20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 lFor from within, out of the mheart of man, come evil thoughts, nsexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. 9 qBut if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Flee Sexual Immorality
12 v“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 w“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And xGod raised the Lord and will also yraise us up zby his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are amembers of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined1 to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, b“The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes cone spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin2 a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that dyour body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? eYou are not your own, 20 for you were fbought with a price. So gglorify God in your body.
