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Two weeks ago, we began looking at Marriage Matters addressed in 1 Corinthians 7. In the first section of this chapter we saw how a major part of the marriage relationship is built upon considering the other person.
All-to-often in our culture, we are looking at love as something we get.
Love is how the other person makes me feel.
In God’s design, marriage is about how we treat the other person.
This concept actually applies to all of us, married or unmarried, as we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Today, as we continue looking at 1 Corinthians 7, we will see another topic the Lord revealed through Paul concerning marriage: whether to marry or not to marry.
I honestly thinking the application is pretty straight forward.
It applies to those who are currently not married.
However, after praying and studying this passage, I do believe there is something for us all to apply here.
Let’s read the passage, and then look into it to see how God might have us apply this in our lives today.
Prayer
Good to be unmarried… but…
As I mentioned weeks ago, much of what Paul is addressing in this letter to the Corinthians is in response to questions that came to him from some representatives in the church.
One of the issues was whether people should be marrying, or staying single.
Part of this had to do with the Greek philosophy of Asceticism infiltrating the church.
For those who are married, asceticism was not the way to go.
God did not design marriage that way.
That said, what about those who are not married?
Should they remain single?
Paul begins by saying it would be good for those who were unmarried to remain single.
Notice Paul mentions the unmarried and the widows.
The unmarried would those who were never married, and the widows were those whose spouses had passed away.
Paul says it would be good for them to stay unmarried, as he did.
Many suspect Paul was likely previously married and widowed as Jewish culture and religious teachings at that time expected young men to get married, and Paul excelled his peers in following traditions.
Why would he say that it is good for them to stay unmarried here, when in 1 Timothy 5:14, he seems to give different direction?
Thankfully, Paul does give clues in both of these passages as to why he was giving the direction he did.
In the case in 1 Timothy, Paul was concerned because some of the young widows were making commitments to be unmarried to serve the Lord, and then breaking those commitments.
Others were becoming busybodies and gossips.
Some even fell away from the faith.
So, in that situation, Paul said it was better for those young widows to remarry.
Actually, that is not far off from what he says here.
While he said it was good for them to stay unmarried, he said it was better to marry than to burn with desire.
As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:7, “I wish that all of you were as I am.
But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.”
Some people are gifted by God with the ability to remain single and serve Him.
Others do not.
Actually, I would say the majority do not, because God designed us from Creation to be in marriage relationships.
So, if it is better to marry than to struggle with self-control—for any sexual actions outside of marriage is wrong by God’s standards, as seen in 1 Corinthians 6—why would Paul say it would be good to remain unmarried?
Thankfully, the context later in the chapter sheds light on this.
Let’s look into what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:25-38.
What follows here is not a command of the Lord.
In other words, it is not going to be a sin issue whether one marries or remains single.
Paul is giving good counsel, not a command.
The decision will be between the individual and the Lord.
And there are a couple reasons to remain single.
Though, I think they are related.
What is the first reason Paul mentioned that one should remain single?
Reason to remain single: Troubles
The reason Paul feels it better to remain single is because of ‘the present crisis.’
What was the present crisis?
Persecution from the Jews.
Everywhere Paul went, including Corinth.
Persecution from the Romans.
He met Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth because Claudius had kicked all Jews out of Rome over disputes about Christ.
Additionally, Paul was facing opposition from the silversmiths in Ephesus.
Later in this letter, Paul tells us he had fought wild beasts in Ephesus.
This was likely due to persecution.
Not long after this, Paul will be making his trip back to Jerusalem, where the Spirit had already revealed to Paul that he would be imprisoned and facing hardships.
Additionally, the historian Tacitus shows that there were famines in Corinth around this time.
Times of famine always lead to problems in a culture.
Paul likely was aware of the coming harsh persecution of Christians.
This is why he was giving the counsel to remain single.
He wanted them to spare them troubles.
This is not a new concept.
God gave this same direction to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 16.
In Jeremiah 16, God told Jeremiah not to marry and have sons and daughters because of the trouble coming.
It is the same counsel Paul is giving to the believers in Corinth, because of the situation they were facing.
Reason to remain single: Devotion
Paul goes on to share another reason for one to remain single: undivided devotion to the Lord.
Does this mean married people cannot be devoted to the Lord?
No.
In fact, isn’t being faithful to one’s spouse an act of devotion to the Lord?
Isn’t showing love an act of obedience and devotion to the Lord?
Yes it is!
Therefore, being married can be done, and should be done out of devotion to the Lord.
Is having a family and raising up children a matter of being devoted to the Lord?
Yes, it is.
Raising them up should be done in obedience to the Lord.
Raising them up to love and follow the Lord is a means of making disciples.
So, having a spouse and children can, and must be done in devotion to the Lord.
So, how does marriage divide one’s devotion?
I see two ways.
First, Paul is being realistic in light of the present circumstances.
Because of the persecution that was coming, it would be easier for the unmarried to be devoted to the Lord.
I think of Richard Wurmbrand and the decisions he faced when the communists were taking over.
He could keep his mouth shut so that he would be around to care for his wife and son, or he could take a stand for Christ.
Thankfully, he took a stand for Christ.
However, for those of us who are married, our concerns about caring for our families may tempt us to keep quiet, to keep a low profile so we will be around to care for them.
Those who are unmarried are free from these concerns.
And again, Paul is writing this counsel to spare them some of the troubles of this life.
Second, for those who are married, there are more concerns about providing for the family.
This necessitates more concern about homes and income.
I know that I never worried about finances until I was married.
Anyone else in that boat?
This is not a wrong concern, however, like all concerns, it can draw our attention away from the Lord.
This is a difficulty Paul would like to spare them.
Reasons it is good to remain unmarried.
However, remember it is better to marry than to struggle with sin.
Now, how does this passage have application for those who are already married.
Let’s look again at 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
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