1 Corinthians 6:12

Sexual Sins

12 Some of you say, "Everything is permitted for me." But not everything is good for me. Again some of you say, "Everything is permitted for me." But I will not be controlled by anything.

1 Corinthians 6:12 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 6:12

All things are lawful unto me
That is, which are of an indifferent nature; otherwise everything is not lawful to be done:

but all things are not expedient;
when the doing of them destroys the peace, comfort, and edification of others; when it stumbles and grieves weak minds, and causes offence to them; see ( 1 Corinthians 10:23 )

all things are lawful for me;
which is repeated for the sake of saying the following words:

but I will not be brought under the power of any;
which would be very inexpedient, should any by the use of liberty in things indifferent, on the one hand, offend his brethren, and, on the other, bring himself into bondage to those very things he has the free use of; and therefore the apostle determines, that these shall not have the mastery over him, that he will use them, or not use them, at his pleasure. It is somewhat difficult to know what in particular he has respect unto, whether to what he had been treating of before, concerning going to law before unbelievers; and his sense be, that however lawful this might be in itself, yet it was not expedient, since it was exposing of themselves to ungodly persons, and a putting themselves under their power to judge and determine as they pleased; or whether to the use of meats forbidden under the law, or offered to idols; which though in themselves lawful to be eaten, every creature of God being good, and not to be refused and accounted common and unclean; yet it was not expedient to use this liberty, if a weak brother should be grieved, or a man himself become a slave to his appetite.

1 Corinthians 6:12 In-Context

10 Neither will thieves or those who always want more and more. Neither will those who are often drunk or tell lies or cheat. People who live like that will not receive God's kingdom.

11 Some of you used to do those things. But your sins were washed away. You were made holy. You were made right with God. All of that was done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

12 Some of you say, "Everything is permitted for me." But not everything is good for me. Again some of you say, "Everything is permitted for me." But I will not be controlled by anything.

13 Some of you say, "Food is for the stomach. And the stomach is for food." But God will destroy both of them. The body is not meant for sexual sins. The body is meant for the Lord. And the Lord is meant for the body.

14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead. He will also raise us up.