Monday, August 8, 2016

1 Corinthians Chapter 7

1 Corinthians Chapter 7

WARNING! Chapters 6 and 7 of 1 Corinthians are explicit and are not for children's Bible study!

1 Corinthians
Above image from https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-pauline-epistles/first-corinthians

(1) NOW regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations.

  • NOW ... questions:
    • Paul now turns to issues raised by the believers in Corinth.
  • Your letter:
    • We don't know the specific questions the Corinthians asked, but we know that some concerned celibacy and marriage. Ray Stedman: "Beginning with chapter seven, Paul turns to the questions they had written to him. And they wrote about four major problems. First, there was a question about marriage; they asked Paul if it was right to be married, in view of the pressures that were around them, if perhaps they should give themselves to the service of God in an ascetic life. Although Paul himself was not married, nevertheless he told them in this section that it is best, it is good for men and women to be married, that marriage is a perfectly proper way of life, and because of the temptation to immorality, he says, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband; that was in view of the Corinthian conditions. Then he shows them that it is also right to have a single life, if God grants this as a special calling to any individual -- this is a perfectly honorable way of life. Marriage is not a necessity, though it often is an advantage, and yet it can be a problem. Paul deals very thoughtfully, helpfully, and carefully with this whole question of marriage. Then they wrote to him about three things that were troubling them; largely in the church at Corinth. First, they were worried about offending God, and about offending the conscience of the weaker brother, in the matter of eating meat that was offered to idols. Although we are no longer troubled by the problem of whether we ought to eat meat offered to idols or not, nevertheless in this section, we are confronting in principle this whole thorny issue of Christian taboos -- smoking, drinking, dancing, everything that has ever been brought up as a problem within the church that is not specifically identified as an evil in the Scriptures. What do you do about it? ... Then, they wrote also about women ... because they were involved with a very difficult problem about hats. Then the problem concerning the Lord's table."
  • Abstain from sexual relations:
    • Apparently, there were some who advocated that sex was dirty, no matter what the context. Hampton Keathley IV: "Some of the Corinthians had ascetic tendencies and thought that celibacy should be practiced by believers. Paul concedes that it is indeed good to be celibate (7:1,6), and he wished that all men could have that special gift, as he did (7:7), so they could devote full-time service to God (7:34), but it was certainly not the norm and it was certainly not commanded (7:6,25). In addition, if one without the gift were to attempt to remain celibate, it might be more than they could maintain and it might lead to immorality (7:9). There is also a possibility that the participation in immorality by some married people had led them to abandon their marital duties to their spouses, or there could have been a unilateral decision by one spouse to practice abstinence, and Paul deals with that issue. Certainly, these actions were self-centered and not done with a view to ministering to the other spouse."

(2) But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

  • But: Greek δὲ.
    • Paul disagrees that married couples should abstain from sex. Unlike what some critics today falsely proclaim, Paul is not anti-sex; he is pro-marriage! The Lord’s provision for sex drive is marriage!
  • Sexual immorality (fornication) - Strong's Greek 4202 - porneia:
    • These Christians lived in a pagan, sex-saturated society known for prostitution where having multiple wives was normal and sexual immorality was a part of pagan worship. These Christians were wondering about the issues of sex and marriage. Some were thinking sex even within Christian marriage is bad. Some were thinking that when one gets saved, they have to divorce their wives. Some were thinking they shouldn't get married.
  • His own wife:
    • Notice that "wife" is singular.
    • Many Greek philosophers, including Socrates, thought it was best for men not to get married because women were so temperamental and troublesome. The Jews, however, regarded marriage as an ordinance of God. And to this day, conservative Jews hold that a man who has reached the age of twenty years and is still unmarried sins against God.
    • Hebrews 13:4: Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

(3) The husband should fulfill his wife's sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband's needs.

  • Amplified Bible: The husband must fulfill his [marital] duty to his wife [WITH GOOD WILL AND KINDNESS], and likewise the wife to her husband.
  • Fulfill ... sexual needs:
    • Albert Barnes: "There is a great deal of delicacy used here by Paul, and his expression is removed as far as possible from the grossness of pagan writers. His meaning is plain; but instead of using a word to express it which would be indelicate and offensive, he uses one which is not indelicate in the slightest degree. The word which he uses (εὔνοιαν eunoian - benevolence) denotes kindness, good-will, affection of mind. He reminds them of the sacredness of their vow, and of the fact that in person, property and in every respect, they belong to each other."

(4) The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.

  • Authority:
    • The equal rights of husband and wife, in the Scriptures, are everywhere maintained. They are to regard themselves as united in the most intimate union.

(5) Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

  • Deprive:
    • The Greek word that was translated “deprive” here is “APOSTEREO,” and it “signifies to rob, despoil, defraud” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). This is a continuation of the point Paul started making in 1 Corinthians 7:3. Within marriage, one partner does not have the right to withhold normal sexual relationships from his or her mate. Here, Paul gave the guidelines for the only exception to this instruction. To withdraw sexually from marriage, there must be mutual consent for a limited period of time for the express purpose of seeking God through fasting and prayer. No other exceptions are given. Unfortunately, sometimes in a marriage, withholding of sex is used as a tool to punish the partner.

(6) I say this as a concession, not as a command

  • Concession:
    • Paul's will sometimes comment on something as being his own opinion on the matter. Paul's point is that a healthy marriage is one where both spouses are doing their best to please each other as a priority over pleasing themselves. When that happens, it leads both spouses into a closer relationship with God and with each other.

(7) But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another.

  • I wish everyone were single:
    • Paul is not commending the single above the married state. In the Roman/Greek world, a wife was a more like a slave, a piece of property. Often, a man had several wives. The man went to the temple of Aphrodite for sex. Paul says that a man must have one wife whom he loves. Paul lifts the slave state of womanhood to that of a partner with man in love.
  • Single ... as I am:
    • Most likely, Paul was married at one time. The book of Acts indicates that Paul was a member of the Sanhedrin (Acts 26:10). This was the group that put Stephen to death in Acts Chapter 7 for Stephen’s belief in Jesus. The Sanhedrin were a large group of Jewish elders that met together to decide legal cases regarding the Jewish law.One of the requirements to be on the Sanhedrin is to be married. Perhaps, when Paul got saved, his wife left him or maybe she died. The Bible is quiet on that issue.
    • Acts 26:10: Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death.

(8-9) So I say to those who aren't married and to widows - it's better to stay unmarried, just as I am. But if they can't control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It's better to marry than to burn with lust.

  • Marry:
    • Paul encouraged marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:2, 9, 28, and 38. He also gave a command to young widows to remarry: 1 Timothy 5:14: So I advise these younger widows to marry again, have children, and take care of their own homes. Then the enemy will not be able to say anything against them.

(10) But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband.

  • But:
    • This verse commences the second part of their question about marriage - the possibility of divorce in a mixed marriage; i.e., where one of the married partners is a believer and the other isn't. The Lord does not want His people to divorce, and in 1 Corinthians 7:11, He said if they do, they are not to remarry.
  • From the Lord:
    • The Jews of Jesus’ day saw divorce not as a kind of necessary evil, but as a right. But, God hates divorce. God never commanded men to divorce. At the very most, God reluctantly allows men to divorce for very limited reasons, due to the hardness of men's hearts. Jesus goes back to the garden and sets before His questioners God’s ideal for marriage: One man, married to the same woman, for life. What God joins together, no man should dare to separate.
    • Deuteronomy 24:1-4: “Suppose a man marries a woman but she does not please him. Having discovered something wrong with her, he writes a document of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house. When she leaves his house, she is free to marry another man. But if the second husband also turns against her, writes a document of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away, or if he dies, the first husband may not marry her again, for she has been defiled. That would be detestable to the Lord. You must not bring guilt upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession.
    • Malachi 2:16: "For I hate divorce!" says the LORD, the God of Israel. "To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife."
    • Matthew 19:1-12: When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went down to the region of Judea east of the Jordan River. Large crowds followed him there, and he healed their sick. Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason? Haven't you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” “Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery - unless his wife has been unfaithful.” Jesus’ disciples then said to him, “If this is the case, it is better not to marry! Not everyone can accept this statement,” Jesus said. “Only those whom God helps. Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”
  • Not leave her husband:
    • Hampton Keathley IV: "Paul also deals with the situation where a believer is married to an unbeliever. In the previous section and the next section, he does not give a command, but here he does and adds that it is not his, but it is the Lord’s command. God does not want the believer to leave their mate because God’s will is not divorce. Instead, they should live with them and try to win them over to Christ. Paul adds that whatever circumstance you were in when you became a Christian, remain in them. Christianity is not designed to take us out of the world. It is to help us live in it."
    • Probably, many thought it was unlawful to live with those who were not Christians.
    • Christians are now resorting to the divorce courts nearly as often as those who profess no faith at all. When I was young, divorce was looked down on and rarely practiced, but now, divorce is not only accepted but is common. Divorce is so common, so messy and so expensive, many if not most young couples today simply forgo getting married in the first place, avoiding entanglements and permanence.
    • Seneca wrote that women were married to be divorced and divorced to be married. Cicero, in his old age, divorced his wife so he could marry a young heiress, whose trustee he was, that he might enter into her estate, in order to pay his debts.
    • Most couples seeking a divorce today do so for unbiblical reasons. They cite reasons such as poor communication, incompatibility, financial problems, lack of commitment to the relationship, changes in priorities. In short, when marriage isn't working, the common solution is to get out. Divorce is rampant in the United States, and it is rampant among Christians and non-Christians alike. There are some instances where people have married not once or twice, but three, four, five, or six times. They have had a succession of mates, a succession of children, and a succession of problems.

(11) But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.

  • Remain: https://www.gty.org/resources/distinctives/dd04/divorce-and-remarriage: "God providentially allows the circumstances they find themselves in when they come to Christ. If they were called while married, then they are not required to seek a divorce (even though divorce may be permitted on biblical grounds). If they were called while divorced, and cannot be reconciled to their former spouse because that spouse is an unbeliever or is remarried, then they are free to either remain single or be remarried to another believer (1 Cor. 7:39; 2 Cor. 6:14). ... In cases where a believer obtained a divorce on unbiblical grounds and remarried, he or she is guilty of the sin of adultery until that sin is confessed (Mark 10:11-12). God does forgive that sin immediately when repentance takes place, and there is nothing in Scripture to indicate anything other than that. From that point on the believer should continue in his or her current marriage."

(12) Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a fellow believer has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her.

  • Not a believer:
    • Probably many supposed that it was unlawful for a Christian to be married to someone who was not a Christian. to live with those who were not Christians and they thought such a marriage should be eliminated.
  • Willing to continue:
    • There might be many cases where the wife or the husband, that was not a Christian, would be so opposed to Christianity, and so violent in their opposition, that they would not be willing to live with a Christian. When this was the case, the Christian husband or wife could not prevent the separation. When this was not the case, they were not to seek a separation themselves.
    • Many years ago, the Lord used me to lead my boss, an alcoholic, to Christ. But, his wife could not stand this new Christian and divorced him - she preferred a drunk over a "religious nut." He later married a Christian woman and remained happily married to her until his death.

(13-14) And if a believing woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.

  • One of the probable reasons that the Corinthians desired clarification on this matter was because many of them were in mixed marriages. Their mates not only were non-Christians, but also may have been involved in worshiping other gods and in pagan sexual orgies). They questioned whether or not God wanted them united with unbelievers through marriage. Wouldn't that defile them? How would such marriages affect their children? This verse answers these questions.
  • Holiness:
    • Holiness means "set apart for God's use." Verse 14 says the unbelieving husband or wife is made holy (sanctified in the KJV) by the believing spouse. This does not mean the unbelieving spouse is saved. That would be contradictory to the Gospel message of individual salvation. What it does mean is that God recognizes the marriage and sets apart that family structure as being “set apart” for His use.
  • Children ... holy:
    • There is a principal in the Bible that children are saved until they reach an age of accountability on their own. (Romans 7:8-9). Once the children are old enough to understand individual accountability, their salvation is now “up to them”. There is no set age of accountability. It is different for every child and is based on their upbringing and understanding. The point is there is some age at which a child, brought up in a home with at least one Christian parent is no longer saved just because they came from a Christian “set apart” home.

(15) (But if the husband or wife who isn't a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.)

  • Let them go:
    • Many sincere people differ on their interpretation of what this verse means when it says that believers are “no longer bound to the other.” The liberal interpretation would be that Paul was saying they are free to remarry if their unsaved mates divorce them.

(16-20) Don't you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don't you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you? Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches. For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God's commandments. Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you.

  • Circumcised:
    • All of the unbelieving Jews, as well as many of the Jewish Christians, believed that circumcision was essential for salvation. Paul said that it was “nothing” (“one of no consequence or interest” [American Heritage Dictionary]).
  • Remain as you were:
    • Paul was simply stating that those who were Jews before they were born again should not renounce their Jewish heritage. Likewise, Gentiles who come to Christ do not have to become Jewish.
    • David's relationship with Bathsheba was adulterous. Yet, when he repented, God forgave him and blessed his marriage with Bathsheba to such a degree that the Lord personally named their child Jedidiah (2 Samuel 12:24-25), meaning “beloved of Jah” (Strong's Concordance). Likewise, marriages that were totally wrong before salvation can be sanctified (1 Corinthians 7:14) and redeemed so that they become blessed relationships.

(21-22) Are you a slave? Don't let that worry you - but if you get a chance to be free, take it. And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ.

  • Slave:
    • Slaves abounded in Greece and in every part of the pagan world. Athens had at one time 20,000 freemen, and 400,000 slaves.
  • Free:
    • Those who have freedom in Christ are free indeed (John 8:32) regardless of their situation.

(23-24) God paid a high price for you, so don't be enslaved by the world. Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.

  • Paid a high price for you:
    • 1 Corinthians 6:20: for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
  • Enslaved:
    • They were actually serving Christ, not man (Ephesians 6:5-7 and Colossians 3:22-24). When this attitude is adopted, then the bondage is removed from slavery. Christian slaves could not be forced to do what they freely offered to do.

(25) Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you.

  • Now:
    • In this section, he is focusing on those who are engaged to be married. Paul makes it clear that he is giving an “opinion” on the matter of singleness. He also reminds his readers again in 7:40 that he is expressing his opinion
  • Not yet married:
    • The term could refer to virgin women who were not married. The central issue would then be whether or not their fathers should give them in marriage to eligible men. (This is the view which has been widely held throughout the history of the Church.) The view adopted by many modern commentators is that the term refers to young, engaged women who were under the influence of various groups within the Corinthian church not to go through with their marriages. The central issue would then be whether the young men and women should continue with their plans and finalize their marriages.

(26) Because of the present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are.

  • Present crisis:
    • It’s much more difficult to face martyrdom if you're married. Paul sensed severe persecution was coming. In less than 10 years, Nero would be the emperor of Rome, who burned down Rome because he wanted to rebuild it later and blamed the Christians for the fire.

(27) If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married.

  • End the marriage:
    • Proverbs 18:22: "The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord."

(28-31) But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems. But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage.hose who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will SOON pass away.

  • SOON:
    • 1 Corinthians was written before Acts 28:28 when the present dispensation of grace began and God put off the return of Christ until Israel repented. After 2000 years, we're still waiting for His return!

(32-40) I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible. But if a man thinks that he's treating his fiancee improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. So the person who marries his fiancee does well, and the person who doesn't marry does even better. A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord. But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God's Spirit when I say this.

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