Implications of Paul's "One Flesh" Concept for His Understanding of the Nature of Man

Closely related to his σῶμα concept, Paul's view of the sexual union as "one flesh (body)" has significant implications not only for his understanding of the nature of man but also of the relationship between Christ and the church. Paul derives this concept from Gen 2:24 and uses it as the biblical basis for his argument, explicitly in 1 Cor 6:12–20; Eph 5:21–33; and implicitly in 1 Cor 7:10–16. In this article, I examine these and other related passages to determine whether and in what respect Paul understands man as a corporate being.