TEACHING NOTES Introduction In the last two sessions of this study we learned from Paul that the church in Corinth was struggling sexual issues. Paul is clear that the church family must be set apart from the sexual practices of the culture. In chapter seven, Paul is going to continue answering questions and concerns raised by the Corinthian church in their letter to Paul. This chapter addresses issues of marriage, singleness, and sexual temptation. ‌ Two Extremes in Corinth: 1. Sexual immorality is allowed (1 Cor. 5-6). 2. Sex is bad in general (1 Cor. 7). ‌ 1 Corinthians 7:1–2 1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. ‌ Matters about which you wrote = Paul is referring to a letter he received from the Corinthian church. Apparently, they had written to Paul asking question and even making declarations about what they believed and what they were practicing. ‌ Good for a man not to have sex = Notice that many modern translations put quotation marks around this statement. This indicates that this statement is not from Paul, but from the Corinthian church. Apparently, some in the church had an extreme view that they should avoid sex altogether—even within marriage. ‌ Because of temptation = Paul correction is that avoiding sex completely can lead to more temptation to sexual sin. We must remember that Paul is writing to former pagans whose lives were heavily entangled in sexual immorality. In other words, the Corinthian believers were even more prone to sexual temptation because of their past life and the culture in which they lived. ‌ Each one should have their own spouse = In the culture of Corinth, sexual promiscuity was a normal way of life. Being monogamous was probably rare in Corinth and ancient writers tells us it was the city of sexual freedom. Paul’s solution to this kind of sexual temptation is monogamous marriage. ‌ 1 Corinthians 7:3–4 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. ‌ Conjugal rights = Grk. epheilen - marital responsibility. Paul is speaking about sexual intimacy. Paul refers to this as a responsibility for both spouses. ‌ Wife does not have authority over her body = This was the common view at the time. Women did not have the same rights and authority as men in Roman culture. Paul says this first because everyone already agrees with this idea. ‌ Husband does not have authority over his body = This part would have been counter-cultural to the Corinthians. In their culture, women had no authority over men. Paul is the first writer to declare that wives have this kind of authority. He wants these former pagan husbands to live differently than other men. ‌ Paul’s Point: Christian spouses belong to one another. They are not individuals driven by selfishness. ‌ 1 Corinthians 7:5 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ‌ Do not deprive one another = Depriving one another of sexual intimacy is not a new problem. It’s common for married couples to devalue sex and/or use it to manipulate each other. When Paul says, “Do not deprive one another” it is not a suggestion, but a command. ‌ By agreement for a limited time = There are some good reasons to pause sexual activity for a time, but Paul says the husband and wife must do this in agreement and only for a limited time. ‌ Devote yourselves to prayer = Paul says that a good reason to “fast” from sex is to devote yourselves to prayer. While it seems on the surface that this is the only reason Paul approves of, that is not the case. Paul knew that the Torah included laws that gave the Israelites limits on sexual activity within marriage. Without going into detail, there are practical reasons a married couple should refrain from sex for a time. ‌ So that Satan may not tempt you = Deprivation leads to temptation. While sexual temptation is always a reality, it is intensified by deprivation. Married Christians should try to ensure that their spouse is fulfilled sexually as this builds unity in the marriage and help to avoid further temptation. ‌ 1 Corinthians 7:6–7 6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. ‌ Concession = Grk. syngnomen - permission, meet halfway. Paul is essentially saying, “I see why you would think avoiding sex is wise, because I am single and avoiding sex myself.” But Paul argues further that not everyone should remain single. ‌ As I myself am = Paul is referring to the fact that he is single. Since Paul was a Pharisee, he was most likely married in the past. Ancient sources tell us that Pharisees had to be married to be part of that group. Paul’s wife may have died or she may have been allowed to divorce him when he became a Christian and basically disappeared for three years in Arabia and Damascus (see Gal. 1:15-18). So Paul was either a widower or divorced. ‌ Each has his own gift from God = Paul viewed his singleness as a gift from God. Why? Because he was able to serve God totally at risk of his own life. If Paul was married, he would have felt the need to be safe for the sake of his family. He was given the gift of singleness in order to travel the world spreading the Gospel. Not everyone is called to be a missionary to the nations. Not everyone is called to remain single. ‌ One of one kind and one of another = Paul does not believe that all Christians should be single as he is, but that believers have different gifts and purposes in the kingdom of God. Everyone has a role in the ministry of the kingdom, but not everyone has the same role. ‌ 1 Corinthians 7:8–9 8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. ‌ It is good to remain single = While Paul says it is good to remain single, this does not mean it is bad to get married. Remember, Paul has already said that this is a “concession, not a command.” Later in verse 27 “if you do marry, you have not sinned.” So Paul is saying that remaining single is more holy than getting nor than getting married is more holy than being single. Paul will explain his reasoning behind “it is good for them to remain single” later in verse 28. ‌ Better to marry than burn with passion = Some people need intimacy more than others. For those who have a strong desire for intimacy, Paul says they should get married to avoid issues with lust. The Corinthians lived in a culture of lust, so getting married could help them leave that lifestyle behind. ‌ 1 Corinthians 7:10–11 10 To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband 11 (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. ‌ To the married = Paul is now speaking to those who are already married and both spouses are believers. He is addressing married couples within the church. ‌ Not I, but the Lord = Paul is making clear that this instruction is not his opinion but a direct command from the Lord. Paul can say this because he is drawing from the Torah and the teachings of Jesus. ‌ She should remain unmarried or be reconciled = This was the teaching of Jesus in Matt. 5:32; 19:9; Mark 10:11; Luke 16:18. Jesus criticized the Jewish practice of men divorcing their wives for a variety of reasons. Jesus only allowed divorce for unrepentant adultery. ‌ 1 Corinthians 7:12–13 12 To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. ‌ To the rest = Now Paul is talking to those who are believers but are married to unbelievers. Elsewhere Paul says that believers should not marry unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14). Here, Paul is addressing those who became believers after they were married and their spouse is still an unbeliever. ‌ I, not the Lord = Jesus did not address the issue of believers being married to unbelievers, because Jesus’s ministry was in Israel where that issue didn’t exist. However, the Torah clearly states that Israelites were not to marry people who worshiped other gods (Ex. 34:12-16). So, Paul is sharing his opinion (led by the Spirit), which is grounded in the Old Testament. ‌ Believers should not initiate divorce = There may have been a problem in the Corinthian church with believers divorcing unbelievers so they could marry a believer. Paul’s teaching is that believers who were married before coming to faith should not divorce their spouse simply because of their unbelief. ‌ 1 Corinthians 7:14 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. ‌ Made holy = Grk. hegiastai (hagizo) - sanctified. Sanctification is the process of being made holy or devoted to God. In the Bible, holiness is not limited to humans nor is it limited to morality. In the Torah, the furniture of the tabernacle is called “holy to the LORD.” The table of bread in the tabernacle is holy, but that does not mean that it had salvation. ‌ The unbeliever is made holy because of the believing spouse = The phrase “made holy” does not mean “made a Christian” or “saved.” In the previous verses, Paul is addressing married couples in which one spouse has become a Christian and the other spouse has not. Some in Corinth may have been afraid that staying with and sleeping with an unbeliever would make them unholy. Paul is saying that it is the believer makes the household holy (set apart for God). ‌ Otherwise your children would be unclean = Paul wants the Corinthians to know that if they became a Christian while married to an unbeliever, it does not make their children unholy or defiled. Children born to a believer and unbeliever are holy because of the believing parent. ‌ Options for Interpretation: - Paul is saying that the believing spouse sets apart the household for future salvation. The believing spouse helps lead the family to Christ. ‌ - In the Old Testament, the circumcised husband made his household holy. In the New Testament, the baptized husband or wife makes the household holy. ‌ 1 Corinthians 7:15–16 15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. 16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? ‌ If the unbeliever separates, let it be so = If the unbelieving spouse divorces the believer, then Paul says that is out of the believer’s control. ‌ The believer is not enslaved = If the unbeliever divorces a believer, that believer is no longer bound to that marriage. Later in verse 39 Paul says, “A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives.” But here the believer is not bound if they unbeliever divorces them. This likely means that the believer can be remarried if they desire. ‌ When Remarriage is Allowed: ‌ Adultery: While divorce for adultery is not commanded, it is allowed. If a person is practicing unrepentant (repeated) adultery, the spouse is allowed to divorce and remarry a believer. ‌ Unequally Yoked: If the unbelieving spouse divorces the believer, the believer is allowed to remarry a believer. If the unbelieving spouse wants to remain married, the believer should not seek divorce. ‌ Death: If a spouse dies, the surviving spouse can remarry a believer. ‌ How do you know whether you will save your spouse? = Paul’s question here helps explain verse 14. A believing spouse cannot literally save their spouse nor their children. However, living in faithfulness to Jesus before your family can certainly lead them to Jesus. If a man or woman becomes a believer and then divorces their unbelieving spouse, how would that lead them to Jesus? ‌ What about abuse? The Bible does not directly address the issue of verbal, emotional, or physical abuse in marriage. There is no verse saying that a spouse can get divorced because of abuse. This is likely because the culture of the time was very different from our own. In both Jewish and Roman culture, women did not have the kind of autonomy and rights that women enjoy today in Christian societies. Abuse was simply not on the radar of ancient people as it is today. Christianity changed this by elevating women to kind of status that we see in Genesis 2. ‌ However, this does not mean that abuse is allowed. The New Testament commands the husband to love, respect, and be gentle with his wife (Eph. 5:25, 28-29, 33; 1 Pet. 3:7). An abused spouse is not expected to endure abuse simply because there is no explicit verse addressing it. Ongoing abuse is unrepentant sin and must be addressed by the church. An abused spouse should seek help from the church and the church must do everything possible to protect and support an abused spouse. In our ministry, we view an unrepentant abuser as an unbeliever. If one claims to be brother or sister in Christ and practices abuse, the church is to discipline that person according to Matt. 18:15-17. Abuse in any form is not to be tolerated in the church family. ‌ 1 Corinthians 7:17–18 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. ‌ Lead the life assigned by the Lord = Paul’s main point in this chapter is to remain in the situation that God has placed you. ‌ Do not seek to remove circumcision = This may seem silly because a man cannot literally remove physical circumcision. Paul is actually talking to Jewish Christians and saying that they should not try to change their heritage as Jews. ‌ Do not seek circumcision = Gentile Christians are not required to become Jewish. Circumcision was an act of association with Israel. God told Abraham that circumcision was “a sign of the covenant” between God and Abraham’s descendants (Gen. 17:10-11). Anyone who wanted to be part of Israel had to be circumcised. Circumcision was a person’s entrance into God’s people. For New Testament believers in Jesus, baptism is our entrance into the family of God. ‌ 1 Corinthians 7:19–21 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) ‌ Circumcision and uncircumcision counts for nothing = Paul is abundantly clear in his letters that Jewish religious rituals have no effect on a person’s salvation. This is why Paul vehemently condemned the “Judaizers” who were trying to force Gentile Christians to be circumcised and become Jewish. ‌ But keeping the commandments of God = In the Old Testament, circumcision by itself never guaranteed a person’s salvation. Staying faithful to God by obeying His commands was the way to life. In the same way, baptism does not guarantee salvation. Faithfulness to God after baptism leads to salvation. Salvation has always been by grace, through faithfulness. ‌ Bondservant = Grk. doulos - slave, indebted servant. In the ancient world, there were different kinds of slavery. In the Roman empire, many slaves were actually bondservants who could not pay a debt so they offered to work off the debt. Modern American’s conception of slavery is very different from ancient slavery. ‌ If you can be free, avail yourself = Paul’s instructions to bondservants is to “remain in the condition in which he was called.” In other words, don’t run away from the master’s house. Why? First, it would be illegal. Second, a Christian bondservant may lead the household to Christ. But if they work off their debt or the master grants their freedom, then they can be free. ‌ Does the New Testament condone slavery? It is a popular criticism by those who reject the Bible to say that the Bible condones slavery. Or at minimum they reject the Bible because it does not explicitly condemn slavery. However, Paul clearly condemns “enslavers” in 1 Tim. 1:10. In the ancient world, and even in some places today, slavery was commonplace. While there were many enslaved against their will, many slaves were simply servants who willingly offered to live and work for a family. The more important question to ask is, “How did the early centuries of Christianity deal with the issue of slavery?” The answer to that question tells us how early Christians interpreted the New Testament teaching on slavery. In the early centuries of Christianity when a slave owner became a Christian, they offered freedom to their slaves. In the Apostolic Constitutions (a Christian document from AD 390), we find that Christians raised money to buy slaves in order to set them free. Even in recent centuries it was the Christians who ended slavery in Europe and America. In every place where slavery has been abolished, it was because of Christianity. ‌ 1 Corinthians 7:22–24 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God. ‌ A bondservant in the Lord is a freedman = When a bondservant becomes a Christian, he or she is now under the authority and household of God. ‌ A freedman is a bondservant of Christ = In Christianity, no one is actually free because every believer is a slave/servant of Christ. In the family of God, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). ‌ You were bought with a price = Paul made this same argument about sexual immorality in 1 Corinthians 6:20 “for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” Because Christ bought us as His own, we do not own ourselves nor do we own others. ‌ Do not become bondservants of men = If a Christian is part of a biblical church, they would never need to become a bondservant. The family of God shares their resources with one another in such a way that no one should be in need. If no one in the church is in need, then there would be no reason to sell oneself into slavery. ‌ Let him remain with God = Again, Paul’s main point is to stay in whatever situation you were in when you became a Christian. If you were married, stay married. If you are working off debt as a bondservant, don’t become a fugitive. If you were not a bondservant, don’t become one. ‌ Conclusion Here’s what we learn from this section: ‌ Sex is reserved for biblical marriage to provide unity and fight against temptation. ‌ Some are called to be married and some are called to be single, and both are good. ‌ One believer in a household is better than no believers in a household. ‌ In whatever situation, be faithful to Jesus. ‌ Next Week: 1 Cor. 7:25-40 ‌