AIM FOR CHANGE
BY THE END OF THE LESSON, WE WILL:
RECALL the Apostle Paul's comparison of the body to a temple; RECOGNIZE how saints of God are called to keep our bodies pure; and RESOLVE to promote and practice personal, moral, and physical purity as part of the body of Christ.
FOCAL VERSES 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
KEEP IN MIND
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (1 Corinthians 6:19).
AT-A-GLANCE
1. Acknowledging the Temple (1 Corinthians 6:12-14)
2. Consecrating the Temple (vv. 15-17)
3. Glorifying the Temple (vv. 18-20)
IN FOCUS STORY
Joy sat in shock and disbelief as she received the news. No one could imagine the despair she felt. She asked herself, "How could I have let this happen? How will I tell my parents?"
Joy's father was a minister and her mother was the choir director at the church. They raised her in a loving Apostolic home and were making a tremendous financial sacrifice so she could attend a good college.
But while she was away at school, she began seeing a young man. Joy discovered that this young man was dating another girl and she ended their relationship. Now, Joy was sitting in the nurse's office, shocked by the news that she was pregnant by a man that she didn't know as well as she thought she did. All at once she realized how many people would be affected by the choice she had made. As she thought about her parents, her church, and her future, she was overwhelmed and speechless.
In today's lesson, we'll discuss the importance of understanding that our bodies are a wonderful creation and gift and that we should threat them in a way that brings glory to God.
THE PEOPLE, PLACES, and TIMES
The Temple. King Herod built the temple that existed during Paul's time. Construction began around 20 B.C. and took approximately ten years. However, adornment was lavished on the temple until 63 A.D. It was one of the most beautiful buildings in the Roman Empire. Herod's temple was modeled after Solomon's famous temple, as described in 2 Chronicles. BACKGROUND
It is important to point out the Greco-Roman culture prevalent during Paul's time. One of the most popular tourist attractions in Corinth was the temple of Aphrodite. Travelers from near and far indulged in the services of her many temple prostitutes. Pleasure was of great value and many sought after it. They considered there bodies simply a vehicle that could be used to obtain it. The body itself was of little significance; it was considered a simple container for the soul. One could do with it what once wished and their actions had no impact on their moral integrity.
The point Paul was trying to make in this letter is that the body does indeed matter. He countered the casual attitude that society had with the theological understanding of the body as a beautiful creation designed by God to bring glory to Him. He wanted the Corinthians to see their bodies as a wonderful gift and understand that their choices have eternal impact.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES
1. What is the danger of rationalizing our actions regarding our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:12)?
2. Why is it important to flee fornication (vv. 13, 15, 18)?
3. Why does what we choose to do with our bodies matter (vv. 19-20)?
DISCUSS THE MEANING
1. Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-13 in several translations. Note that these verses present arguments people make to justify engaging in activities that ignore mandates to remain pure in our thoughts and actions. What are some of the modern arguments people make to rationalize sin? How would you respond to those excuses?
2. What arguments does Paul make to convince saints to honor God with our bodies?
3. How does practicing spiritual disciplines such as fasting help us understand the priority of our spiritual needs?
4. In the In Focus story, Joy is facing the practical consequences of her sexual immorality. What spiritual consequences will she face? What advice would you give to her and her parents in order to bring her into the Household of Faith?
LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY
There are many similarities between the casual attitude towards sex that was prevalent during Paul's time and that of our own time. We daily inundated with images that attempt to make us believe that sex in meaningless outside of its ability to give us pleasure. Our bodies are treated like disposable trinkets instead of being honored as priceless treasures. We see the impact of this thinking through our society. Unfortunately, we too often see it in the church as well. What should parents and churches do to combat this thinking?
MAKE IT HAPPEN
It is time for us to take seriously what we do with our bodies. In our lesson, Paul highlights the problems with fornication, which he describes as a sin against our bodies (v. 18). Times have hardly change since the Apostle Paul wrote this letter. Humanity has come up with a number of ways to sin against our bodies with alcohol, drug use, poor eating habits, lack of physical activity, etc. While the primary topic of the lesson is fornication, it also speaks to the overall respect we should have for our physical bodies. Take the time to this week to determine what you can do to take better care of the temple that is your body. Then make a commitment to do so.
(Except from the The Apostolic Way Pentecostal Assemblies of the World)
