What does it mean to be one εν spirit with the Lord in 1 Corinthians 6:17

Question

How should this verse be understood exactly? Is there now only one spirit? Or two united spirits? (And where is the location of this spirit exactly? Inside the believer perhaps?)

“But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:17‬

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Is the Father (or the Father’s Spirit) present too? On account of

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” ‭‭John‬ ‭14:10‬

Or is neither the Father nor the Son present just the Holy Spirit representing the Father and the Son?

“Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” ‭‭John‬ ‭14:23, 26‬

(If the Father and Son make their home with the believer, why don’t they teach the believer, why send the Holy Spirit as a delegate?)

Answer 1

The context shows us that becoming one spirit with the Lord Jesus was analogous to becoming one with the spouse and or in some cases, even someone whose not your spouse (as in sexual immorality e.g. prostitution).

1 Corinthians 6:13-17 (ESV) The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members 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 joined[d] to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

Here the union of Adam and Eve in Genesis was interpreted in the context of sexual union like sexual immorality (i.e. do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? verse 16.). Under sexual union, the two that are separate merged and in some sense, become one. The unity of the church with Christ was liken with this kind of union albeit not to be construed literally because Paul specifically said that the church becomes one spirit, not one flesh, with Christ in verse 17 (he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.) The union of Christ and the church is therefore spiritual in nature.

Christ and the members of his body (the church) become one spirit. Now this could be understood as the incarnate Jesus Christ (the head and his body, the church together) as being like the one Spirit (the Holy Spirit) who is divine. Also that Jesus Christ in his literal body was made immortal and the church which is also his body will be made immortal (see Phil. 3:20-21). Thus, becoming one spirit with Jesus means participating in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

1 Corinthians 12:13 (ESV) For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Answer 2

“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. ... 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, John 17:16-21

Jesus' prayer is for us to be aligned with God's purposes - just as Jesus was - completely at one with his Father having the same intent, same purpose, same outcome, same means. This is what it means to be of 'one spirit'.

Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

All spirit comes from God. The spirit that resides within the devil and his fellow workers of evil is also from God, but has become corrupted by sin.

Our human spirit is also corrupted (from Adam) and must be realigned, renewed, repurposed. Only God can do this by sending his spirit into us to begin the transformation process. He calls this the 'spirit of Christ' because the spirit that guided and drove Jesus is the same that is of God - Christ obeyed his Father and was at one with His purposes - this 'spirit of co-operation and service' is what God desires all men eventually receive - the same that was active in Jesus.

This spirit the Father gave the exalted Jesus, and he has then given it to those called that 'they be one' with him and the Father. (this is only a 'deposit' of the holy spirit 2 Cor 1:22, Eph 1:14 2 Cor 5:5)

Therefore having been exalted at the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this which you are both seeing and hearing. Acts 2:33

There is two uses of spirit - each having a purpose of good or evil. Those that are good are of the same nature as God, those that are selfish, prideful are of the devil and sinfulness.

1 Corinthians 2:12 We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and self-control.

Romans 8:15,16 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage/slavery again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father…

God is bringing us to become like him in having the same purposes and desires - via the same means that Jesus overcame the world. His spirit guiding and granting victory over the corrupted spirit in us, which eventually will be perfect and holy at our change.

We cannot be aligned with God on our terms - via our means of works or by making our self 'holy' - that is the spirit of the world, of slavery, timidity, pride etc which thinks it doesn't need God to truly live.

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

v18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

"we will come to him and make our home with him" is the reality of God and Jesus being at home in us without conflict but with harmony and co-operation - all done through His spirit effecting God's purposes in our lives - bring all men to salvation.