Immorality plagued cities like Ephesus, Corinth and Colossi. Their religions used male and female prostitutes. Their customs expected men to have lovers besides their wives. Many men, women and children were used as toys for sexual pleasure. Homosexuality was common.21 Paul’s converts came from these hotbeds of sin. Immoral habits are hard to break. So Paul’s writings strongly urged a completely new lifestyle, with solemn warnings that true Christianity cannot mix with immorality.22
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified,23 you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
For a Christian’s body to be joined to another’s body in fornication,24 adultery 25 or homosexuality 26 is unthinkable.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality.27 Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 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, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:15-20).
Even Timothy, a strong leader, was told, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness” (2 Timothy 2:22). “Flee” means get away fast… and far! Sometimes it means walking or running away, literally! Joseph ran from Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:6-12). He knew her lustful intent, and he was wise not to trust his own male nature. To “think you are standing firm” – and so to become careless and to lower defenses – is to invite a fall into sexual sin (1 Corinthians 10:8-12). As is true in other matters, “give no opportunity to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27).
21. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 1:26-27
23. Research Subject – “Sanctified” means set apart for God’s special use or made holy. Word forms of “holy” and “sanctify” often translate the same Greek word, from which the word “saint” also comes. See Matthew 23:17,19; 27:52; John 17:17,19; Acts 9:13,32; 20:32; 26:10,18; Romans 1:7; 15:16,25-26,31; 1 Corinthians 1:2,30; 6:11; 7:14; 14:33; 2 Corinthians 13:13; Ephesians 1:1,15; 2:19; 4:12; 5:26; 6:18; Philippians 1;1; Colossians 1:2,4,12; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:3-4; 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; 2:13; 1 Timothy 4:5; 2 Timothy 2:21; Hebrews 2:11; 9:13; 10:10,14,29; 13:12; 1 Peter 1:2; 3:15; Jude 1:1,3,14; Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4; 14:12; 19:8; 20:9. See Note 1 in the “Let Us Purify Ourselves” section of this lesson.
24. The word translated as fornication is often another word for immorality, which means every kind of sexual union that is unlawful or outside marriage Ephesians 5:5; when fornication is distinguished from adultery it usually refers to sex between unmarried persons, Matthew 15:19.
25. A violation of a marriage by a sexual union with a person not in the marriage, Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:20; Matthew 5:32; Romans 7:2-3
26. Sexual union between a male and another male, or between a female and another female, 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10 cf. Romans 1:26-27
27. Research Subject – Immorality: 1 Corinthians 6:9; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; see Notes 24-26 above.
Picture: Lewd art and statues of the god Priapas suggest this site, at the corner of Marble St. and Curetes St., as a place of prostitutes in ancient Ephesus.