BIBLE INSIGHT

Maintaining Marital Purity (1 Corinthians 7) Part 1 of 2 By Ed Barnes

(Reprinted from The Expository Files http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4051/)

PAUL'S REMARKS ON MARRIAGE in 1 Corinthians chapter seven address yet another major problem in the Corinthian church. Previously Paul had dealt with the problems of division, lawsuits and immorality. Also, First Corinthians 7:1 marks the beginning of the second major section of the book in which the apostle answers questions which the church in Corinth had apparently sent to him. This section continues to the end of the book. His comments on the questions raised are generally introduced by the phrase "now concerning" or "now about" (7:1, 8, 12, 25; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1), which is how his remarks on marriage are introduced.

CLEARING THE GROUND

We will begin by dealing with two objections that are often given to Paul's marriage advice in First Corinthians. First of all, the accusation is made that Paul is a male chauvinist and woman hater and does not deserve to be heard on the subject. Besides, he was never married so what does he know anyway? Well, let it be known that the New Testament, including the inspired books of Paul, lift womankind to heights of glory unachievable outside of Christ. For example, 1 Peter 3:7 points out that women are to be treated with respect and are equal heirs with men in the gracious gift of life. Ephesians 5:22-33 commands that a husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church and also care for his wife, or nourish her (i.e. promote the health and strength of - Harper's Analytical Lexicon). Furthermore, speaking of several societal groupings including men and women, Paul says in Gal 3:28 "for you are all one in Christ Jesus"

The second objection to taking Paul's instructions seriously have to do with the unusual references we find in verses 10 and 12, where Paul modifies his instructions with "not I, but the Lord" and "I, not the Lord". In these two parenthetical remarks he is simply referring to words spoken or not spoken personally by Christ. For example, in reference to verse 10, Jesus taught personally on divorce (Mt 5:31; Mk 10:11-12; Lk 16:18), but he said nothing specifically about marriage between a Christian and non-Christian, the subject of verse 12. Thus explained, these parenthetical comments provide no basis upon which to reject either the divine inspiration or authority of the instructions Paul is giving.

MARRIED COUPLES

In 1 Corinthians 1:1-5 Paul addresses his remarks to married couples. Probably the best translation of I Cor. 7:1b is: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." To "touch a woman" seems to be an obvious reference to sexual intimacy. Also, in light of the overall teaching in the New Testament, it seems that Paul here is referring to marriage since any sexual activity outside of marriage stands condemned anyway.
The following guidelines for sexual conduct between a husband and wife can be gleaned from Paul's comments in verses 1-5:
1. Sexual activity is confined to the context of marriage.
2. Sex should be egalitarian, i.e. for the equal sharing and mutual benefit of both husband and wife.
3. Sex need not be exclusively for procreation.
4. Sexual activity should be consistent in marriage (postponed temporarily only by mutual consent) in order to avoid temptation.
5. Sex should not be used as a weapon.

THE UNMARRIED AND WIDOWS

In verses 6-9 the singles and widows are addressed. Paul chose not to be married. Others would choose differently. Neither decision was wrong in and of itself. In this section, therefore, Paul is simply giving his advice that under the current conditions it would be "good" but not absolutely necessary to remain unmarried.

He then describes the ability to remain unmarried and also sexually pure as a gift from God (verse 7) that he had been given, that all people do not possess. Paul recognizes that many people do not have the moral strength to live a celibate life. He continues (verse 6) by advising that the unmarried (single) and widows remain unmarried (due to the present crisis, verse 26, which no doubt was persecution). But if they are unable to control themselves then they should marry.

Calling A Louse, "Lord" by Kenny Chumbley

"For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror" (1 Peter 3:5-6, NKJV).

• To save his own neck, he talked his wife into going along with a lie that would have exposed her to great shame and danger.
• He jeopardized his family's financial security by voluntarily relinquishing valuable business resources.
• He left his family to fight a fight he didn't have to fight.
• He impregnated a girl young enough to be his granddaughter.
  
  For many wives, any of the above examples of husbandly misconduct would justify calling it quits. And even if a wife chose to stay with such a husband, she'd likely be so angry and bitter that she would regularly remind him of what a loser he is and how unhappy she was.
  
  It's remarkable, then, to read what the Bible says about the wife of the husband referenced above. In a book on grace (1 Pet 5.12), Peter selects a wife who exemplified grace, to teach all wives how they ought to be. "Sarah, you will remember, obeyed Abraham and called him her lord" (JBP). Despite Abraham's great faith in God, he still had many faults and failures he had to grow out of (see Gen 12ff). Yet, Sarah was submissive and respectful to her husband all during the time God was polishing his rough edges.
  
  If you're a wife, or you know a godly woman who is the wife to a difficult husband, who's struggling to get to where Sarah was, how do you do it? In answer, Peter offers three guidelines (these are taken from 1 Pet 3.5-6):
  
  1) Trust God-He knows what He's doing when He tells you to "submit" (1 Pet 3.1). Like Christ did in the hour of His greatest crisis, you, too, can entrust yourself to Him who judges rightly (1 Pet 2.23).
  
  2) Do well-do what God wants you to do, rather than brooding because your husband isn't doing what he's supposed to do. No marriage will ever improve until one or the other (or both) determines to do right, regardless of what the other does or doesn't do.
  
  3) Fear not-fear is always the enemy of "trust and obey" (the first two rules). Don't let Satan scare you into thinking that submitting to your husband is not in your best interests.
  
  So, you've got a no-good husband, either a part-time or full-time louse? Then do what God has done with you, and what Sarah did with Abraham: live according to grace. If anything can change him, your godly, submission influence can do it (1 Pet 3.1-2).

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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT… (From The Beacon)

There's good news from a new Wirthlin Worldwide study. Seventy-eight percent of all respondents from five regions of the world - the United States, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America - agree that "a family created through lawful marriage is the fundamental unit of society" and 84 percent agree that "the definition of marriage is one man and one woman." Eighty-six percent of all respondents and majorities in all of the regions except for the U.S. (the results of which were not available) said that it is best for children "to be raised in a household that has a married mother and father."
In all five regions "a lasting marriage between a husband and a wife" was chosen most often as the "most important" ingredient in good family life, beating out "financial security" and "a safe place to live." Wirthlin surveyed nearly 2,900 adults from 19 countries for the World Congress of Families II that met in Geneva, Switzerland, November 14 - 17, 2001 - via Washington Watch

Ephesians 5:33-6:4 "Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. . . And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

POINT TO PONDER
"Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings."

THE BOTTOM LINE - "Successful marriages depend not only upon finding the right person, but also on BEING the right person."

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MONTHLY BIBLE READING: Aug. and Sept., Leviticus and Numbers

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
BIBLE INSIGHT is published for the members of, and visitors to, the Church of Christ at Beverly Shores, Leesburg, Florida, USA.
Carey Dillinger is the editor. He can be reached at the church address or via e-mail: dillinc@yahoo.com