1cor7

Chapter seven begins discussing the issues submitted to the apostle from the church at Corinth by way of letter. The people at Corinth were asking Paul for instruction on certain matters, which in this chapter pertain to marriage. Even though most of this seems directed only to marriage one can see that it pertains to all of a Believers life with Christ. It is quite obvious that at the time of writing this letter Paul is unmarried, perhaps a widower, we are not sure of whether he ever married, although some teaching has him a widower. In verse one Paul gives his answers to some of their questions. He states that he believes a celibate life is one that serves God best but goes on to say that if a man must be with a woman it's then best if they marry for this is the will of God.

Paul goes on in verses three to five to say that both the husband and wife have responsibilities one to the other. They should honor one another and not keep themselves away from one another lest temptation come in and destroy that which God has put together. In verses six and seven Paul states that it's not an instruction or command that he is giving them but a wish that they would, if they could, be as he. Paul at this time is either a widower or unmarried and realizes how much easier it is to serve Christ by not having any other concerns in life. Verses eight and nine Paul says to the ones that are not yet married, and to those that are now widows, it is best for them to remain that way unless they cannot contain themselves and then it is best for them to marry rather than be taken in by fornication or lust. Paul wants to stress the importance of serving God and putting Him first in a person's life. And if a person is burdened with other things it becomes more difficult to serve God freely.

Here in the next two verses Paul is saying that believers should not divorce. He also references the teaching of Jesus on this subject along with his thoughts. Paul is relating to the people that he is one with the Lord! In other words Paul is saying that what he speaks/writes is what the Lord would also speak or write. These are the things that the Lord commanded pertaining to marriage. This section of teaching by Paul is one of great controversy. Many theologians teach one interpretation while others give yet another. My interpretation follows this line of thinking: Paul says in verses 12 to 14 that it's his charge not the Lord's, so Christ did not actually teach on this or give a commandment pertaining to this and Paul is following the guidance of the Holy Spirit to give them an answer. If a believer is married to an unbeliever whether it be husband or wife, the believer should not leave the unbeliever because of this for through the union there is the possibility of reaching the unbeliever for Christ. Keep in mind though that it does not automatically save the other person, it just keeps the union holy and lends opportunity for the Word of God to be instilled in the unbeliever. And also through the continued union of marriage any children brought into this union could be accepted into the Christian church because of having a believer as a parent even if it were only one believer. Keep in mind though that it does not automatically guarantee salvation for the children, it just keeps the children in a holy atmosphere and gives the Christian parent occasion to instill the Word of in the children.

Paul now says in verse 15 that if the unbeliever chooses of their own volition to leave: the believer must accept it after giving faithful attempt at reconciliation. In verse 16 we see that we do not know if we will cause the other to be saved or not. It is only through the acceptance of Jesus Christ that we become saved and only through the conviction of the Holy Spirit in us do we move towards salvation. So, we really do not know if we would cause the other to be saved by staying with them. It might turn out that they would pull us down to their realm. "As God hath distributed to every man," begins verse 17 and this means as God has assigned him his place and portion in life. We should be content with that which Christ has given us. To each of us God has called us to a specific duty and we should fulfill that duty unto God. Paul says that he does not bring unto them a burden any different than others would have to carry, simply unto them he brings the wishes and desires of Christ expected in any Church or body of Believers. In verses 18 & 19 Paul is basically saying that only the keeping of God's commandments count in life. Being circumcised or uncircumcised will not get you favor with God, keeping God's statutes though will get you favor. Paul continues to touch on this topic by saying that no matter what it is that God has called us into we must remain in that calling. Verses 21 to 24 says that we must truly remain where God has placed us and not allow our outward appearance or status to influence or deter us from serving God in the way God wants us to serve Him. If God called us to a particular walk in life He will make sure we have all that is necessary to fulfill that calling. When God calls you, you become a slave to Christ! Christ paid the ultimate price for our freedom from sin and death and we should not become slaves to the world or to anything other than to Christ! And again in verse 24 Paul stresses the importance of staying with the calling God has placed on you!

Paul says in verse 25 that he has no actual commandment or authoritative word from Christ concerning virgins but he has a thought on it that he feels would be the same that Christ would have on this subject. In verses 26 to 31 Paul is saying that if a person is in the same position as he is it would be less desirable for these to marry, Paul says they will have a form of trouble in their spirit or flesh. In other words they will be swayed by family and sometimes miss the calling of God. And Paul says his reason in telling them these things is to spare them this turmoil or thorn in the flesh if they have not yet married. And for those that have married and do now have a wife, Paul says it should be for them as if they did not have one. In other words, Christ should come first in a man's life and if Christ calls, married or unmarried, the duty is to go! In verses 31 to 34 Paul says that he that is preoccupied by worldly cares such as family, finances, etc. is most apt to give his full attention to those things. But those that are not married do not worry about such matters and are able to give their full attention to the Lord. When we are bound to another by marriage we become distracted from the things of the Lord. Our obligations extend beyond that of the Lord. And Paul in verse 35 says that he believes Christ's wishes would be that we stayed unencumbered by the things of the world so as to not deprive ourselves from the things of God. And Paul also does not want to cause everyone to act the same or be totally alike, but simply wants each to take the path most proper for them that will allow them to best serve God. If we decide to marry then we must realize that our marriage comes second to God!

Paul explains in verses 36 and 37 that it is okay for a man's virgin daughter to marry if it's her wish to do so. He does not sin by allowing the marriage. But if there is no need for her to marry and she does not of her own will desire to marry it's better for the father to keep her unmarried. Here in verse 38 Paul says that the unmarried person does even better than the married person meaning that one that is unmarried has more time for the things of God. This of course does not mean that the single person will spend more time with God because it all boils down to commitment to God. Verse 39 addresses the question of whether a Christian widow or widower can remarry. "Only in the Lord" most probably means only from within the body of Believers. The Believer is free to marry after the death of their spouse but only to another Believer. And chapter seven closes with this statement by Paul: "But in my opinion she is happier if she remain as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God." Paul is saying that his response to this comes from the guidance of the Holy Spirit not from his own thoughts. Paul truly feels that the Lord would deem it reasonable for anyone widowed to remain unmarried so they can dedicate their life fully to the Lord. Paul also makes it clear that whether married or unmarried a person's position in life must place God first and foremost. No matter what your position as a Believer, pastor, teacher, lay person, etc., God still must be first in your life. And if you are married, both you and your spouse must understand that God comes first in all things!

Father as we come to a close in this chapter I find myself ready to begin study of it again, so Father continue to lead, guide, and reveal Your Word to me and give me Father the strength to always put You first and to always be ready to go when You say go, and to stay when You say stay! Let me also easily know the sound of Your voice so there will be no doubt that when it is go, I will go and when it is stay I will stay and for ever more will put You always ahead of all things, family, finances, job, no matter what it is nothing will come before You in Jesus name, Amen!

Where Jesus is Lord!
Living Vine Ministries
Pastor Thomas Miles

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