Jesus look good.

1 Corinthians 6

¹If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? ²Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? ³Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! ⁴Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!^{[a] 5}I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? ⁶But instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers!

 ⁷The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? ⁸Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.

 ⁹Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders ¹⁰nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Sexual Immorality

 ¹²“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything. ¹³“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. ¹⁵Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”^{[b] 17}But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

 ¹⁸Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. ¹⁹Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Questions

1. What two examples of misconduct in the passage?
2. What is the fate of those who give themselves over to immorality?
3. What should be our approach to immorality?
4. When might others have seen your behaviour and thought, “I don’t want anything to do with his/her faith”?
5. When might others have seen your behaviour and thought, “I want what they have”?