First Corinthians 6:19–20 makes a claim that changes how the body should be treated: your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God.
You are not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
The body is not a container the soul is waiting to escape. It is the dwelling place of God’s Spirit, purchased at the cost of Christ’s life, and the instrument through which every act of obedience, service, worship, and love is carried out.
The Christian who neglects the body while focusing exclusively on spiritual disciplines is working against their own purposes.
The person who cannot serve because they have not slept, who cannot think clearly because they have not eaten well, who cannot sustain ministry because they have run the body into the ground is not more spiritual for the neglect.
They are less effective.
God made the body, called it good, designed it to require rest, food, and care, and then moved into it as his dwelling place.
Treating it poorly is not humility. It is mismanagement of something that belongs to someone else.
Your Body Belongs to God
1. Your Body Is a Temple of the Holy Spirit; You Are Not Your Own
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” 1 Corinthians 6:19, English Standard Version (ESV)
2. You Were Bought at a Price; Therefore Honor God With Your Bodies
“You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:20, New International Version (NIV)
3. Do You Not Know That You Are God’s Temple and That God’s Spirit Dwells in You?
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16, New King James Version (NKJV)
4. I Praise You for I Am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14, New Living Translation (NLT)
5. God Formed Man of Dust From the Ground and Breathed Into His Nostrils the Breath of Life
“Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” Genesis 2:7, Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Presenting the Body as a Living Sacrifice
6. Present Your Bodies a Living Sacrifice Holy and Acceptable to God
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1, King James Version (KJV)
7. Do Not Let Sin Reign in Your Mortal Body
“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” Romans 6:12, English Standard Version (ESV)
8. Offer Every Part of Yourself to God as an Instrument of Righteousness
“Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.” Romans 6:13, New American Standard Bible (NASB)
9. Whatever You Do, Whether You Eat or Drink, Do It All for the Glory of God
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31, New International Version (NIV)
Discipline and Self-Control Over the Body
10. I Discipline My Body and Keep It Under Control Lest I Be Disqualified
“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:27, New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
11. The Fruit of the Spirit Is Self-Control
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22–23, English Standard Version (ESV)
12. Everything Is Permissible for Me, but I Will Not Be Mastered by Anything
“You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ but I reply, ‘Not everything is good for you.’ And even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything.” 1 Corinthians 6:12, The Message (MSG)
13. Put to Death What Is Earthly in You
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature.” Colossians 3:5, New International Version (NIV)
14. Do Not Get Drunk on Wine Which Leads to Reckless Living, but Be Filled With the Spirit
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18, Amplified Bible (AMP)
Rest as Part of God’s Design
15. He Makes Me Lie Down in Green Pastures, He Leads Me Beside Still Waters
“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” Psalm 23:2, English Standard Version (ESV)
16. Come to Me All Who Are Weary and Burdened, and I Will Give You Rest
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28, New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
17. In Vain You Rise Early and Stay Up Late, for He Gives Sleep to Those He Loves
“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved.” Psalm 127:2, New English Translation (NET)
18. On the Seventh Day God Rested From All His Work
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.” Genesis 2:2, Good News Translation (GNT)
19. Come Away by Yourselves to a Desolate Place and Rest a While
“He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” Mark 6:31, English Standard Version (ESV)
Nourishment and What You Put Into the Body
20. Whether You Eat or Drink Do Everything for the Glory of God
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31, Common English Bible (CEB)
21. Do Not Join Those Who Drink Too Much Wine or Gorge Themselves on Meat
“Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.” Proverbs 23:20–21, New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)
22. If You Find Honey, Eat Just Enough; Too Much Will Make You Sick
“If you find honey, eat just enough—too much of it, and you will vomit.” Proverbs 25:16, English Standard Version (ESV)
23. Wine Is a Mocker, Strong Drink a Brawler, Whoever Is Led Astray by It Is Not Wise
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” Proverbs 20:1, Revised Standard Version (RSV)
The Body’s Strength for the Purpose God Assigned
24. Do You Not Know That Your Bodies Are Members of Christ?
“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?” 1 Corinthians 6:15, New International Version (NIV)
25. We Are God’s Handiwork Created in Christ Jesus to Do Good Works
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10, English Standard Version (ESV)
26. Physical Training Is of Some Value, but Godliness Has Value for All Things
“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8, King James Version (KJV)
27. God Did Not Give Us a Spirit of Timidity but of Power, Love, and Self-Discipline
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7, New Living Translation (NLT)
The Body Is the Only Instrument You Have for Every Assignment God Gives You
Every act of obedience happens through the body.
Prayer requires a body. Worship requires a body. Serving another person requires a body.
Showing up for the difficult conversation, getting on the plane for the mission trip, standing up when injustice is happening in front of you: all of it runs through the physical vessel God chose to inhabit by his Spirit.
First Corinthians 9:27 records Paul saying he disciplines his body and keeps it under control. Paul was not a fitness enthusiast. He was a man who understood that the body’s condition affected his ability to carry out the assignment.
A minister who cannot function because of preventable physical breakdown has not made a spiritual sacrifice. They have neglected the instrument.
First Timothy 4:8 says physical training is of some value, which is sometimes quoted to minimize the importance of caring for the body. But some value is still value, and the verse does not say physical training has no value. It says godliness has value for all things. Both are affirmed. The body and the spirit are not in competition. They are the same team.
Rest when rest is needed. Eat what sustains rather than what destroys. Exercise the discipline that Paul described. The body belongs to God, and stewardship of what belongs to God is worship.
What Readers Ask About Taking Care of the Body and the Bible
What does the Bible say about taking care of your body?
First Corinthians 6:19–20 says the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and calls for honoring God with it. Romans 12:1 calls for presenting the body as a living sacrifice. Psalm 139:14 says the body is fearfully and wonderfully made. The Bible treats the body as God’s property, designed with intention, inhabited by his Spirit, and worthy of deliberate care.
Is your body really a temple according to the Bible?
Yes. First Corinthians 6:19 says so explicitly. First Corinthians 3:16 asks whether the reader does not know that God’s Spirit dwells in them. The temple imagery carries the weight of the Old Testament tabernacle and temple, where God’s presence resided. The claim is that the same presence now resides in the believer’s physical body.
Does the Bible say it is wrong to neglect your body?
First Corinthians 6:19–20 frames the body as belonging to God, making its neglect a stewardship failure. First Corinthians 9:27 shows Paul actively disciplining his body. Proverbs 23:20–21 warns against excess in eating and drinking. While the Bible does not prescribe a specific health regimen, the principle of honoring God with the body implies that deliberate neglect works against the purpose for which the body was given.
What does the Bible say about rest and sleep?
Genesis 2:2–3 records God resting on the seventh day. Psalm 127:2 says God gives sleep to those he loves. Mark 6:31 records Jesus telling his disciples to rest. Exodus 20:8–10 commands a weekly Sabbath. The Bible treats rest as God-designed and necessary, not as laziness. The person who refuses rest is not honoring the design.
Is exercise mentioned in the Bible?
First Timothy 4:8 is the most direct reference, saying physical training has some value. First Corinthians 9:24–27 uses athletic imagery extensively: running to win the prize, disciplining the body. The Bible does not prescribe specific physical exercises, but it consistently affirms the value of bodily discipline and presents the neglect of the body’s condition as incompatible with effective service.
God, Help Me Treat This Body as Something That Belongs to You
Father, I want to bring before you the way I have been treating the body you chose to inhabit by your Spirit, and ask you to reshape how I think about the care it requires.
Let 1 Corinthians 6:19 settle the ownership question: this body is not mine to neglect or abuse. It is yours, and what you own deserves stewardship that reflects who the owner is.
Give me the discipline Paul described in 1 Corinthians 9:27, the wisdom to rest when rest is needed, and the honesty to stop treating neglect as humility when it is actually poor management of something sacred.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.