1 Corinthians 6 - Foundations of Christian Sexual Ethic

1. Can you recall a time when you suffered from feelings of shame or guilt? You don’t need to share the particulars of the situation with the group, but share with each other how shame and guilt affected your relationships with God and other people in your life.

2. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. What contrasts does Paul draw between our works (vv9-10) and God’s works (v11)? What is the effect of each?

3. In his sermon today, Robb called this ‘theology of identity’ the foundation of a Christian sexual ethic. What are the primary identity-shaping factors recognized in our broader culture? How do they compare or contrast with Paul’s claims in 1 Cor?

4. In his sermon today, Robb read several quotes from Laurence Koo, a Navigator who struggles with same sex attraction. What peculiar challenges might be faced by believers who struggle with SSA or gender dysphoria (‘feeling’ like one belongs to a gender other than their biological sex)? How might their experiences challenge and enrich the church at large?
   
   You can read more about Laurence in his study Homosexuality and Following Jesus.

5. Worship God together for the identity-shaping truths of the Gospel. Pray together for God’s healing and deliverance in the lives of one another and others in your lives, in light of 1 Cor 6:9-11.

For Further Study

1. Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. If verses 9-11 are a ‘theology of identity’, then verses 12-20 constitute a ‘theology of the body.’ What truths claims does Paul make about the body in these verses? What are the implications of those truth claims?

2. “All things are lawful for me” (v12) is understood by most scholars as a slogan in the Corinthian church, celebrating freedom in Christ. It may have even been a phrase that originated with Paul himself, only to be twisted and abused to justify licentiousness. What principles does Paul use here to temper the doctrine of Christian liberty?

3. “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food” (v13) is another Corinthian slogan, used to minimize the significance of the body and its appetites (thereby justifying indulgence). Paul corrects the church by saying that the body is not for indulging appetites like sexual immorality, but “For the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” In what way is the body for the Lord? In what way is the Lord for the body? (For help, see the companion verse, Romans 6:13)

4. Read 1 Corinthians 6:18. In many NT passages, we are told to ‘stand’ against temptation (Eph 6:11, 14), but regarding sexual immorality we are told to flee. Jesus likewise has hyperbolic warnings about avoiding sexual sin (Matt 5:29). Why do you think this extra attention is given to sexual sin?

5. In verses 19, Paul relates the Christian’s body to a temple. How is this theological reality related to his statement in v18 about sinning against one’s own body? See 1 Cor 3:16-17 for help.

6. Verse 20 serves as a summarizing statement for all of 6:12-20. How does God’s purchase of us through the blood of Christ affect the way that we relate to our bodies and sexuality?