I Corinthians 6:14 · Bible study
1 Corinthians 6:14 Commentary: The Body's Resurrection Hope
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How does the promise of our bodily resurrection serve as a moral argument against sexual immorality? A close study of 1 Corinthians 6:14.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s past raising of Christ guarantees the future raising of believers, giving moral weight to bodily purity.
- Key words: ἤγειρεν (raised, aorist) of Christ; ἐξεγερεῖ (will raise out, future) of believers; δυνάμεως (power), God’s own power.
- Main debate: Whether “his power” refers to the Father or to Christ; both views find support in surrounding passages (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:14 vs. John 5:21).
- theological theme: The goodness and destiny of the body in God’s redemptive plan, a holistic salvation.
- Best use: As a pastoral foundation for teaching on sexual ethics, bodily stewardship, and the hope of resurrection.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and He will raise us also.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Now God raised up the Lord, and will also raise us up by his power.
KJV King James Version 1769
And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and God both raised the Lord, and will raise up us through his power.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and God both the Lord did raise, and us will raise up through His power.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And God has both raised up the Lord, and will raise us up from among [the dead] by his power.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Now God hath raised up the Lord and will raise us up also by his power.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y Dios que levantó al Señor, también á nosotros nos levantará con su poder.
E Deus ressuscitou ao Senhor, e também por seu poder nos ressuscitará.
Et Dieu, qui a ressuscité le Seigneur, nous ressuscitera aussi par sa puissance.
Gott aber hat den HERRN auferweckt und wird uns auch auferwecken durch seine Kraft.
En God heeft ook den Heere opgewekt, en zal ons opwekken door Zijn kracht.
e Dio, come ha risuscitato il Signore, così risusciterà anche noi mediante la sua potenza.
Bo Bóg i Pana wzbudził, i nas wzbudzi mocą swoją.
Бог воскресил Господа, воскресит и нас силою Своею.
並且 神 已經 叫主 復活，也 要用 自己 的能力 叫我們 復活。
And God who made the Lord Jesus come back from the dead will do the same for us by his power.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Corinthians 6:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Paul grounds his moral argument in the resurrection. God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead (the aorist verb ἤγειρεν points to a completed past event with ongoing significance). The same God “will also raise us up,” using the compound verb ἐξεγερεῖ. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that this compound distinguishes the raising of believers from the rest of the dead, possibly referencing the “first resurrection” (Revelation 20:5). Barnes argues that a deep sense of union with a risen Christ and the hope of immortal purity is the strongest restraint against sexual license. Calvin adds that since Christ has been received into heavenly glory, our bodies, destined to share that glory, must not be prostituted to earthly pollutions. Vincent stresses that the body is destined to share with Christ’s body in resurrection, making fornication incompatible with its purpose. The Cambridge Bible notes that unlike the belly (whose functions cease), the body through its Lord is destined for enduring life. The consensus: the resurrection of Christ is the pledge and pattern for believers’ resurrection, and this redefines the present purpose of the body.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God raised Christ from the dead, and He will also raise believers by His power, giving a moral foundation for bodily purity.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Resurrection of believers | All Christians agree that believers will be raised bodily. | Some traditions emphasize a 'first resurrection' (pre-millennial) while others see a general resurrection at the last day. Timing and exact nature (physical vs. spiritual body) are debated but not settled here. |
| Identity of 'his power' | The power is divine, from God. | Some commentators (Cambridge, referencing John 5:21) see Christ as the agent; others (Calvin, Gill) attribute it to the Father. Both agree the power is God's. |
| Moral application | The resurrection hope gives a strong motive for purity. | Some emphasize penalty (sin will be judged), others emphasize positive identity (body belongs to Christ). Both are present in the passage. |
| Continuity of the body | The same body that is raised is transformed. | Whether the resurrection body is identical to the earthly body or completely new is a secondary question; Paul addresses this more fully in 1 Corinthians 15. |
Historical & Cultural Context
First-century Corinth was a city notorious for sexual license, with temple prostitution and a culture that treated fornication as morally neutral. Paul confronts a Corinthian slogan: “All things are lawful for me” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Some believers, influenced by Greek philosophy that denigrated the body as inferior or temporary, used this slogan to excuse immorality. Paul counters by reasserting the goodness and destiny of the body. In verse 13 he contrasts perishable food with the body’s permanent purpose: the body is “for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” This prepares for verse 14.
The resurrection of Jesus is the anchor. God raised Him bodily; therefore our bodies are not disposable. They are destined for resurrection life. The literary context shows Paul moving from a general principle about liberty to a specific prohibition against fornication. The connection may recall the apostolic decree of Acts 15, which linked abstinence from food offered to idols and from sexual immorality. Paul uses the resurrection to argue that the body’s future glory demands present purity. This would have been radical in a culture where many saw the body as a prison for the soul.
The Greek verb for Christ’s resurrection (ἤγειρεν) is simple; for believers (ἐξεγερεῖ) it is compound, emphasizing a raising “out from among” the dead (as JFB notes). This distinction highlights that believers’ resurrection is a participation in Christ’s victory. The power involved is God’s own δύναμις (dunamis), the same power that raised Christ. This connection gives moral weight: a body destined for such glory cannot be given to sin.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentaries and lexical sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Greek text is stable across major manuscripts, with no meaningful differences between the Alexandrian and Byzantine traditions at this point.
Reception History
The early church quickly recognized this verse as a key link between Christ’s resurrection and the believer’s future resurrection. The Apostles’ Creed affirms “the resurrection of the body,” echoing Paul’s argument. Reformation-era commentators like Calvin and Beza emphasized that the resurrection of Christ guarantees our own, and that this truth should produce moral transformation. In the Wesleyan tradition, Adam Clarke saw verse 14 as a pledge that believers will dwell with Christ in glory. The verse has been used in funeral liturgies and in teaching on sexual purity, often cited alongside 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 8:11. Modern biblical theology continues to highlight this verse as evidence that salvation encompasses the whole person, body and soul, and that ethics cannot be separated from eschatology.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Resurrection of Christ is the Foundation. God raised the Lord Jesus in a specific, attested event. That same God stands behind every promise.
- The Resurrection of Believers is the Promise. Because of Christ’s victory, our bodies will not stay in the grave. They will be raised by the same power.
- The Resurrection of the Body Demands Purity. A body destined for glory cannot be used for sin. The future determines the present.
Five-point outline
- God raised Christ from the dead.
- That same power will raise believers.
- The body, therefore, is destined for glory, not for vice.
- Sexual immorality contradicts that destiny.
- The hope of resurrection gives strength to flee sin.
Illustration hooks
- A wedding ring: it symbolizes a future together, not just a present feeling. A body destined for resurrection is a ring on God’s finger.
- A seed: what is planted is not the body that will be (1 Corinthians 15:37). The future harvest shapes how you treat the seed.
- A baptism: going under water pictures death and rising. It announces that your body belongs to the risen Christ.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “If my body is just temporary, why does it matter what I do with it?”
- “Does this mean God cares about my physical life, not just my soul?”
- “How can I actually feel motivated by a future resurrection when I’m struggling with sin now?”
Leading a Discussion
In 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, Paul confronts a culture that treated the body as irrelevant. He argues that because Christ is raised and we will be raised, our bodies matter to God. This week, we explore how the resurrection shapes our daily choices.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Corinthians 6:13-14. What contrast does Paul draw between food and the body?
- Why does Paul mention the resurrection of Christ before the resurrection of believers?
- How does the promise of bodily resurrection challenge the idea that “all things are lawful”?
- In what ways does our culture treat the body as either disposable or an idol?
- How might the hope of resurrection change how you treat your own body this week?
- Paul uses “by his power”, whose power is it? How does that affect your confidence in the resurrection?
- What does this passage teach about God’s view of the physical world?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| John 5:28 | Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice |
| John 5:29 | and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. |
| John 6:39 | This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. |
| John 6:40 | This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” |
| John 11:25 | Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. |
| John 11:26 | Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” |
| Acts 2:24 | whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. |
| Acts 17:31 | because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Adam Clarke stresses that Christ's resurrection from the dead serves as a pledge and guarantee of our own future resurrection. God raised the human nature of Jesus and will also raise believers by his own power, so that we may dwell with him forever in glory.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that indulging in sexual sin is inconsistent with two realities: our union with the risen Christ, whose body is glorified, and the certain hope that our own bodies will be raised to perfect purity by God's power. To devote the body to lust now is unworthy of both that connection and that future.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin gives two reasons fornication is wrong for Christians. First, Christ was raised to heavenly glory, so our bodies, now consecrated to Him, must not be profaned. Second, it is base to surrender to earthly pollutions a body destined to share Christ's blessed immortality. He also notes the resurrection requires faith in God's power.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes draw a direct connection between Christ's resurrection and the believer's future resurrection. The same God who raised the Lord will also raise us, and this is accomplished by His own power.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that the same divine power which raised Christ from the dead will also raise believers. Since Christ the head has been raised, all his members will follow by that same almighty power. This future resurrection proves that human bodies were made for holiness, not for sexual sin.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights a Greek verb distinction: the simple form is used for Christ's resurrection, while a compound form describes the believer's future resurrection. This indicates believers will be raised out from among the dead, not merely alongside them. Paul here anticipates possibly being found in the grave when Christ returns, emphasizing the coming of the Lord over death itself.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that fornication is uniquely a sin against the body itself, not merely a misuse of it through external things. This sin directly violates the body's sacred purpose by alienating it from its union with Christ and joining it to a harlot
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws a direct connection between the Corinthians' mistaken freedom about foods and their deeper error about sexual immorality. Just as some thought Christian liberty gave them license to eat what the apostles had forbidden, others reasoned that fornication was also permissible since local law did not condemn it.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent emphasizes that the body has a higher destiny: it will share in Christ's resurrection and be raised incorruptible. This lofty purpose means the body is set apart for something greater, making sexual immorality fundamentally at odds with its true calling.