November 27, 2022
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in selections from 1 Corinthians? Here’s today’s reading:
1 Corinthians 7 (NIV)
Concerning Married Life
1 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife..........Continue Reading
1 Corinthians 7
1 Corinthians 4
1 Corinthians 7
1 Corinthians 7
There is a great deal in this chapter regarding relationships and what sticks out most to me is that God put a great deal of care into His intentions for our relationships. He wanted to see a man and a woman stand together with Him at the center of that relationship guiding and directing the decisions they make together. Not on considering God and not the other. Not relations outside of a marital commitment. Remaining faithful to one another even when it is difficult.
The world has strayed so far away from a traditional relationship as God intended and drifted so far away from Him at times, it is no wonder the number of broken families, the amount of divorce, the ever increasing choice to not marry at all has become the norm. The dysfunction that results from this relationship standard falling away and especially the children born into it is heartbreaking.
Paul spends time in 1 Corinthians answering questions on certain topics that the corinthians have asked him. We can imagine that relationships in Corinth were a mess in many of the same ways they are now, so Paul’s instruction was needed then as it is now. It is interesting to see Paul differentiate between his instructions and God’s. It gives insight into the understanding of Paul being aware of the difference and knowing he believed that he was sharing God’s words unless mentioned otherwise. The main point he makes is that marriage is sacred and barring there being an exception mentioned here, we should be committed to it. Paul also makes much of the value of singleness both to God and the individual. Both within marriage and outside of it, we should be aware of our sex drive and make sure we address that within marriage by turning to our spouse and maybe making a choice to get married so as to give that drive a godly expression. But we shouldn’t be too quick to change our circumstances in various matters. If we came to Christ in a certain condition, we shouldn’t look to change that unless God gives the go ahead for that. But we shouldn’t need to, because our sufficiency should be in Christ. But if we choose to be married or choose not to, it is all good. Naturally that only applies to the unmarried…if we are married, we should choose to remain so and find all the provisions God gives us to make it work.
7:29-31
Reading these 3 verses thru me for a loop. Maybe especially because the ‘wives (especially in the chapter about marriage), mourning, being happy’ were things that God intended us to be/feel. The verses are so firm & adamant and that was so opposite of what I thought our intentions in life should be (not so much about the buying of things, but again, the living and loving our spouses, mourning in times of sadness and being happy). So, I went to commentaries to understand further, Put God above everything else in life. ‘Devote yourself to the Lord and not to all the wonderful things He showers upon us’. The repetitive words in the commentary are, “Devote yourself to the Lord”. Having read this particular commentary, I understand these verses better and what they are actually saying. It’s always been obvious that it be best to devote yourself to the Lord….I guess upon reading, the wording to me just seemed so harsh and opposite and did not sit well with me until I studied further to get the real gist of the meaning. Anyways, all’s good now:)
Glad to hear, Sue and thanks for sharing! And yes, Paul means not being as impacted by the circumstances and situations of the world in relative terms, not absolute terms….as in relation to our regard for and orientation to God and His work. It is like when Jesus says we are to hate family relations (Luke 14:26). He doesn’t mean it absolutely, but only relative to our love for God….
This is such an example of how Christ’s coming and the gospel affected people’s lives dramatically in that time. Can you imagine coming to Christ in that time period and wondering what to do in all of these existing relationships? I’m glad Paul took the time to answer these people’s questions!
Paul puts a strong emphasis on singleness and serving the Lord. We have so gotten away from that. It is interesting in the part about “what to do with your virgin,” I found this perplexing! After reading some commentaries, I realized that he is talking about a parent and his male and female unmarried “virgin” children. It is interesting that he says that it’s fine either way for them to marry (parents chose spouses for their children) but that its better to be unmarried, if possible. I’m thinking YIKES! those poor kids unable to make decisions for themselves, having to live in celibacy! But I think I am thinking anachronistically and also not considering the impact that Christ would have in that situation. The desire to live a life for Christ and serve Him whole-heartedly strongly over-rides the desires of the flesh…but getting married is not wrong or unGodly.