What does 1 Corinthians say about the body being a temple of the Holy Spirit?

Paul says the believer’s body is “a temple of the Holy Spirit” and that they are not their own (1 Corinthians 6:19). He grounds this in purchase language—“you were bought with a price”—and links it to honoring God with the body (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Passage context

In 1 Corinthians 6:18–20, Paul gives a direct command to run away from sexual wrongdoing and explains why. He contrasts a saying about sin being “outside the body” with the claim that sexual wrongdoing uniquely involves a person’s own body. This paragraph sits inside a longer section where Paul addresses how the Corinthians use their bodies and relate to common slogans in the community.

Why it matters

Paul treats sexual wrongdoing as urgent and serious, not as a private matter with no spiritual weight (verse 18). He argues that this kind of sin is uniquely tied to “the body,” not merely something “outside” a person (verse 18).

Read carefully

A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.

Keep reading

Start with 1 Corinthians 6:19, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.