"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," 1 Corinthians 6:19

I realise that the context of this verse is fleeing from sexual immorality, but outside of sinful sexual relations, can this verse be applied to such things as overeating/anorexia, smoking/excessive drinking, or purposely putting one's body in harms way? Are these things also mistreating the body AS the temple of the Holy Spirit?

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Ian Kemmerer
Covenant Presbetyrian Church,Reading,PA
Fleetwood,PA

"Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart, And all is darkened in the vale of tears, Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart, Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears. Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay From His own fullness all He takes away."

If there is already a thread on this, please post the link. I cannot find one.

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Ian Kemmerer
Covenant Presbetyrian Church,Reading,PA
Fleetwood,PA

"Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart, And all is darkened in the vale of tears, Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart, Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears. Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay From His own fullness all He takes away."

This verse is not speaking of the Christian's body. It is speaking of the body of Christ, the Church and its corporate expression of being the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. All of the "you" references are plural.

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Fredrick T. Greco
Senior Pastor, Christ Church PCA (Katy, TX)
Christ Church Blog

"The heart is the main thing in true religion...It is the hinge and turning-point in the condition of man's soul. If the heart is alive to God and quickened by the Spirit, the man is a living Christian. If the heart is dead and has not the Spirit, the man is dead before God." (J.C. Ryle)

I must say I disagree with you there. Paul seems to be applying to the individual the concept of the church as the new temple where the Lord dwells. Verses 16 to 18 are speaking of an individual man. Yes, the emphasis in Scripture is on the corporate identity of God's people as a holy temple(Ephesians 2:19-22), but he speaks of one man being joined to a harlot.

Cannot the plural usage of "you" argue the case for individual Christians, who are a part of the Body of Christ, and refer to them as a preacher would address individually, yet in a plural sense, each member of his congregation to exhort them to live individual holy lives?

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Ian Kemmerer
Covenant Presbetyrian Church,Reading,PA
Fleetwood,PA

"Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart, And all is darkened in the vale of tears, Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart, Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears. Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay From His own fullness all He takes away."

I think you have got it right here. As to the original question. Paul seems to have more in mind than putting one's body at risk. Sexual sin in the economy of sin seems to have a deeper even mystical sense as it is so frequently associated with idolatry and infidelity to Yaweh. Having said that, I think harmful vices should be seen as sinfull but probably not gleened from this text.

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Bruce
PCUSA
Ocean City NJ

A connection can be drawn to infer all polution that harms the body. This is directly referring 10 1 Cor 3:16-17

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Fred is not wrong when incorporating that is refers to all believers which does equal the church of Christ. But it also refers to ones body individually also.

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N. Robert; Trinity Reformed Church RCA, Holland MI

Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right."