1.Corianthiinas 7:1-17 Sex and Marriage and singleness.

1.Corianthiinas 7:1-17 Sex and Marriage and singleness.

Paul responds to questions about sex and marriage, divorce.

Paul singleness and celibacy are good, - but not in marriage.  

And what Jesus has appointed and what God has called to.  

Today Paul will try to explain what a good sexual relationship looks like. Paul has a very different approach that most people teaching sexual education today. Paul is not saying that people should have sex and sex is a human right and people can not abstain from it. Paul will argue it depends on what gifts people have, just like Jesus, when he choked his disciples, when he talked about marriage and how one should not divorce. Paul will say that singleness and marriage are gifts from God, meaning everyone dose not have the same gift from God.  

In Paul’s day, - the philosophy’s of Stoicism (only reason it could distract), Cynicism (deny the body) Platonism / Neopythagoreanism (body is bad – Spirt is good), - had an impact on who the people in Corinth understood sex. They lived in that culture and was influenced by it, just like we live in this culture, and are bombarded with what sex is and should be, as defined mostly I would say that we are animals that lack and ability to have self-control, that sex is for everyone (almost) young and old and sex is the goal in itself. (Sex in the mainstream lacks any spiritual understanding of Sex and the 2 becoming one, most of the time it also looks the other way at negative effects of Sexual sin, even when it is obvious. In a sense culture say have all the sex you want, it is good and it has not consequences).

I have said that in Corinth there are many Gods temples, and different Greek Philosophy, like 2 weeks ago where some said we can use the body for sexual sin, - this week Paul responds to the opposite view, that People should not have sex if they are married.

And some commentators would say that Paul is again correcting/responding too, the Corinthians, “It is good for a man not to touch a woman” – implying sexual relations. Paul is not totally against this but it depends on what they mean. Paul will write, in marriage this saying is not right, 2 sex is in marriage one man one woman is a gift from God to become one flesh, a bonding of body and spirt. Paul also say it can avoid temptation to sexual immorality, therefore each should have (have is a refence to sexual relations) a wife or a husband.   

In marriage sex should not be used as a tool/oppression to get what you want, or withhold sex for the same reason. Paul in verse 3 addresses that the husband should give what he owes/payback his wife, meaning that the husband should attend to wife’s sexual needs, that is his job. And the wife has the same job, to give what she owes/payback her husband, it is not money but a job title in a way. The husband shall attend and take care of the sexual needs of his wife. And the wife to her husband. Paul explains more as he in 4 say the wife does not have authority over her body, but the husband does. – the same for the husband, his wife has authority over his body.  (Before people get this wrong – this is what it means to be one – this is what genesis was talking about this is what Jesus talked about and Paul also). This is giving oneself to your spouse, we are one, I am not my own. (Like last week we are Jesus’).  In marriage we give ourself to our spouse.  

The langue in 5 is: “don’t steal from one another, - the opposite of paying and giving what he promised and what we in union with one another. Paul does give an exemption, that if you agree for a limited time to devote time in prayer, after that come together again, that Satan may not temp you because of your lack of self-control. (Young church young people in an oversexualized culture and religious prostitution).  

Now Paul will now say what he thinks they should do, live like him, in self-control and not have sex, they would have more time to serve Jesus and would not have to please a wife and the woman not have to please a husband. (This is a blind sport in culture and in some churches also).

- I 7 Paul does say as Jesus, not everyone, have the same gift, some are to marry some are to remain single and celibate. Each gift is from God. We don’t all have the same gift.

Paul addresses the unmarried and widows, and write it is good if they stay that way, and remain single, as Paul is. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should have a husband, for it is better that to burn. (unrighteous lust).

Paul address the married in verse 10 don’t separate from your husband, - in 11 if you do remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband – and the same goes for the husband. In other words, don’t used Paul’s words to get a divorce so you can marry another person you lust after. Paul is clearly continuing Jesus’ teaching on marriage. That marriage is to last for a life time. (And you should not get married many times, for lust after money and so on. Jesus and Paul elevate marriage as something high to be taken seriously). If done it creates a safe relationship, unlike one I read about (Now a days with dating apps, - people don’t give of them self to explore a positional relationship – only taking – not giving low commitment). No, a marriage is intended by God to be safe and lifelong, where we asks for forgiveness and extend forgivingness, without fearing the other person will leave/divorce us, or reject, or moke hurt or us. It is created by God to do this and show the world Jesus’ relationship with the Church. (Now most will fall short, only Jesus is the one that keeps all his promises, not even the church, that was also cleansed by Jesus). This is the picture of marriage, that even when the church was solid in sin, Christ died to cleanse and make righteous and clean. When we in marriage serve Jesus and our spouse and forgive and are forgiven, we can display Christ and the church.

In 12 Paul is writing practical advice for the church, -if a person that becomes a believer has a wife, and she agree to live with him after also, then he should not divorce her. And the same for a wife in 13.

In 14 The context is sex, so the question that the Corinthians could have is if my wife or husband that is not a follower of Jesus is sex then unclean with her or him? Paul will say, no in Christ you are clean, because of your union and husband and wife – the other is clean/holy. (This is not salvation but clean to have sex with). Jesus and sin – (when Jesus touches sinners and unclean people, he does not become unclean – they are cleansed).

If the unbelieving part separates, that is what can happen, then seek peace. (The unbeliever did not marry a Christian and therefore has the right to leave…).

Paul in verse 16 askes the sobering question – if the wife or the husband, know if they can save their spouse?  

To clear any confusion up, Paul and Jesus do not teach that you can marry a person that is an unbeliever a person that does not worship the same God as you, -NO, this is addressing the issue where one of the people in the marriage becomes a believer in Jesus Christ.

Well, I did not know this, - or wow we marriage is serious, yes, it is to be taken seriously it is not for everyone, - our body is for Jesus and Jesus for our body as we learned last time. Paul would like most people to be like him, to have only one focus that is to please God, in serving Jesus. Paul does not say all should be like him, it is a matter of what gift we have from God, if we should marriage or not.

But before marriage, pray, and take marriage seriously and that you and your spouse will live for Jesus follow him as you serve one another. Have the same goals with Jesus, same understanding of God, same understanding of what marriage is.

And don’t start a romantic relationship with someone that is not a follower of Jesus. It is not your job to save people it is the Holy Spirt. Much pain and suffering has come from people that ignored this clear command from Jesus. I did not understand this before I became a believer and it took time to understand why, reading about a woman that had been married to her husband 45 years, how she in pain explained how he did not understand what she loved the most Jesus, how he did not understand her Joy in Jesus. That made me understand the wisdom of God, the teaching form Jesus and Paul about marriage. We are to be joined to someone that serves the same Lord. Marriage is hard enough work, having different Gods and Lords would make is even worse, and it will be ignoring God, teaching about marriage. And if God is good and gives good commands, then why go against God’s design? Knowing your sinning against God yourself and your coming spouse.  

And your marriage would not be able to show the world the mystery of Jesus Christ and the church, - you also would not be in a relationship with someone that would forgive because Christ forgave them.

And for you that are marriage, your marriage it not for you only, it is to show the gospel to people are round you. A daily reminder that God has had mercy on you, and in Christ have forgiven you, therefore you can forgive. (Marriage is a picture of the Gospel).

 For the people with the gift of singleness/celibate the good news is the same, each day serving Jesus is reminder of the good news of Jesus Christ, that God loved the world and send Jesus to show it to all, Jesus lived, and died for our sins and he rose and we can stand in his works cleansed and righteous, in Jesus’ life, death, resurrection.

All good gifts (marriage (sex) and singleness) are from God and to be enjoyed for his praise and glory.    

As Paul writes in verse 17 Let each man life the life Lord has assigned him to, and that God has called him to, and that is a rule for all the churches. (Live the life Jesus has made you for, and not everyone’s else’s life, rest in that God has called you to live your life – that makes you free from desiring others’ lives). Knowing Jesus our lord has given you a time a place, gifts, and God calls you to use them by the power of the Holy Spirt.

So, in marriage in Sex in Singles, praise God for his gifts, - live the life Jesus has laid out for you and God has called you to.