Today's Verse: 1 Corinthians 6:17 (ESV)

But he who is joined to the Lord mbecomes one spirit with him.
m Eph. 4:4; [John 17:21–23]

The Teacher's Commentary suggests that Paul's writings in this section were for the purpose of laying down principles for church discipline. Good discipline suggests:

• professing Christians who practice immorality should be expelled from the church.
• disputes between Christians should be settled amongst themselves, not in courts of law.
• sexual immorality is wrong.

The particular verse referenced for today deals with sexual immorality. It basically says that, as we are joined together with God in one spirit in a relationship with Christ, so must we pay close attention to what we do with our bodies, because to abuse our bodies in sexual immorality is an abuse of our spiritual relationship with Christ.

Today's Comments: The section on Christian Behavior, in the publication entitled Introducing the New Testament suggests that Christians are not free to do as they will, but they are free to serve God, to whom they belong. Immorality is not serving God. Our union in spirit with Christ suggests that anything that we do in either thought or with our bodies should be pleasing to God. Sexual immorality is, in God's eyes, repugnant, and I believe that the Bible points this out clearly. This, in my opinion, also refers to bodily acts that are performed between consenting homosexuals, even when they are involved in what they believe is a committed relationship.