1 Cor. 6:9-10. Neither sodomites, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God.
Many ask why he placed drunkards and revilers alongside idolaters and those who commit abominable deeds? Because Christ also declared worthy of gehenna the one who says to his brother "fool" (Matt. 5:22), and because again the Jews went from drunkenness to idolatry. Furthermore, the discussion here is not about punishment, but about the loss of the Kingdom; and the Kingdom is equally forfeited by all such sinners, but whether there will be a distinction in their punishments — this is not the place to discuss.
1 Cor. 6:11. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Consider, he says, from what evils He freed you and what blessings God bestowed upon you. You too were subject to all the vices enumerated above, but He cleansed you from them, and not only cleansed you, but also sanctified you. In what way? By justifying you; first He washed you, then, having justified you, He sanctified you, not in the name of this or that teacher, but in the name of Christ and by the Holy Spirit. That is, the Trinity bestowed these blessings upon you; for in saying that God sanctified in the name of Christ and by the Holy Spirit, he expresses nothing other than precisely the Trinity.
1 Cor. 6:12. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient.
Since he had spoken before about the fornicator and will soon speak about him again, he introduces a discussion about gluttony as well: for the passion of fornication arises chiefly from gluttony. So he says: it is permitted for me to eat and drink, but it is harmful for me to partake of food and drink beyond measure.
1 Cor. 6:12. All things are lawful for me, but nothing shall have mastery over me.
I, he says, am master over food and drink; but if I use them immoderately, from a master I will become their slave. For whoever uses them as one ought is master over them; on the contrary, whoever falls into excess is no longer a master but their slave, because in that case overindulgence becomes his tyrant. Do you see how the one who considered himself a ruler, the apostle showed to be ruled? Look: each of the Corinthians was saying, "it is lawful for me to give myself over to pleasures"; but the apostle says: you give yourself over to them not because you have power over them, but because you yourself are subject to their power. For as long as you remain intemperate, it is not you who have power over the belly, but the belly over you.
1 Cor. 6:13. Food for the belly, and the belly for food.
By "belly" he means gluttony, not a member of our body; and by "food" he means the immoderate use of food. So the meaning of the words is this: the immoderate use of food is in friendship and kinship with gluttony, and vice versa. Neither one can bring us to Christ; on the contrary, they mutually pass those devoted to them from one to the other — immoderation to gluttony, and gluttony to immoderation.
1 Cor. 6:13. But God will destroy both the one and the other.
Not the belly, but gluttony, and not food, but immoderation in food. In the word "will destroy" some see a prediction about the state of the future age, that is, that there will be no need there for either food or drink. And if even the moderate use of food will have no place there, then all the more does He abolish immoderation and gluttony. Having said that together with the abolition of food the belly too will be abolished, he expressed the thought that together with satiation the desire for more ceases. According to others, however, he sealed his exhortation with a prayer that immoderation and gluttony would be abolished, that is, would cease.
1 Cor. 6:13. But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
From these words it is evident that the apostle speaks about gluttony in connection with his discourse on fornication. For he should have said: the body is not for meats nor for the belly. But he did not say this, but what? "Not for fornication," showing what is the consequence of bodily pleasures, namely fornication. And the meaning of his words is this: the body, he says, was not created to be drowned in pleasures and to fall into fornication, but so that it might obey Christ as its head, and the Lord would govern it as the head.
1 Cor. 6:14. God raised the Lord, and will also raise us by His power.
Do not be troubled upon hearing that God raised the Lord; for the apostle speaks thus, condescending to them as to infants. And since concerning the Father, as the source, all unanimously held the highest conceptions, the apostle attributes the resurrection to the Father and declares that He will raise us also. For just as He raised our head, I mean Christ, so He will raise the remaining members of the body, that is, us. Furthermore, in confirmation of his words he added: "by His power," as if saying: do not doubt what I say, for the power of God, which accomplishes great things, will fulfill this also. And that he attributes the resurrection of Christ to the Father as the cause is evident from what the Lord said concerning Himself: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). And again it is written of Him that He presented Himself alive (Acts 1:3). Thus, although He Himself also raised Himself, yet this deed is ascribed to the Father as the cause.
1 Cor. 6:15. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
Again he returns to the previously proposed exhortation concerning fornication. Meanwhile, he arms his discourse with great terrors.
1 Cor. 6:15. Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot?
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?
1 Cor. 6:15-16. God forbid! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot becomes one body with her? For it is said: the two shall become one flesh.
The cited passage shows what was stated, that is, in what manner the members of Christ become members of a harlot. Through intercourse, he says, a man becomes one with a harlot; therefore his members, which were members of Christ, become members of a harlot.
1 Cor. 6:17. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with the Lord.
See how by the very names of the harlot and of Christ he continues and intensifies the accusation. He says that "he who is joined to the Lord" becomes nothing other than "spirit," since he does nothing carnal — that is, he becomes spiritual. For union with the Lord grants him the sanctification of the Spirit. In these words he also showed how the faithful become members of Christ.
1 Cor. 6:18. Flee fornication.