Meaning, commentary and cross references
1 Corinthians 6:19
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,”In other translations
KJV · King James Version
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?
NIV · New International Version
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
WEB · World English Bible
Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
What does 1 Corinthians 6:19 mean?
John Gill · Exposition of the Entire Bible, on 1 Corinthians 6:19
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost,.... What is said in 1 Corinthians 3:16 of the saints in general, is here said of their bodies in particular. The Holy Spirit, in regeneration and sanctification, when he begins the good work of grace on a man, takes possession of his whole person, soul and body, and dwells therein as in his temple. So the Jews (o) call the body of a righteous man the "habitation" of the Holy Spirit.
John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible, on 1 Corinthians 6:12–20
Note, The temple of the Holy Ghost must be kept holy. Our bodies must be kept as his whose they are, and fit for his use and residence. VI. The apostle argues from the obligation we are under to glorify God both with our body and spirit, which are his, Co1 6:20.
Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706–21; Romans–Revelation completed by Nonconformist ministers). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
John Calvin · Commentaries, on 1 Corinthians 6:12–20
19. Know ye not that your body He makes use of two additional arguments, in order to deter us from this filthiness. First, That our bodies are temples of the Spirit; and, secondly, that the Lord has bought us to himself as his property. There is an emphasis implied in the term temple; for as the Spirit of God cannot take up his abode in a place that is profane, we do not give him a habitation otherwise than by consecrating ourselves to him as temples It is a great honor that God confers upon us when he desires to dwell in us.
John Calvin, Commentaries (Calvin Translation Society English text). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
Context: 1 Corinthians 6:16–20 (WEB)
16Or don’t you know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For, “The two”, he says, “will become one flesh.” 17But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. 18Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Cross references
- 1 Corinthians 3:16
Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
- 2 Corinthians 6:16
What agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God and they will be my people.”
- 1 Peter 2:5
You also as living stones are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
- Ephesians 2:21–22
in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord;
- 1 Corinthians 6:15–16
Don’t you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!
- Psalms 100:3
- Titus 2:14
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.
- Romans 14:7–9
For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself.