Section 6:12–20

Believers must live pure lives because they belong to the Lord

6:12a “Everything is permissible for me,”

⌊Someone has said:⌋ “I am permitted to do anything.”
-or-
⌊It has been said:⌋ “I am allowed to do whatever I want.”
-or-
Some of you like to quote this teaching/saying: “We (incl.) can do/be anything we choose.”

6:12b but not everything is beneficial.

Some things, however, are not useful/helpful.
-or-

⌊Well, yes.⌋ But that does not mean that everything is good/helpful ⌊for you/us (incl.)⌋.
-or-

⌊In one sense that may be true,⌋ but some things have no value/profit/advantage.

6:12c “Everything is permissible for me,”

“I am permitted to do anything,” yes,
-or-

⌊Someone has said:⌋ “I am allowed to do whatever I want,”
-or-

⌊You say that⌋ we (incl.) are free to do anything we want/choose to do,

6:12d but I will not be mastered by anything.

but I will not let anything be my boss/master.
-or-
but I will not become a slave to anything.
-or-
but I refuse to allow anything to control me.

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