A STUDY OF FIRST CORINTHIANS

Chapter 7

Introduction: Paul in this chapter addresses another issue of concern for the Corinthians. They had been concerned about the sanctity of the marriage relationship. They had several questions concerning the complexity of marriage, the purpose of marriage and the difficulties that may come with marriage. Much of what Paul says in this chapter is relevant today.

Principles of Marriage 

Verses 1-3. Paul is not condemning marriage here. Possibly he has in mind the present distress and daily concerns that marriage imposes in a climate where it is hard to be a Christian. I think that Paul may be saying that it is good for any man not to touch any woman outside of the bonds of marriage. To suggest that Paul viewed marriage as a necessary evil such contradicts the splendor and majesty that he views in marriage (Eph. 5:22-33). If one has an inclination and strong desire to touch a woman, he could only do this in the context of marriage. Paul’s words in verse 2 rule out any justification of polygamy or polyandry. Each spouse is to hold the other as his or her own. They are not share themselves with others, but are to be monogamous. They are not to withhold from each other sexual intimacy. Failure in this regard has led to adultery. In such a case the party who withheld sexual is held accountable in the evil deed as well (Matt. 5:32).

Verses 4-5. In our spiritual relationship that we entered into with Christ our bodies are to be used for no less than the glory of the Lord (1 Cor. 6:20). In the marriage relationship, the spouse is not to use the other’s body in inappropriate ways. However, the spouse can place demands upon the other for the sake of sexual gratification. The other is not to be denied. If there is abstinence, is acceptable only when the partners have consented and that only on a temporary basis. A spouse cannot decide to go out of town for a while without seeking consent to deprive the other of sexual gratification for that time. We must be careful not to expose our spouses to unnecessary pressures or temptations. Any spouse that deprives the other of sexual gratification merely as punishment, resentment, vindictiveness or anger is sinning and needs to repent. The consideration of abstinence must have as its basis two requirements: consent and a higher and noble purpose. Nothing else is a factor.

Verse 6. In reference to the abstinence, Paul is not commanding that they abstain from sexual gratification for the sake of prayer and fasting. He is simply making an allowance as an ambassador of Christ.

Verse 7. Paul’s statement could be that he, in view of the present distress, wished that none could have all of the cares and concerns that come with marriage. He was unmarried. Another possibility is that he wished that all men could exercise the power he has over his passions. Some have a higher degree of tolerance than others do and so no single standard could be imposed upon a people (1 Tim. 4:1-3).

Verses 8-9.  In this context Paul advises that the unmarried remain such as good (expedient). In 1 Timothy 5:14, however, Paul tells the younger widows to marry. Is there a contradiction? No! In Corinth, Paul was addressing the present distress (v. 26). However, if a person does not have the power to exercise control of his or her sexual passions, it would be better to marry. People should chose marriage rather than to fight back the ever-increasing flames of sexual passion. Fornication will separate one from God. Better to be married and satisfy your sexual passions that way that to allow yourself to be united with a harlot and separated from Christ.

Maintain Your Marriage 

Verses 10-11. These verses contain a command that God imposes upon Christian men and women who are married to each other. The things that Paul mentions in this passage were items that the Lord addressed while He was in the flesh. Thus, the import of the passage is that of a command from the Lord Himself. One can only speculate as to why Paul issued this command to these brethren in Corinth. One suggestion given is that some may have been telling them that Christians should no longer engage in the sexual gratification that is a part of the marital relationship. Consequently, those mates felt that it was best to depart from each other. They were to do this in order to grow closer to the Lord. This practice was known as asceticism. Some may have even felt pressure to leave their spouses because of what Paul said in verse 8 and again in verse 26. Paul comments upon the Lord’s directive concerning the marriage relationship. Neither the Christian wife nor husband is to divorce his mate. However, in the case that he or she does, they are to remain unmarried. If they cannot handle the pressures of leading a celibate life, their only other alternative is to be reconciled to their mates. The passage does not allow, but forbids divorce and remarriage to another. The Bible does not make a distinction between a separation and divorce. It treats all separation as divorce (Matt. 19:6; Mark 10:9). We cannot bind 20^th century vernacular and expressions upon the Bible.

Verses 12-13. “To the rest” in this case refers to those Christians who are married to unbelieving spouses. The Lord had not addressed this matter while he was upon the earth because such was not a consideration for that age (Deu. 7:1-4). Paul is speaking by inspiration and on apostolic authority. Such is as binding as if Jesus said it Himself. A Christian mate is not to divorce his or her non-Christian spouse as long as that spouse is in agreement to continue in that marital relationship.

Verse 14. Paul gives the reason for the command. The Christian spouse sanctifies the unbelieving spouse. This is not to say that the unbelieving spouse is holy in a pure sense or in a sense that puts him in a relationship with God. Sanctification has other meanings. In this case, sanctification indicates that God deems the person suitable to achieve a particular purpose. The gold, silver, wood, etc., were sanctified in the sense of fulfilling the intended purpose of erecting the tabernacle and later the temple. In this sense, the unbelieving spouse serves to fulfill the intended purpose that God had for marriage. This specifically is the case under this dispensation. Previously, in the mosaic age, such was not the case. In Ezra 10:18-19, they had to put away their pagan (unbelieving) spouses (see Neh. 13:23-31). If God in the church age did not allow such a union to exist, the children born out of such relationships would be unclean. This is much unlike the mosaic age when such was not the case (Ezra 10:3).

Verse 15. If the unbelieving spouse does no wish to remain in a relationship with the Christian spouse, Paul says let that spouse depart. Reason: the Lord has called us to peace. The Lord does not want His people to live a life of misery – fighting, begging and pleading to hold on to a marriage in which the other refuses to be a part. The Christian spouse is not under bondage in such cases. If a Christian is married to an unbelieving spouse that wants to leave, that Christian spouse has not obligation to the departing spouse. The Christian spouse is not to be a slave to the relationship in the sense of exercising spousal obligations. Any Christian who tries to force an unbelieving spouse to stay in the relationship is setting himself up for strive and abuse. This would be in violation of the believer’s call to peace. Since the Christian not under bondage in such cases, there is no indication the person is free to remarry. In Matthew 19:9, Jesus talks about divorce and remarriage. Those that divorce for a cause other than adultery, and marry another, commit adultery. If that is true, then, it is also true that whoever divorces for adultery and marries another does not commit adultery. Unlike what Jesus says in Matthew, Paul here does not say what the person who allows his spouse to depart can do. Thus, he can do nothing but remain unmarried. This is why we need to exercise care concerning whom we marry. There is a danger in marrying someone who is not a child of faith.

Verse 16. Some hold on to such marriages with the belief that they can change their mate or, in this case, save them. Paul is saying that you can never know whether salvation will ever come. The misery, fighting and potential abuse is not worth taking that chance. (Those who marry a person with the hopes that one day that person will change is putting themselves in an awful predicament. The person may never change. All that person has done is subject himself to a lifetime of misery and stifled any opportunity of finding a more suitable mate.

Maintain Your Calling 

Verse 17. The “But” in this verse is tied to the context of marriage coming out of verses 15 and 16. The distribution of God refers to a person’s gift or ability. In other words, I believe this verse refers to a person’s social standing. Contextually, Paul is referring to marriage. The call of the gospel does not necessitate social upheaval. Because one because a Christian does not mean he must now leave his unbelieving mate. This was not just a consideration for Corinth, but was something Paul says God imposes upon all brethren.  In the following verses, Paul gives two examples of what he means by, remaining in one’s station at the time of his calling.

Verses 18-19. The first example that Paul gives is that of the gospel’s call to those who are Jews. God does not impose upon the Jew the need to become uncircumcised. The apocrypha and Josephus both mention the fact that some Jews, to escape persecution from the gentiles, had a surgical procedure to cover their circumcision. When they appeared by the bathing pools naked, the Greeks who were there would see their uncircumcision. The same is true of the Gentile convert. He does not have to now get circumcised. Neither of these stations helps to better one’s relationship with God. Thus, they do not matter. However, whether circumcised or uncircumcised, one can keep the commandments of God (Rom. 2:25-29). Keeping God’s law is what really matters.

Verse 20. The national or social position, in which a person occupied at the time of their calling to the gospel, he should not seek as of necessity to change. Paul is not forbidding a person from leaving or changing employment nor is he forbidding the unmarried to become married. The particular point is that the child of God is not required to leave his spouse. The general point is that obedience to the gospel does not require a person to leave jobs, professions, etc., unless those relationships are sinful. In the case of two people in an unscriptural marriage, such is a sinful relationship of which they must repent and cease before they can even answer the call. Some feel that God here allows such relationships to exist. Employing the principle that “anything that proves too much, proves nothing,” I believe that is the case with those who take that position. If God is painting with a broad brush by saying remain in the same state in which he was called, then homosexuals can maintain their relationships, those who are shacking up, lesbians, etc. There would be no need for repentance. If such a theory applies to the unscripturally divorced and remarried, it has to hold true for the homosexual, lesbian and fornicator. The whole point of Paul’s admonition is to avoid social disruption. This demonstrates that the whole purpose of the gospel and the church is to help save souls and make them acceptable to God, not impact society. As individual Christians involve themselves throughout society, those areas in which they have influence may help to make them better incidentally. However, it is not the function of the church or the gospel to reform society and make its institutions more spiritual. Jesus came to save sinners, not schools, governments, corporations, societies, nations, etc.

Verses 21-22. While verses 18-19 referred to national reforms, these verses refer to societal reforms that are unnecessary to be a Christian. Those in Paul’s days that were slaves could remain as slaves and still be obedient to the Lord in all things. The same holds true to the freeman. Paul tells them not to be so concerned with that plight. However, if they could become free take advantage of it. Again, the Lord calls us to peace. Religious groups have become preoccupied with addressing all kinds of social concerns and injustices. However, the Lord never required that the church do such, but rather forbids her from doing such. God’s people can serve Him just fine without the need to address and remedy every social ill (Poverty, homelessness, discrimination, lawlessness). Yet, if others work toward the betterment of society, then the church can take advantage of the freedoms and conditions that come with such (Tax exemption, constitutional protection, use of airwaves, free-advertising).

Verses 23-24. The child of God belongs to the Lord and as such is not to become a slave to men (Eph. 6:5-6). We should never bow to peer-pressure, pressures on the job, political parts or other religious organizations to rise in protest of something (Disney, ABC, Texaco, Denny’s, Coca-Cola, Etc.) even if the cause seems just. Our lives are to be molded by the image of Jesus Christ. Paul reiterates that Christians must maintain a close relationship with God, and not compromise it by becoming overly involved in external this world affairs that do nothing to enhance that close relationship with God.

The Unmarried and Widows 

Verse 25. Here, Paul is set to talk about the unmarried and widows. He begins with the unmarried. What he gives is not a commandment from the Lord, but his own judgment, which is trustworthy as the Lord saw fit to make it. Paul is answering a question concerning young women who have not had any sexual experience (virgins).

Verses 26-28. Most of what Paul says about his objections to marriage at this time is in light of the present distress.  It is good for those who are called to remain in their present marital status. However, Paul makes it clear that if they do marry they have not sinned. He wants them to realize that they will have physical troubles. In times of persecution, when a choice between faith and family is presented, such can be a troubling decision. In addition, even trying to flee persecution and distress can be a trying effort (Matt. 24:19), when one has a family to keep together.

Verse 29-31. Paul said that the time would be short. I believe that this is a reference to the time of the present distress. In Matthew 24:22, Jesus taught that those days would be shortened for the elects sake. From that point on, in consideration of the present distress, married Christians had to learn to live as if they were not married. They had to learn to condition their minds not to let anything interfere with their allegiance to Christ (Luke 14:26). The things that bring them joy and cause them heartache at their loss, Christians must loosen their attachment. Such things can cause a person to lose or compromise their faith (2 Tim. 4:10). The things of life are temporary. Thus, the child of God ought not to barter his eternal inheritance for earthly inheritance. This would include the joys and pleasure that come from marriage. That, too, is only temporary. Such relationships will not extend beyond this life (Matt. 22:30). The child of God is simply passing through this world and ought not to become attached to it at all (1 Pet. 2:11). It will be destroyed (2 Pet. 3:10).

Verses 32-33. The reason for Paul’s exhortation is that he does not want the brethren to be overly concerned and burdened with the cares of this life. Such can be a distraction and even lead to abandoning the cause of Christ (Matt. 13:22). Those who are unmarried Christians have a greater opportunity to turn their attention wholly unto the Lord. They have no divided interests. However, not all unmarried Christians take advantage of such opportunities to serve the Lord more fully. The married must divide their interests between pleasing the Lord and pleasing their spouse. However, not all married are concerned about pleasing their spouses. Though married, they live as if they are celibate bachelors or bachelorettes, unconcerned about the needs of their spouse. The married are concerned about housing, clothing, food and medicines. These are things pertaining to this life. Some Christians do not need persecution or distressing times to allow family to become distractions. Some are so bent on pleasing their spouses that they compromise their service to the Lord in good and peaceful times. Some Christians have allowed the needs of spouses and children to interfere with their need to do the Lord’s will. In other words, during times of peace and tranquility the needs of spouses and children have come first with some Christians (Education, recreation, socialization), while the Lord is placed upon the back-burner (Luke 14:26; Rev. 2:4-5). If such is the case with some married in peaceful times, they would never stand with the Lord in times of distress and persecution.

Verse 34. Paul says the same thing here for the unmarried woman (widows, divorced, virgins), as he did for the man in verse 33. He wants the woman to be without care in these times of distress. The unmarried woman can devote herself wholly to the service of the Lord. In this, she is set apart in both body and spirit to the Lord. Her energies, resources, sentiments and thoughts are centered upon the Lord. Again, this is not to say that all unmarried women do or will give themselves wholly to the service of Christ. In addition, this is not to say that the married women is not set apart unto the Lord. In the practical sense, the married woman has other interests that she MUST tend to as a matter of Scriptural responsibility. She must care for the needs of her husband and her children. She does not have the freedom to use her resources so liberally. She will not have the energy or time that the unmarried woman has to devote to the cause of Christ. 

Verse 35. Paul is not trying to put a leash on them or purposely keep them from getting married. Again, he is giving them guidance on how to best deal with the days ahead. They would be better able to confront them without added concerns. He is not trying to back them in a corner. He wants them to exercise good and proper judgment. It would be poor judgment, under distressful conditions, to weigh oneself down with the cares of family and to even put that family in jeopardy. As Luke 10:38-42 wonderfully illustrates, distractions and cares can keep a person from maintaining their proper place with Jesus.

Verses 36-38. These verses give some difficulty in obtaining their meaning. I will present two views based upon the language. First, Paul is considering the difficulty a father may have in deciding whether to allow his virgin daughter to marry. If the father is concerned about her reaching an age where she would not be a viable candidate for marriage (child-bearing the concern) whatever the father decided would be fine. The one who has determined to keep his daughter a virgin must pass a 3 pronged test to uphold such a decision. 1) He must truly be steadfast in mind; he cannot waver from one day to the next. 2) He must be certain that his daughter is not struggling with temptation from her own sexual appetites. 3) He must be free to make such a decision; he cannot be a slave or have previously entered a marital arrangement with his daughter. The one who, after careful consideration, lets his virgin daughter marry does well. However, the one who, under distressing times, is able to keep his daughter a virgin, does better. The second view is that the subject of these verses is not the father, but a young man who is betrothed to the virgin girl. He has the consideration of whether to allow the marriage to go forth as planned or to abandon those plans because of the present distress. Verse 37, in light of this view, would mean that the fiancé has determined in his mind to remain celibate and do such for his partner. In so doing, he keeps his own virginity because he is able to control his desires. I am not convinced with the second view. The first is the more likely scenario in Paul’s day.

Verse 39. This law is further expressed in Romans 7:1-3. Paul seems to break from the unmarried virgins and speaks concerning the marriage of those who are widowed. Paul says that a widow is to marry only in the Lord. Does this mean she can marry a Christian only? Does it mean the same as in Ephesians 6:1, that such must be in accordance with the Lord’s will? Paul may be advising widows, who are facing terrible times, that they should marry only Christians. If being married, even to a Christian, would be a challenge in difficult times, think what being married to an infidel would do. Certainly all Christians would do well to remember that they have a duty to the Lord that supersedes any relationship and that He should be our first consideration.

Verse 40. Paul speaking as one with divine authority, judges that the widow would be happier under the circumstances if she did not marry. Again, these unusual times call for unusual measures. Under any other circumstance, widows would be encouraged to remarry (1 Tim. 5:14).