INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING MARRIAGE AND ABSTINENCE FROM MARRIAGE (7:1-40). The thought of being united with Christ's body and the grievously harmful effect of being then united with a prostitute leads on to the consideration of marriage. Does marriage also mar the union with Christ? Paul's answer is t... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRISTIAN HUSBANDS AND WIVES AND THE ALTERNATIVE FOR THE UNMARRIED AND WIDOWS (7:1-11) ‘Now concerning the things of which you wrote. It is good for a man not to touch a woman, but because of fornications let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.' Paul will now deal... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Let the husband render to the wife her due, and likewise also the wife to the husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband. And likewise the husband also does not have authority over his own body, but the wife.' In view of this fact husband and wife have a responsib... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Do not defraud one the other, unless it is by consent for a time, that you my give yourselves to prayer, and may be together again, so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.' Indeed to refuse intercourse and proper lovemaking without good reason is to defraud one's par... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But this I say by way of permission and not of commandment.' While he gives this advice, he says, it is not something he has received direct from the Lord as an instruction. It is not found in the Old Testament or in the words of the Lord. But he is satisfied that he has God's permission to say it... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Yet I would that all men were even as I myself. However each man has his own gift from God, one after this manner and one after that.' His own predisposition is, for those who have the gift like he has (‘I would that all men were even as I, gifted to remain unmarried') to favour being unmarried, b... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I. But if they do not have the ability to control their desires, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to go on burning with unrequited desire (literally ‘than to burn').' Paul is saying here that the unm... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But to the married I give charge, yes, not I but the Lord, that the wife does not leave her husband, (but and if she does depart let her remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband does not leave his wife.' Now he warns against misapprehension. He is not recommendi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But as to the rest, I speak, not the Lord. If any brother has an unbelieving wife and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her. And the woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified... [ Continue Reading ]
INSTRUCTIONS WHERE ONE PARTNER IS A NON-CHRISTIAN(7:12-16). But another question they had seemingly asked had in mind cases where one partner had been converted and had become a Christian. It does not refer to cases where someone who has become a Christian subsequently marries a non-Christian, for... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Yet if the unbelieving one separate themselves, let them depart. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases.' Where the unbelieving partner seeks a divorce, or walks out because the person has become a Christian, or turns the Christian out, then no blame can attach to the Christi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But God has called us in peace.' When God called us it was essentially in the sphere of peace, peace with God and peace from God. God does not seek to bring His people into a position of antagonism and conflict, nor does He want it. It may arise because of the nature of the unbelieving, but it is n... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him continue to walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.' Here the position in which each man finds himself when he is ‘called' is seen as God's previous distribution to him within His general purposes. Thus he may accep... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRISTIANS NEED NOT FEEL COMPELLED TO LEAVE THE STATE IN WHICH THEY WERE WHEN THEY WERE CALLED (7:17-24). Paul now stresses that from a spiritual point of view Christians need not worry about their earthly state and position as it does not affect their spiritual position before God. From a spiritua... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Was any man called being circumcised, let him not become uncircumcised. Has any been called in uncircumcision, let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.' Physical signs, or the lack of them, are nothing to God. I... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Let each man abide in that calling in which he was when he was called. Were you called being a bondservant? Do not worry about it. But if you can become free use it rather.' As he makes clear Paul is not here saying that no man should try to rise above his station. Indeed he encourages the bondser... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For he who was called by the Lord, being a bondservant, is the Lord's freedman. Similarly, he who was called being free is Christ's bondservant.' God sees all men as the same, with the same dignity and the same significance. He sees the bondservant as a freedman. He sees the freeman as a bondserva... [ Continue Reading ]
‘You were bought with a price. Do not be the bondservants of men.' Taken literally this would contradict what he has said above. But he does not intend it to be taken literally. It continues the thought that Christians are bondservants to Christ (1 Corinthians 7:22). He is saying that having been bo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Brothers, let each man abide with God in whatever position he was in when he was called.' The Christian is to commit his life to God in faith and leave it in the hands of God. He is to walk with God and let God see to his future. If God destines freedom then he should take advantage of it. But if... [ Continue Reading ]
FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING MARRIAGE IN VIEW OF THE URGENCY OF THE TIMES (7:25-40). ‘Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.' ‘Concerning virgins' here, in view of 1 Corinthians 7:26, probably me... [ Continue Reading ]
‘I think therefore that this is good by reason of the present (or ‘impending') necessity (distress, calamity, necessity, compulsion, means of compulsion) namely that it is good for a man to be as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And if a virgin marry she has not sinned. Yet such will have tribulation in the flesh, and I would spare you.' There is no question of it being sinful for a virgin to marry, he points out. God does not require perpetual virginity. Paul's only hesitation is as to whether it will put her into a posi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But this I say brothers, the time is shortened that from now on both those who have wives be as those who have none, and those who weep as those who do not weep, and those who rejoice as those who do not rejoice, and those who buy as though they owned nothing, and those who use the world as not abu... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But I would have you free from cares. He who is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But he who is married is careful for the things of the world, how he may please his wife.' Here Paul comes to the crux of the matter. His recommendation of celibacy has nothi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And there is a difference also between the wife and the virgin. She who is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit, but she that is married is careful for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.' Paul points out that his arg... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And this I say for your own profit, not that I may cast a noose on you, but for that which is noble (or ‘proper') and that you may attend on the Lord without distraction.' Paul emphasises that he is not trying to restrict them or trap them. He has their own advantage in mind. He wants them to lead... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But if any man thinks that he behaves ignobly towards his virgin, if she be past the flower of her age, and if need so demands, let him do what he will. He does not sin. Let them marry.' There is some difficulty in interpreting the following verses in determining whether it is speaking of two pers... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power as touching his own will, and has determined thus in his own heart, to keep his own virgin state, shall do well.' We must interpret this verse in the light of 1 Corinthians 7:36. It cannot therefore be saying that if the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who gives her not in marriage will do better.' ‘Gives in marriage.' The verb is gamizo which is an intensive form of gameo - ‘to marry' - and means ‘give in marriage', but can also mean ‘to marry'. It could thus be tran... [ Continue Reading ]
‘A wife is bound for as long as her husband lives, but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she will, only in the Lord. But she is happier if she abides as she is, according to my judgment. And I consider that I also have the Spirit of God.' Finally he deals with a wife whose h... [ Continue Reading ]