1 Cor 7

Introduction

If you were to say right now, what message you think that the church is sending about marriage to your generation, what would you say?

V 1-7

Paul is responding to a letter originally written to him by the church in Corinth

We have little to no idea what these letters were specifically written on. However, we can guess there is some question as to whether being celibate was seen as holier than marriage

Paul is going to say marriage is actually permitted and you can both be married and be saved

Other places Paul addresses marriage:

Roles (Eph 5, Col 3)

Marital roles in an elder/deacon/pastor (1 Tim 3, Tit 1)

What Paul clarifies here is that sexual desires are good and natural for human beings to have, they should just be withheld until marriage

Old Proverb of sex is encouraged outside marriage, then discouraged in marriage

Paul here says hey if these desires are in you, exercise them within the confines of marriage. Let them bless your marriage

In Christianity we can have this shameful taboo idea around sex, even within the confines of marriage. We don’t like talking about it and therefore we say it all must be immoral. Outside of marriage, yes it is (1 Cor 6:18-20). Inside of the covenant of marriage, it is a holy thing that is to be enjoyed between husbands and wives

Application: Marriage and Sex are not things to be ashamed of, but rather in their proper application produce rich fruit in the kingdom of God

V 8-11

If I was to ask you today about your life 10 years from now, what would be the scariest outcome?

Still live at home

Don’t have a job or aren’t in your career

You’re single

You’re not as close to your friends as you’d imagined

But here is where Paul actually puts forth an idea that might seem radical to us today

If you can control your sexual temptations, it is better to be single than to be married

You have more time to devote to the Lord, You are not dually focused on investing in a relationship and serving others

You can afford to be more transient. Paul went on multiple missionary journeys and didn’t have a place to call home

While Paul says that marriage is not a bad option and it has been ordained and blessed by God, if one can they should remain single

It is a gift that one possesses to be able to stay single

in the same way some are gifted with wisdom and hospitality

When you think about marriage and its place in the church: is it the answer to our problems? Is it the solution to what we think we are missing?

Or do we understand that although it is a part of life it is not the purpose of life

If Christ lived and was single, and Paul lived and was single, do we hold a right view of relationships? Do we hold a proper view of marriage?

Application: Singleness is not a problem to be solved by marriage. Rather it is a blessing that we should not mistake as a problem to be solved

V 12-16

Paul transitions to a particular issue that seems to be present in the church. The previous section specifically addresses the believer in a marriage with a believer.

Now he moves to the believer in a marriage with a unbeliever

Our thoughts would be “well you should probably dip because marriage is a really personal relationship”

Paul actually encourages them to stay?

Serve as a witness to the unbeliever and as a witness to the children being raised

If divorce is asked for, it is permissible in this instance

Is Paul encouraging the believer to marry a nonbeliever?

No. Not at all. Rather if they are already in that circumstance, Paul addresses the issue that is at hand

Later in the chapter he tells the unmarried widows they can remarry but only “in the Lord” (V 39)

When we think about choosing a partner to marry (which at some point is what dating is), we have to seek first those that seek the Lord

Example of Why:

Communication

Finances

Separate Values

When we look at what marriage is, it is a holy union between two people seeking the Lord that is representative of Christ and his church.