重價買來的
哥林多前書六章12至20節
12凡事我都可行,但不都有益處。凡事我都可行,但無論那一件,我總不受他的轄制。
13食物是為肚腹,肚腹是為食物;但神要叫這兩樣都廢壞。身子不是為淫亂,乃是為主;主也是為身子。
14並且神已經叫主復活,也要用自己的能力叫我們復活。
15豈不知你們的身子是基督的肢體麼?我可以將基督的肢體作為娼妓的肢體麼?斷乎不可!
16豈不知與娼妓聯合的,便是與他成為一體麼?因為主說﹕二人要成為一體。
17但與主聯合的,便是與主成為一靈。
18你們要逃避淫行。人所犯的,無論甚麼罪,都在身子以外,惟有行淫的,是得罪自己的身子。
19豈不知你們的身子就是聖靈的殿麼?這聖靈是從神而來,住在你們裡頭的;並且你們不是自己的人;
20因為你們是重價買來的。所以,要在你們的身子上榮耀神。
信息分享
哥林多前書論及的範圍很廣,更觸及不少深入的問題,尤其是關乎個人聖潔的問題。今天的經文涉及肉體的親密關係;而下一章則論及婚姻,以及離婚等複雜問題。
哥林多城的道德風氣敗壞,淫亂的罪極為普遍。該城有一座供奉維納斯的神廟,而行淫便是敬奉儀式的一部分。當地的居民根本不認為這是罪。只有神的話語和基督的標準,才會直斥這是罪。哥林多教會的信徒似乎深受這風氣所影響,不把淫亂的行為視為嚴重的罪。教會該如何處理呢?
保羅首先強烈呼籲信徒要過聖潔的生活。他強調聖靈住在每個信徒心裡,同時,每個信徒的生命都是基督用寶血買贖回來的。
聖靈與我們同在,不單保守我們成為聖潔,更加力給我們,使我們過主所喜悅的生活。聖靈又稱為「聖潔的靈」,因此,祂若與人同在,祂就可以將聖潔帶給人。我們若然聽從祂,祂就會天天帶領我們,在我們的心中和良心說話。幫助我們察驗自己的行為是否討主的喜悅,抑或是否做錯。
保羅提醒哥林多的信徒,他們的生命再不是屬於自己的。他們的行事為人,不能單為滿足自己的慾望或取悅自己。他們是屬於基督的,因為祂曾用寶血將他們買贖回來。我們同樣是屬乎基督的,祂是我們的主,因此,我們應該凡事討祂的喜悅。
禱告:
主啊,求你使我身體的每一部分都是為你而活,願我的生命能夠榮耀你。
BOUGHT WITH A PRICE
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”
17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Message
This first epistle to the Corinthians deals with all kinds of subjects and touches very deeply on many of them, particularly personal holiness. Today's reading deals with the intimate use of the human body. The next chapter deals with marriage and the difficult subject of separation and divorce.
The sin of immorality was very common in Corinth. It was part of the temple worship of the goddess Venus. People did not think of it as sin. It is only the Word of God and the standards of Christ that plainly call immorality sin. It seems that the church in Corinth had adopted the standards of the city rather than the standards of Christ. How could this be dealt with?
Paul makes a tremendous appeal for personal holiness. He emphasises the presence of the Holy Spirit in. each life and the fact that each Christian has been bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to keep us pure and to enable us to live as Christ would have us live. He is the Holy Spirit or, as he is called in another place, the Spirit of Holiness. Wherever he is, he wants to bring about holiness. If we will listen to him, he will guide us each day and speak to our hearts and to our consciences. He will help us know whether we are doing what Christ wants or whether we are doing wrong.
Paul reminds the Corinthians that they really do not belong to themselves. They cannot just please themselves and satisfy their own desires. They belong to Christ. He purchased them with his own blood. The same is true for us. He is our Master and we should only do those things which please him.
A PRAYER:
Lord help me, to use every part of my body for Christ and for his glory today.

