1 Corinthians 7

Bible Passage:  1 Corinthians 7

Elegant roses, carefully decorated pews, colourful draping and ribbons, smiley faces of brothers and sisters in the congregation, red carpeted walkway along the length of the church hall towards the pulpit, where the brother waits patiently for his beloved to walk down the aisle and join him in the start of a beautiful bond called marriage.

🙂

“And Adam said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh…’”  ~ Gen 2:23

“Two are better than one…”  ~ Ecc 4:9

Disclaimer: I will not pretend to know a whole lot about marriage as I am single. But I am sure that those of us singles in church have also heard numerous encouragements, both written and spoken, on what is to us yet untrodden but not totally unknown territory, and those of us called to marriage carry a hope that we will one day be blessed with a Godly and loving brother/sister, comparable to himself/herself (Gen 2:18). Hence this is relevant to everyone. But perhaps our married brethren can leave your comments/corrections in this blog and share with us your thoughts.

In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul wrote in reply to the believers’ questions on marriage.

Paul provided the Corinthian believers timely encouragement in this aspect. Corinth was a city very much like the modern cities we live in today. The centre of trading and commerce, the city enjoyed an above average prosperity and its people, a relatively good standard of living.

But it seems that, as with today, the easier life becomes when all of our needs are met, instead of healthy activities, we look to sinful things to indulge, ‘reward’ and ‘excite’ ourselves with. We read about sexually immoral acts in Corinth and possibly even within the church in the earlier chapters.

With our life focus skewed and self-indulgence taking over, many of God’s teachings are thrown out of the window, viewed in distaste or looked upon as archaic.

Needless to say, values like gentleness, kindness, and important bonds like family ties and marriage are treated with lesser and lesser respect, and interpreted according to personal standards.

There were two extreme positions taken in the Corinthian church. Both groups incorrectly separated the physical and the spiritual, propagating that they are mutually exclusive.

The hedonistic group claimed that believers could sin in their bodies without any consequences to their spiritual lives. Paul corrects this misunderstanding in chapter 6.

The other group believed that all things spiritual are good and everything physical is bad. According to them, in order to be spiritual, a believer had to suppress all physical desires, hence celibacy is the only proper lifestyle.

But Paul wrote:

“… For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
~ 1 Corinthians 7:9

Paul chose celibacy and gave account of its non-distractions and benefits, but it was a lifestyle which he chose for himself (1 Cor 7:6-7). He reaped its benefits (1 Cor 7:32), but he also carried the responsibilities that came along with it (1 Cor 7:37).

On the keeping of marriage vows, unlike today where divorce on grounds of ‘incompatibility’ is recognised in our courts, Paul clearly wrote that it was not his instructions, but God’s commandment, that “a wife is not to depart from her husband…and a husband is not to divorce his wife (1 Cor 7:10-11).”

Notably, whatever life choices we make, what matters most is keeping God’s commandments (1 Cor 7:19). Time is short, we must serve the Lord the best we can.

“…and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.”

~ 1 Corinthians 7:31

When the time comes, our Lord Jesus will come for us. Matthew 25 records that the five wise virgins had oil in their lamps when the bridegroom came.

Are we ready to meet our bridegroom and go with him to the finest wedding ever?

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