Twin City church of Christ Blog
“Apr 3, 2024 - Beyond Black and White”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsBeyond Black and White
Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-14
It appears that the Corinthians, in seeking to justify ongoing fornication (including visiting prostitutes), have a set of “spiritual sayings” that they repeat. Some translations signify this by putting some of the words here in quotes, such as “all things are lawful for me”(1 Cor 6:12) and “food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”(1 Cor 6:13). The implications? Since all things are lawful, fornication is too. Since sex is made for the body and the body for sex, fornication is natural. Paul pushes back. “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything”(1 Cor 6:12). Instead of fighting their saying, Paul adds some other considerations. Is it helpful? Some perfectly innocent things still cause damage or become unwise. Are we dominated by it? Some perfectly innocent things become our masters, crowding out what is truly good.
But when it comes to fornication itself, Paul does take issue. “‘Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body”(1 Cor 6:13). Sex is not like eating, where one partner is as good as another. This is not why God made our bodies. Paul speaks about God’s purposes here: when God gives us a body, it is evil to use our bodies in violation of his purpose for it. “And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power”(1 Cor 6:14). Paul also urges us not to treat our bodies as if they are separate from who we truly are; God will raise us bodily.
Paul forces us to think beyond black and white so that we can develop moral discernment. In addition to whether something is lawful, we should ask: is it helpful? Am I dominated by it? What is God’s purpose for me? What does God want regarding this matter? Beyond black and white, we need wisdom because we still have choices to make with serious consequences.
-----------
One Thing to Think About: In what “gray areas” do I struggle discerning God’s will? How might this help?
One Thing to Pray For: A deeper awareness of God’s purpose for my body, my thinking, and my work
