Fathers

1 Corinthians 6

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Dare any of you, having a matter against his neighbor, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Don’t you know that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? If then you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly? I say this to move you to shame. Isn’t there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers? But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers! Therefore it is already altogether a defect in you, that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? No, but you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and that against your brothers. Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom. Some of you were such, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are expedient. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be brought under the power of anything. “Foods for the belly, and the belly for foods,” but God will bring to nothing both it and them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. Now God raised up the Lord, and will also raise us up by his power. Don’t you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! Or don’t you know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For, “The two”, he says, “will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

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What the Fathers say

1 Corinthians 6:15

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

Having passed on from the fornicator to the covetous person, he comes back to the former from the latter, no longer henceforth discoursing with him but with the others who had not committed fornication. And in the act of securing them lest they fall into the same sins, he assails him again. For he that has committed sin, though you direct your words to another, is stung even in that way; his conscience being thoroughly awakened and scourging him. Now the fear of punishment indeed was enough to keep them in chastity. …

Homily on 1 Corinthians 18 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Again he returns to the previously proposed exhortation concerning fornication. Meanwhile, he arms his discourse with great terrors. He did not say: to unite with a harlot, but, what is more terrible, "to make them members of a harlot." Indeed, who would not be horrified, hearing these words, that is, to tear away the members from Christ and make them members of a harlot?

Commentary on 1 Corinthians ↗

Cyprian

Christ gave this judgment when, being inquired of, He said that a wife must not be put away, save for the cause of adultery; such honour did He put upon chastity. Hence arose the decree: "Ye shall not suffer adulteresses to live."8 Hence the apostle says: "This is the will of God, that ye abstain from fornication."9 Hence also he says the same thing: "That the members of Christ must not be joined with the members of an harlot."10 Hence the man is delivered over unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, who, treading under foot the …

Pseudo-Cyprian Of the Discipline and Advantage of Chastity ↗

Western Saints

Thomas Aquinas

Then when he says, Do you not know, he presents a second reason, which is taken from the human body's affinity to Christ, namely: the fornicating man's members are the prostitute's members, but a man's members are Christ's members. Therefore, by fornicating, Christ's members become the prostitute's members, which is unbecoming. In regard to this he does four things: first, he presents the major, saying: Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? …

Commentary on 1 Corinthians ↗

Bonaventure

To approach Christ is through faith, or through the Sacrament of faith; and the faith of Christ is the same in past, present, and future: therefore the ground of influencing is posited in Christ with respect to all, past as well as present as well as future, who believe in Christ and are reborn in Christ, who through faith are joined to Christ and through inflowing grace become members of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit, and thereby children of God the Father, connected to one another through the indivisible bond of charity. …

Breviloquium ↗