1 Corinthians 6:18

Flee fornication. Every sin that. man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

'Flee fornication' -'Don't debate with it. Don't rationalize about it. Run!' (McGuiggan p. 80) 'An echo, perhaps, of Joseph's literal fleeing from. temptation of this kind (Genesis 39:12)' (F.F. Bruce p. 65) 'Present imperative. Have the habit of fleeing without delay or parley.' (Robertson p. 122) 'Avoid sexual looseness like the plague!' (Phi)

'Every sin that. man doeth is without the body' -'Every other sin that. man commits is outside the body.' (NASV) As McGuiggan comments, 'Now, what on earth does that mean?' (p. 80) This is. verse that has kept may commentators up at night. So first of all lets place the verse in. proper context with other verses:

1. All sin starts from within the body (Mark 7:20; James 1:14). There are no mindless sins!

2. The verse doesn't say that fornication is the most serious of all sins.

3. Other sins end up abusing the body. So fornication isn't the only sin that results in physical consequences to the body, i.e. gluttony and drunkenness/drug abuse.

4. All sins do effect. person's personality.

Therefore, this verse must be telling us "how God regards fornication" in relation to the physical body that He created.

'but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body'

Since many sins prevent the body was being used effectively in God's service (drunkenness for example), this verse must be telling us that in some way "fornication" is. unique violation against God's purpose (1 Corinthians 6:13) for the human body. McGuiggan may be on the right track when he says,

'God ordained that the sex act...symbolize and express the unity of man as male and female. And because that is/was God's choice, fornication is uniquely (it isn't. question of degree) against all that the body, in God's view, stands for...But it's relation to the body is unique...it is sexual activity with one's partner which God has chosen as the bodily expression of human completeness. "Man" is not just male. "Man" is male and female. (Genesis 5:2; Genesis 1:27)...' (p. 80)