1 Corinthians 6:14

1Co 6:14. Ἤγειρε—ἐξεγερεῖ, hath raised—and will raise) [Paul introduces here in the way of prelude those topics, which he was to discuss more fully and distinctly in ch. 15—V. g.] The simple verb is appropriately applied to [Christ] the first fruits, the compound, of rare occurrence, to the general mass of them that sleep. Εξ in composition often signifies consummation. The practical application from the resurrection of our flesh is, sin once committed in the flesh will never be undone.—διὰ, by) Paul would rather connect this with the mentioning of the resurrection, than with that of destruction.—δυνάμεως, power) who then can doubt? God is omnipotent.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Co_6:14. This is parallel in contents and form to the sentence, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς … καταργήσει, in 1Co_6:13 : Now God has not only raised up the Lord, but will raise up us also by His power. The body, consequently, has a destiny which stretches on into the future eternal αἰών; how wholly different therefore from the κοιλία, that organ of temporal nourishment, which will cease to be!

καὶ τὸν Κύρ. ἤγειρε] necessary assurance of what follows. See Rom_8:11. Comp 1Co_15:20; Col_1:18; 2Co_4:11; 2Co_4:14.

καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐξεγερεῖ[978]] The bodily change in the case of those still alive at the time of the Parousia (1Co_15:51; 2Co_5:2-4; 1Th_4:15 ff.) did not need to be specially mentioned, since Paul was not here to enter into detail upon the doctrine of the resurrection. Comp on Rom_8:11. He therefore, in accordance with the τὸν Κύρ. ἤγειρε, designates here the consummation of all things only a potiori, namely, as a raising up, speaking at the same time in the person of Christians generally (ἡμᾶς), and leaving out of view in this general expression his own personal hope that he might survive to the Parousia.

The interchange of ἤγ. and ἐξεγ. (out of the grave, comp ἐξανάστασις τῶν νεκρῶν, Php_3:11) is accidental, without any special designin opposition to Bengel and Osianders arbitrary opinion that the former word denoted the first-fruits, and the latter the massa dormientium.[981]

αὐτοῦ]not αὑτοῦ, because uttered from the standpoint of the writerapplies to God, not to Jesus (Theodoret); and διὰ τῆς δυνάμ. αὐτ. should be referred not to both the clauses in the sentence (Billroth), but, as its position demands, to ἐξεγερεῖ; for to the ground of faith which the latter has in καὶ τὸν Κύριον ἤγειρε, Paul now adds its undoubted possibility (Mat_22:29), perhaps glancing purposely at the deniers of the resurrection, τῇ ἀξιοπιστίᾳ τῆς τοῦ ποιοῦντος ἰσχύος τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας ἐπιστομίζων, Chrysostom.

[978] If ἐξεγείρει were the true reading (but see the critical remarks), the tense employed would in that case bring before us as present what was certain in the future. If ἐξήγειρε were correct, we should have to interpret this according to the idea of the resurrection of believers being implied in that of Christ, comp. Col_2:12.

[981] Against this view may be urged the consideration, in itself decisive, that in the whole of chap. 15. ἐγείρω is the term constantly used both of Christs resurrection and that of believers; whereas ἐξεγείρω occurs in all the N. T. only here and Rom_9:17 (in the latter passage, however, not of the rising of the dead).

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Co 6:14 is parl [971] to 1Co 6:13 b (“God” the agent in both), as 1Co 6:13 c to 1Co 6:13 a : the previous δὲ contrasted the several natures of βρώματα and σῶμα ; this the opp [972] issues , καταργήσει and ἐξεγερεῖ . ὁ Κύριος is the determining factor of both contrasts. “God will abolish both the belly and its foods … but God both raised up the Lord, and will raise up us also through His power.” P. substitutes “us,” in the antithesis, for “our bodies,” since the man , including his body (see 1Co 15:35 ; 1Co 15:49 ) is the subject of resurrection. The saying ἀπαρχὴ Χριστός , of 1Co 15:23 , supplies the nexus between τ . Κύριον ἤγειρεν and ἡμ . ἐξεγερεῖ ; cf. also 2Co 4:14 , Rom 8:11 ; Rom 14:9 , Col 3:1 , Phi 3:21 ; Joh 5:20-30 ; Joh 14:2 ff., etc. The prefix in ἐξ - εγερεῖ is local out of ( sc. the grave; cf. ἐξ - ανάστασις , Phi 3:11 ); not de massa dormientium (Bg [973] ). The raising of Christ ( cf. Eph 1:19 ff.), then of Christians, from the dead is the supreme exhibition of God’s supernatural “power” (see Rom 4:17-24 , Mat 22:29 , Act 26:8 , etc.). Christ is raised as “Lord,” and will rule our life yon side of death more completely than on this (Act 2:36 , Col 1:18 , Phi 3:20 f.).

[971] parallel.

[972] opposite, opposition.

[973] Bengel’s Gnomon Novi Testamenti.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Co_6:14

And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

The destiny of the body being what is stated in the preceding verse, it is not to perish, but is to share in the resurrection of Christ. He who raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us,‹5› Rom_8:11. This verse is parallel to the second clause of 1Co_6:13. Of the stomach and meats, it is said, God will destroy both it and them; of the Lord and the body it is said, As he raised up the one, he will also raise up the other. The cases, therefore, are widely different. The relation between our organs of digestion and food is temporary; the relation between Christ and the body is permanent. What concerns the former relation is a matter of indifference; what concerns the other touches the groundwork of our nature and the design for which we were created. On this destiny of the body compare 1Co_15:15, 1Co_15:20, 35-56; Phi_3:21; Rom_8:11; 2Co_4:14; 1Th_4:14.

Charles Hodge — Commentary on Romans (1835), First Corinthians (1857), and Ephesians (1856) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(Rom 8:11).

raised up--rather, "raised," to distinguish it from "will raise up us"; the Greek of the latter being a compound, the former a simple verb. Believers shall be raised up out of the rest of the dead (see on Phi 3:11); the first resurrection (Rev 20:5).

us--Here he speaks of the possibility of his being found in the grave when Christ comes; elsewhere, of his being possibly found alive (Th1 4:17). In either event, the Lord's coming rather than death is the great object of the Christian's expectation (Rom 8:19).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 14. And God hath both raised up the Lord] He has raised up the human nature of Christ from the grave, as a pledge of our resurrection; and will also raise us up by his own power, that we may dwell with him in glory for ever.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

14. And God hath also raised up the Lord He shows from Christ’s condition how unseemly fornication is for a Christian man; for Christ having been received into the heavenly glory, what has he in common with the pollutions of this world? Two things, however, are contained in these words. The first is, that it is unseemly and unlawful, that our body, which is consecrated to Christ, should be profaned by fornication, inasmuch as Christ himself has been raised up from the dead, that he might enter on the possession of the heavenly glory. The second is, that it is a base thing to prostitute our body to earthly pollutions, while it is destined to be a partaker along with Christ of a blessed immortality and of the heavenly glory. There is a similar statement in Colossians 3:1, If we have risen with Christ, etc., with this difference, that he speaks here of the last resurrection only, while in that passage he speaks of the first also, or in other words, of the grace of the Holy Spirit, by which we are fashioned again to a new life. As, however, the resurrection is a thing almost incredible (Acts 26:8) to the human mind, when the Scripture makes mention of it, it reminds us of the power of God, with the view of confirming our faith in it. (Matthew 22:29.)

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(14) Will also raise up us.—This phrase is remarkable as one of the few which show that the Apostle, while he in common with the early Church expected the early advent of Christ, did not think that it would necessarily occur in his own lifetime. Here, as ever, the resurrection of the dead, when we shall receive our spiritual body instead of the natural body, is joined with the fact of the resurrection of Christ the firstfruits.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14. and will also raise up us] Unlike the belly, whose functions shall cease, the body, through its Lord, is destined to an enduring life. We are taught in Rom_8:11, in ch. 15, and by that much neglected article in the Creed, “The Resurrection of the Body,” that Christ came to save, sanctify, and raise again, not our souls only, but our bodies.

by his own power] Our version has rendered definite here what in the original is indefinite. It is impossible to say for certain whether the word “His” refers to the Father or to Christ; but the analogy of St Joh_5:21; Joh_5:25; Joh_5:28; Joh_11:25, and especially 2Co_4:14, would lead us to the conclusion that Christ is here meant. But see Eph_1:19-20. There seems to be a distinction implied in the Greek of this verse between the raising of Christ, who saw no corruption, and the raising us from our state of corruption and almost annihilation, through the power of Christ.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And God hath both raised up the Lord,.... God the Father has raised up from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ, though not exclusive of the Son, who was equally concerned in the resurrection of himself, whereby he demonstrated himself to be the Son of God, truly and properly God.

And will also raise up us by his own power; for the resurrection of the dead, whether of Christ, or of his people, is an act of power, of God's own power, even of his almighty power, and is what the power of a mere creature could never effect. Now as Christ, the head, is raised, so shall all his members by the same power; their bodies will be raised powerful, glorious, incorruptible; and spiritual; an argument that they were never made for fornication, nor to be defiled with such uncleanness.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

Ver. 14. And will also raise us up] He will make our vile bodies to be like unto his glorious body, the standard. Shall we then defile them with the kitchen stuff of uncleanness?

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And God hath both raised up ... - This is the “second” argument against indulgences in this sin. It is this. “We are united to Christ. God has raised him from the dead, and made his body glorified. Our bodies will be like his (compare Phi 3:21); and since our body is to be raised up by the power of God; since it is to be perfectly pure and holy, and since this is to be done by his agency, it is wrong that it should be devoted to purposes of pollution and lust.” It is unworthy:

(1) Of our connection with that pure Saviour who has been raised from the dead - the image of our resurrection from the death and defilements of sin (compare the notes at Rom 6:1-12); and,

(2) Unworthy of the hope that our bodies shall be raised up to perfect and immortal purity in the heavens. No argument could be stronger. A deep sense of our union with a pure and risen Saviour, and a lively hope of immortal purity, would do more than all other things to restrain from licentious indulgences.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And God hath both raised up the Lord; the Lord Jesus Christ, as the first-fruits of those that sleep, from whose resurrection the apostle largely proveth our resurrection, 1Co 15:1-58.

And will also raise up us by his own power: God will raise up his saints by his own Almighty power.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

14. And—In accordance with this correlation between our bodies and the Lord.

Raise up us—So that while the correlation between the stomach and the food God will destroy at death, the correlation between our body and the Lord, God will renew in the resurrection.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

God hath both raised up the Lord. St. Paul always grounds man"s resurrection] and immortality on the resurrection and ascension of Christ (see ch. 15.; 2Co_4:14; Rom_6:5, 8 8:11)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Here a second argument against fornication is taken from the body’s resurrection: Our bodies are to be raised, therefore not to be defiled; to be fashioned like unto Christ’s glorious body in heaven, therefore not to be defiled with lusts here on earth.

As if he had said, "Were your bodies to be finally lost in the dust, then were it no great matter how you used them, or abused them: but as God hath raised up Christ’s body, so he will raise up your body; and seeing your body is the garment which your soul is to wear to all eternity in heaven, keep it pure and undefiled here on earth."

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14-17. Here the apostle runs on with his illustrative argument, showing the inconsistency of fornication, as the soul is wedded to Christ, her Divine Spouse, eternally absorbed from all other lovers.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

and God both raised the Lord, and will raise up us through his power .

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

14. And God … will also raise us up. As the Lord was raised, so shall we be. Hence, we are for a nobler purpose than engaging in sensuality.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

raised the Lord

"caused the Lord to live again"

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?

The word translated as "members" refers to parts of a body. Our belonging to Christ is spoken of as if we were parts of his body. We belong to him so much that even our bodies belong to him. Paul uses this question to remind the people of something they should already know. AT: "You should know that your bodies belong to Christ" (See: Metaphor and Rhetorical Question)

Shall I then take away the members of Christ and join them to a prostitute? May it not be!

Paul uses this question to emphasize how wrong it is for someone who belongs to Christ to go to a prostitute. AT: "I am part of Christ. I will not take my body and join myself to a prostitute!" or "We are parts of Christ's body. We must not take our bodies and join ourselves to prostitutes!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

May it not be!

"That should never happen!" or "We must never do that!"

translationWords

raise

lord

power

know

body

member

Christ

prostitute

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

14. καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐξεγερεῖ. Christ’s Resurrection is the pledge of our own. See ch. 1Co 15:23.

διὰ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ. It is impossible to say for certain whether the word αὐτοῦ refers to the Father or to Christ; but the analogy of Joh 5:21; Joh 5:25; Joh 5:28; Joh 11:25, and especially 2Co 4:14, would lead us to the conclusion that Christ is here meant. Yet see Eph 1:19-20. There seems to be a distinction implied here between the raising of Christ (ἤγειρεν), who saw no corruption, and the raising us (ἐξεγερεῖ) from our state of corruption through the power of Christ.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14.] “a cibis ad venerem non valet consequentia.” Bengel. The argument is,—meats (of which he doubtless had often impressed on them that they were ἀδιάφορα, whence the abuse) are expressly created for the belly, and the belly for them, by its organization being fitted to assimilate them; and both these are of a transitory nature: in the change to the more perfect state, God will do away with both. Therefore meats are ἀδιάφορα. But neither is the body created for fornication, nor can this transitoriness be predicated of it: the body is for the Lord, and the Lord (in his mediatorial work) for the body: and God raised up the Lord, and will raise up us (i.e. our bodies): so that the body is not perishable, and (resumed ver. 18) he that fornicates, sins against his own body. Therefore, fornication is not an ἀδιάφορον.

It is very remarkable how these verses contain the germ of three weighty sections of the Epistle about to follow, and doubtless in the Apostle’s mind when he wrote them, (1) the relation between the sexes: (2) the question of meats offered to idols: (3) the doctrine of the Resurrection of the Body. See Neander, Pfl. u. Leit. p. 401, note 21.

14.] So far from the case of the Lord and the body answering to the other, God raised up the Lord (Rom 8:11, al. fr.), and will raise up us too by His power. I cannot adopt here the reading (ἐξήγειρεν), or the view, of Meyer. He holds, that all reference to the resurrection, as a thing future, is out of place: that the Apostle refers to the virtual and proleptic resurrection which has already taken place in the case of the believer, as Eph 2:6; Col 2:12,—and thinks that the reading ἐξεγερεῖ has arisen from not seeing this. But how unnatural will the construction thus be—ὁ δὲ θεὸς καὶ τὸν κύριον ἤγειρεν, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐξήγειρεν, διὰ τ. δυν. αὐτοῦ! I can conceive no account of such a sentence, except that some emphasis is meant to be laid on the distinction between ἤγειρεν and ἐξήγειρεν which idea (maintained by Bengel, al.) Meyer himself very properly repudiates: see below. The future corresponds to καταργήσει, and is used with ἡμᾶς,—contrary to the usual practice of Paul, who expected to be alive at the παρουσία,—as the expression, in the first person, of the truth of the future resurrection, not destruction of the body. ἤγειρεν, viz. ἐκ νεκρῶν, Act 3:15; Rom 4:24, and passim: ἐξεγερεῖ, viz. ἐκ νεκρῶν. So that there is no real difference between the two words.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14. ὁ δὲ Θεός. This is parallel to ὁ δὲ Θεός in v. 13, and puts the contrast between the two cases in a very marked way. In the case of the κοιλία, and the βρώματα to which it is related, God will reduce both of them to nothingness. In the case of the κοιλία, and the Βρώματα to which it is related, God will reduce both of them to nothingness. In the case of the σῶμα, and the Κύριος to which it is related, God has raised the Κύριος, and will raise up the σῶμα of every one who is a member of Him. The contrast between the two cases in complete. On the other hand, the close relationship between the Lord and all true Christians is shown by the doubled conjunction; καὶ τὸν Κύριον … καὶ ἡμᾶς. See Sanday (The Life of Christ in Recent Research, p. 132) on the view that it was St Paul who deified Christ.

The change from the simple (ἤγειρεν) to the compound verb (ἐξεγερεῖ) has perhaps little meaning. In late Greek, compounds do not always have any additional force, and the difference is not greater than that between ‘raise’ and ‘raise up.’ The compound may be used to mark the future raising as not less sure than the one which is past, and it is well to mark the difference, as RV. does. AV., with ‘raise up’ for both, ignores the change, as does Vulg., suscitavit … suscitabit, and Iren. int. (5:6:2). The compound occurs only here and Rom 9:17 in N.T.; in LXX it is very frequent. See on ἐξαπατάτω, 3:18.

διὰ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ. This may qualify both verbs, but is more appropriate to ἐξεγερεῖ. There was need to remind the Corinthians of God’s power, in order to confirm their belief in their own future resurrection (15:12); but no one who believed that Christ had been raised needed to be reminded of that: cf. Mat 22:29. It is worth observing that St Paul does not take any account of the quick’ who will not need to be raised. Contrast 15:51; 1Th 4:15 f.; Rom 8:11.

ἐξεγερεῖ (א C D3 E,KL Vulg. Syrr. Copt. Aeth.) is probably to be preferred to ἐξεγείρει (A Dא Q, d e suscitat), or to ἐξήγειρεν (B, Am. suscitavit). ἐξεγειρεῖ(P) may be regarded as supporting either of the first two, of which ἐξεγείρει may be safely set aside. It is possible that B has preserved the original reading, for no intelligent copyist would alter ἐξεγερεῖ into ἐξήγειρεν, but an unintelligent one might assimilate the second verb to the first. If ἐξήγειρεν is regarded as original it may be explained as referring to spiritual resurrection to newness of life, or possibly as referring to our resurrection as comprised potentially in that of Christ: ‘God both raised the Lord and (by so doing) raised up us.’ But it is unlikely that the Apostle would have obscured the cetainty of the future resurrection of the body by using language which would have encouraged Hymenæsus and Philetus (2Ti 2:17, 2Ti 2:18). Qui dominum suscitavit, et nos suscitabit (Tert. Marc. v. 7).

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Will raise up us. The body being destined to share with the body of Christ in resurrection, and to be raised up incorruptible, is the subject of a higher adaptation, with which fornication is incompatible.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.