In 1 Corinthians 7:17-40, Paul commands marriage and singleness, encouraging people to focus on undivided devotion to the Lord.
Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys Ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to twojourneys.org. Now, on to today’s episode. This is episode nine in our first Corinthians Bible Study podcast. This episode is entitled, Living for the Service of God, where we’ll discuss 1 Corinthians 7:17-40. I’m Wes Treadway, and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis.
Andy, what are we going to see in these verses that we’re looking at today?
Andy
This chapter, 1 Corinthians 7, just really makes me thankful for the word of God because it addresses felt needs. It addresses things that people really ask of pastors all the time. This chapter is about marriage. It’s about just having a healthy marriage as we discussed in the last podcast, but also other issues such as divorce and remarriage, what to do if an unbeliever leaves, if he wants to stay then what, and singleness. The whole issue of people that are single and being wholeheartedly devoted to Christ. And Paul here advocates more than anywhere else in the entire Bible, the benefits of singleness in terms of serving Christ. And above all that, how to think about your present condition, how to think about whether you’re married or not, back in those days a slave or free, whoever you are, just don’t let any of those earthly circumstances be the dominant theme of your life, but above all things live for the glory of God. But still, practical wisdom in how to do it best. And so, I’m looking forward to walking through the details of this chapter.
Wes
Let me go ahead and read verses 17-40 in 1 Corinthians 7:
Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise, he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. I think that in view of the present distress, it is good for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.
If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry-it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.
A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. Yet in my judgment, she’s happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the spirit of God.
Andy, what’s the general point Paul is making in verses 17-24? And what does Paul mean by let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him?
Andy
As I was listening to you read over this, the themes of Christian contentment came in again where we learn to be content in any and every situation. So many people are concerned all the time to arrange their earthly circumstance to maximum benefit. And Paul’s point is, our time here is brief, and our focus should always be on the Lord. And to focus on serving him and to accept the providence that God has for you in your circumstance. And he walks through that in ways that I think would be pretty stunning these days, especially on the topic of slavery. I think on race relations in our country, the history of American slavery has been much discussed and with good reason. But Paul amazingly says here, don’t let it trouble you if you are a slave. And what he’s saying is he understands that most of the people in his day and age that were slaves in the Roman Empire would be slaves their whole lives.
And Paul’s saying to them, look, that’s not the most important thing about you. Most important thing about you is you’re a human being redeemed by the blood of Christ, and you have a ministry that you can do, so don’t let it trouble you. So, I think the central idea is whatever your circumstances, live to the glory of God. Now, a second point is if you do have some power to change your circumstances, whether by getting your freedom or by acquiring a spouse, a godly spouse, and God leads you to do that, fine. Okay. And God can bless that, but it’s not the primary thing. I think in the whole chapter the primary thing is in whatever condition or circumstance you’re in, glorify God and serve Christ.
” The primary thing is in whatever condition or circumstance you’re in, glorify God and serve Christ.”
Wes
What in particular does Paul mean by becoming uncircumcised or becoming circumcised? And how do these verses, verses 18 and 19 make circumcision basically of no account at all?
Andy
Well, he basically says that in another place. “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation,” or in another place, “Neither circumcision or uncircumcision means anything. What counts is faith working through love.” So, he gives these other statements. He is definitely trying to minimize circumcision. He’s definitely saying it’s no big deal. And so, I think obviously we know given the surgical nature of it and what it is, without walking through the details of what it is, I think we know what it is, you can’t become uncircumcised. But I think what he’s saying is to repudiate circumcision or to be all about that topic and make it important, it’s not the point. You can live a very fruitful Christian life as both a circumcised man and an uncircumcised man. I think that’s what he’s saying. So don’t seek to repudiate or backtrack or even be focused on it, it’s not the point.
Wes
Now, Paul seems to repeat himself in verses 20 and 24. What is the command that he issues with slight variation but the same command? And why does he repeat this three times in such a short span of scripture?
Andy
Yeah, so this is what I alluded to a moment ago, maximize the glory of God in whatever circumstance you find yourself in. So, this is just a robust doctrine of providence. You have to trust the situation you were born into, the country you were born into, the educational status that your parents had and the economic status, rich or poor, those things you had no choice over. You were born into that. And what he’s saying is you should learn to be content and to be fruitful in whatever circumstance you’re in. And so, in this case, he says, were you a slave when you’re called? Don’t let it trouble you. That’s an amazing statement. Now, obviously there’s some circumstances in which the master is oppressive and tyrannical, and it’s hard not to let it trouble you. I think Paul would say when stretched out to be beaten as he and Silas were in Philippi, he’s not saying you could come on and say, “Paul, don’t let it trouble you that you’re about to get beaten.”
He’s like, he’s going to do everything he can and not get beaten again. Hey, is it lawful for you to beat a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty? He did what he could to not get another beating, and then he did what he could to be set free. So, what he means by don’t let it trouble you, is don’t let it be the determinative factor of your entire existence. What’s most important is you are a born again, a believer in Christ, a child of God with the indwelling spirit, and you can live for the glory of God in your present circumstance, so do so. However, if you can get your freedom, do so. It is better to be free than a slave. And that’s what he’s going to argue in the little book of Philemon, he’s urging Onesimus to set Philemon free. And so, freedom is better if you can get it. But it’s such a refreshing thing here to say, look, the ultimate thing is not whether slave or free, the ultimate thing is being in Christ.
Wes
Now, we’ve talked about this slavery question, and it’s one that comes up as people read through the New Testament. What contribution do verses 21-23 add to this conversation, and why doesn’t Paul simply command all Christian masters to set their slaves free?
Andy
Well, that is the question, that’s how you try as a theologian or as a pastor to sharpen the stick. And let’s get into what’s really the issue here. And this is what I would say, slavery is illegal all over the world now. It wasn’t even within a short amount of time in world history, just some time ago, it was really in the 19th century and then into the 20th century. Then little by little, I think the last slave holding state, Muslim state somewhere in North Africa finally made slavery illegal. That was like in the 1980s. So, it took a while, but I would say that Christianity without question, beyond any question was instrumental in worldwide emancipation. Now the issue is illegal slavery. So, it is sex trafficking and other things like that, it’s a different topic. But Christianity was instrumental in ending slavery, but not directly. It was more indirectly. It kind of undermined it again and again and again by questions of the second great commandment, love your neighbors yourself or the golden rule, do to others what you’d have them do to you. If you were a slave or you’re a master, would you want to be set free? Well, then do it to them. And so that kind of thinking ultimately destroyed slavery worldwide.
So, Christianity indirectly ended slavery. But it’s reasonable for me to ask why didn’t it do it directly? Well, I think one of the reasons I get out of that is that slavery is indeed a picture of our relationship with God to some degree. It’s not a whole picture, but it is an aspect of it. And the reason I know that is Paul calls himself a bond slave of Christ. He actually says that right in the text here, “He who is a free man when he is called is Christ’s slave.” Says it right there in verse 22 and verse 23, “you are bought at a price.” In other words, in case you didn’t know Jesus’ blood bought you, so you are His slave. So, slavery actually is a valid picture of our relationship with God. And in Revelation 22 it says his douloi, his slaves, servants, will serve Him in heaven. So, we’ll be slaves in heaven, and we’ll also be sons in heaven. And we’ll be bride in heaven, we’ll be all these different images. So, I think the reason the Bible doesn’t directly end slavery is that it is a valid interpretation or a valid picture of our relationship with God. How do I mean? What’s the difference between a slave and an employee? The freedom to walk away. All right, let me ask you a question. When we get to the new heaven, new earth, will we have that freedom to walk away?
Wes
No.
Andy
No. And so I would say that’s why it is a valid image. Also, Jesus is a servant of God, he is the suffering servant, he is the slave of God. He did God’s will even to the point of death. So, I think we can’t just abolish slavery absolutely scripturally because the Bible says it’s a pattern of our relationship with God that’s vertical; horizontally, absolutely the Bible abolished slavery providentially in time. So, it’s a complex issue and a long answer. Sorry about that.
Wes
No, that’s quite all right. Now Martin Luther taught about this kind of dual perspective that verses 22 and 23 give of how we ought to think of ourselves as both slaves of all and freed men ruled only by Christ. How is that dual perspective helpful in the Christian life? Now, we’ve talked a little bit about its application to the abolishment of slavery. We’ve talked about the new heaven and the new Earth, but now in 2023 how do we live as Christians in light of this dual perspective?
Andy
Yeah, it’s great. And thank you for referring to that. The freedom of a Christian man, that’s a great insight where a Christian is totally free, subject to none. A Christian is slave of everyone, subject to everyone. So, on the second one it’s a little bit easier, that’s just the parable of the good Samaritan. Anyone with a need, you are that person’s slave. You’re going to do whatever. Look at the Good Samaritan and he was basically in bondage to the suffering, bleeding man’s condition until he was well cared for. He didn’t have the freedom to walk away. He wasn’t doing the priest and Levite thing, he’s going to serve his neighbor. And so, I think there’s that same thing. Paul considered himself under obligation to every lost person he met to share the gospel with him. So he was that person’s slave. All right, so horizontally we are slave to everyone.
What does it mean that we’re slaves to none? I think what he meant was when he was standing before the Emperor Charles V and commanded to renounce his faith in the gospel, he wasn’t listening to that. He’s God’s slave, he’s a slave to God, and he’s going to say no to anyone who would compel him to violate his conscience on doctrine. So, he’s a totally free man subject to none on that issue. I think that’s the way Luther argued here. So, in this case, what we’re saying is look, if we’re slaves back in those days and physically can become free, we’ll have some more leisure and time and opportunity to serve the Lord. But in any case, we’re still Christ’s slave. And in that sense, we’ll be slaves to everyone else because Christ will command us to share the gospel or to serve the poor and needy or do something for their benefit.
Wes
What general command does Paul then turn to in addressing virgins, people who have never been married in this section verses 25-28? And how does verse 26 basically repeat the same kind of advice he’s been giving over and over again as he moves to this new topic?
Andy
Right. This is a notoriously difficult section to translate. Many of the translations give entirely alternate translations at the bottom. So, are we talking about virgins? Are we talking about somebody’s betrothed, like you’re engaged to the person? Are we speaking to Christian fathers and what they should do with their unmarried daughters? It’s a challenge. So, we’re definitely talking about for the most part women, and should they be given in marriage, or you could be saying any single person, male or female, what should we do about the topic of marriage? And so, he’s saying, look, the Lord hasn’t given me any word but I’m going to speak here as an apostle, and I’m going to try to give you some advice. Now, what is that advice? The advice is don’t live for marriage or singleness in any case, that’s not the point. The point is Christ, the point is loving Him and serving Him in whatever circumstance you find.
Just that it’s that language of Christian contentment, I’ve learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. And so, I can be content as a married man, I can be content as a single person. The woman could say the same thing. I could be content as a married woman, as a wife and a mother, but I could also be content for the rest of my life as a single person. So that’s about what he’s advocating here, although he is going to say some advantages to singleness later. But he’s saying, look, fundamentally don’t be troubled about your marital status. Now he says in verse 26, “Because of the present crisis I think it’s good for you to remain as you are.” I don’t really know what that means. It could refer to the persecution of the church. You could imagine let’s say in the final generation, in the days of the antichrist in which it was illegal to be a Christian, you could imagine it would not necessarily be a good time to get married and start a family. At that point you’re just literally trying to survive.
So, it could be at a lesser degree Paul’s talking about that, and view of the present Christ is better not to get married. So, it could be a situation like that. It’s good for you to remain as you are. But he doesn’t say just don’t get married. He’s saying, look, if you are married, don’t get divorced, don’t end it. Are you not married? Don’t seek a wife. Now clearly the second part of verse 27 is not an absolute prohibition to all Christians because then there would never be another Christian marriage. Are you unmarried? Do not seek a wife. Imagine that being said to every single man. It’s like, well, that doesn’t seem biblical, but we need to understand scripture and interpret scripture. What he’s saying is in view of the present crisis, I’m advocating singleness. So, he’s going to finish that task of advocating singleness in general. But he understands some people, one has one gift, another has another.
Wes
Now Paul revisits this idea of a present distress or some motivation external to the individual that would cause them perhaps to not look for their ultimate satisfaction in this marital relationship. So, we talked a little bit about what Paul might’ve meant by the present distress. Then he revisits that in verse 29 and says, “The time has grown very short.” How did these insights help us understand Paul’s overall ethic in this section?
Andy
Well, in general time is short. These are the last days. John says in 1 John, “This is the last hour.” And Isaiah 40 says, “All flesh is grass.” Time is short. And so actually the time you’re going to spend as a married person in light of eternity is a short amount of time. So again, I think he’s trying to put marriage and singleness in perspective. These are not the ultimate issues. He is going to say, and he already did say it in verse 28, “Those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.” So, we’ll get into that. But you can see a young married couple with three kids ages seven, four, and two. Those kids demand attention loudly and can you imagine-
Wes
Relentlessly.
Andy
Relentlessly and loudly. Can you imagine either one of the husband and wife saying, “Look, I’m going to take some time now for prayer and some Bible intake right now.” Or “I’m going to go out and do some evangelism.” It’s like, “No, you’re not. We’re going to get these kids fed and to bed, all right, that’s what we’re doing.” And Paul, he’s very practical about that. If you have a family you’re going to have to look after their needs. It’s what you have to do. Single people don’t have to do that. So, he’s advocating singleness in verse 28 and other places we’ll get into that. But what he’s saying is in general, I just want to give you a philosophy. I want to give you a worldview. Your spouse is not your life, Christ is your life.
Any good Christian married person should think that way. We don’t say it in an insulting way. It’s like you’re not going to say to your wife or to your husband, you’re not my life, Christ is. But you need to think, and you need to live like it. And the other, if they’re really Christians should want them to think that way because it would be idolatry to think any other way. Christ is your life. What that means is you can hold marriage loosely because you might become unmarried today through death, today because of a tragic accident. If that happens, you will grieve and rightly so, but your life hasn’t ended, your existence hasn’t ended, that spouse wasn’t your life. Christ is. And so, he’s saying, look, I want you to think as if you didn’t have a wife or a husband in that sense, live ultimately for Christ. And then you’ll do marriage better, I think he would say, if you think as if you had none.
Other than that, you could take this verse out of context and say, “What a weird verse, but I’m going to obey it.” So, you read this verse for the first time let’s say, and you come home and your wife talking to you, “What time do you want to eat dinner?” You don’t answer her. It’s like, “Didn’t you hear me? I just want to… What’s good for you?” “Nothing.” It’s like, “What are you doing?” “Nothing.” Finally, the wife or the husband goes, shakes him and is like, “What’s going on?” It’s like “I’m acting as if I have no spouse.” It’s like that’s not what the verse is saying here. That’s crazy. But he’s saying look, ultimately your spouse is not your life. Christ is.
Wes
Now, Paul goes on to elaborate some of the particularities of what he’s endeavoring to spare his readers from in verses 28 through 35. What are some of the troubles that Paul desires to spare single people from and how does getting married and raising a family divide both a husband and a wife’s attentions and needfully so?
Andy
Yeah. All right, I want to do that, but I want to say some things that those who have wives that live as if they should not, he actually expands that those who mourn as if they did not, those who are happy as if they were not, those who buy something as if it’s not theirs to keep. What is your translation saying in verse 31?
Wes
“Those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it for the present form of this world is passing way.”
Andy
So, it’s a philosophical approach. It’s like, look, everything in this life that’s physical is temporary. I think that’s what he’s saying as Ecclesiastes, it’s just everything you can touch is temporary, and you need to live accordingly. Don’t put ultimate value on the stuff of this life. However, as we just kind of goofed around with a young couple with three kids, if you do have a family, practicalities are going to press in on you. If you have any heart of compassion at all, you’re going to care, let’s say as a husband, you’re going to care for the needs of your wife and of your children in sickness or in health. So, suppose your wife gets sick, what are you going to do? You’re going to care for her. Can you go on that mission trip? No, as a matter of fact that specifically happened to me. I had a mission trip set up to India, and my wife was having neurological symptoms, and I remember it was at Sunday school picnic.
It was one of that fall picnic, and she had her film, and somebody had brought a laptop. They were looking at her scans, her MRIs and all that. And we have medically trained people, and they looked at what was happening to her spinal column. And somebody came and said to me (typical of this individual’s personality), “You’re not going to India.” And I was like, “Oh, okay.” “Yeah, your wife immediately needs surgery to relieve the pressure on her spinal column.” I remember her surgeon told us, and we’d already decided to get the surgery, in over a normal lifetime, 100% chance of total paralysis if you don’t get this surgery. She’ll slip in the shower, or she’ll get in a car accident, and she will be completely paralyzed if you don’t get this, it was degenerative disc disease. Anyway, that’s our own personal thing, our own personal story. The fact is fundamentally, if you have a wife or a husband, you’re going to give care to that because you love them and care for them and how much more your children as they’re growing.
So, Paul says, look, if you have a family you’re going to be immersed in practical physical concerns. Look at Jacob and with Esau, remember he said, “Look, if I drive the young ones even a single day, they’ll die.” He’s talking about the ewes, the little sheep and all that, but the family, the children, too, they can’t go hard. And so, you’re going to have some practical things. And so, in that sense Paul’s saying, your mind is going to be immersed in practicalities, and you’ll be constrained thereby. And I would like you to have the kind of freedom I enjoy.
Wes
Now, according to Paul, what is the greatest benefit to the single life for Christians? He gets into the sum in verses 32 and 34.
Andy
The ability to focus entirely on the work of the kingdom, to focus entirely on the Lord’s work which is make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded. Paul was a trailblazing frontier apostle to the Gentiles going from place to place preaching the gospel where Christ wasn’t named. It was good for him to be single because he’s not going to stay in one place for long. He’s going to plant a church and move on. However, I’m not arguing with Paul. I’m going to say Paul would agree with this, that by far, by far the most successful and strategic evangelism and discipleship there is in the world is in the Christian family by far, all over the world. Christian parents raising their children in the nurture and admonition is the most effective evangelism and discipleship there is. Paul would agree with that. And even frontier trailblazing church planting apostles to the Gentiles that are planting churches would like to see a bunch of good families growing in the churches, raising the next generation of Christians.
So, Paul’s not advocating like I wish everyone were doing what I’m doing literally, absolutely because he knows then where’s the next generation of Christians going to come from. So fundamentally he’s saying that the advantage of singleness is you can completely and totally focus on the Lord’s desires and pleasures.
Wes
Andy, why do you think so few Christians choose a life of joyful singleness despite Paul’s many persuasions here?
Andy
Well, I do think that the norm is to get married. I think most people get married. I don’t know if I have statistics on that, but I would think it’s more than 50% of adults get married at some point in their life. Must be. So that could be a quick answer to your question, that’s why most don’t because they don’t have the gift of singleness. That the gift of singleness is probably relatively rare. It’s similar like gift of being a cross-cultural missionary. There just aren’t that many of them. It’s rare because it’s just not the calling of the Lord. But it could be that there are some they’ve been kind of sold a bill of goods that they’re not worth anything, especially women, perhaps, you’re not worth anything if you’re not a wife and mother, like you weren’t desirable, there was nobody for you or something like that.
It could be a message that’s given by popular culture, should never be given by the church. There could be either a young man or a young woman that’s perfectly attractive and desirable and winsome in their personality and would make a wonderful spouse, but is called to singleness. Well, that’s why I think churches need to preach and teach this chapter well and say it is if God calls you to singleness, that’s a marvelous state to be in and we should celebrate it. So, we can take some of that pressure off that you’re not worth anything if you don’t have somebody who will love you in that way. So that may be part of the answer too.
Wes
What situation does Paul address in verses 36 through 38? And how does the tone of his advice here fit in well with the tone of the rest of the chapter.
Andy
All right, so if anyone thinks he’s acting improperly toward his betrothed, maybe your translation gives, the virgin he’s engaged to, all right, and she’s getting along in years. So, this is the Bible’s statement on the biological clock, so she feels like my childbearing years are coming to an end, we need to get moving here. And he feels he ought to get married, he’s led toward marriage, Paul says he should get married. All right, so sometimes, and I’ve heard about this, pastors are going to say to somebody, it’s like, “Look, I know you’re interested in her, and I have in good information she’s interested in you. Brother, what are you waiting for?” And I’ve heard pastors do this, and they get to kind of light a charge under the guy and say, “You need to get going. It’s time for you to get married.” So, Paul’s doing a little bit of that.
Look, here’s the condition, here’s the circumstance. If you don’t have the gift of singleness, you got an eligible woman, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get married. But in some cases, he says he’s not sinning. That’s not the best you can do. By the way, you’re not sinning if you get married. It’s like really? But he’s saying, “In the light of the advice I’m giving, if you choose not to be single, you’re not violating a command of God, you’re not sinning.” You should get married, and you should enjoy the married life you have. But on the other hand, the man who is like, nope, I am single. He’s under no compulsion, meaning he’s not sexually pressured. Earlier in the chapter he talks about if you can’t control yourself, you should get married. It’s better to marry than to burn. So, it’s like burning with passion. It’s like, “Look, no, I’ve got my desires in control. Okay, I have control over my own mind and will in this matter, and I know I have the gift of singleness. I’m not going to get married.” He’s fine. That’s a valid thing as well.
So, he says either way, God is set up for both. There are some that are going to do the one and some are going to do the other. Each one should accept whatever gift he has been given by the Lord. So that’s what I think he’s saying here.
Wes
What final case does Paul address in verses 39 through 40? And again, how does this fit in well with the tenor of the entire chapter?
Andy
All right, so a woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives, that’s just Christian marriage doctrine. You can’t just… That’s Romans 7 also, you’re bound until he dies. So, he’s not dealing with the issue of divorce and the exception clause or any of that. He’s just saying in general, you’re bound, you’re married, you can’t just walk away. So, you can’t have religious reasons to walk away from a marriage, that is not acceptable. You’re bound. But now, once the husband dies, now she’s free to remarry if she wants to. She can marry anyone she wishes, but he must be a Christian. So, this is a clear statement, and this is why I as a pastor will never be involved in a mixed marriage. I would never marry a Christian to a non-Christian. All right, I know the Lord makes mixed marriages by converting only one of the two, and we talked about that in the last podcast.
But if you have a choice in the matter, and you’re going ahead, now, this is a widow and she wants to remarry, fine, that’s okay. She’s free to do that and she can marry anyone she wants, but he must be a Christian. But I wish she would at least consider and pray about remaining single for the reasons I’ve given so that her interests aren’t divided. She’s able to focus entirely on the Lord. So, he just basically doubles down on this case study. And I think the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul has given us a wide range in this chapter of different cases, different scenarios. And a mentality, a mindset by which we can understand marriage, singleness, sexual purity, all of these things, the family life, the single life in the best possible way. It’s a brilliant chapter that’s given good, clear advice.
Wes
And any final thoughts on the verses we’ve looked at today, or perhaps all of chapter seven as it does come to us as an entire unit it seems?
Andy
Yeah, it’s a beautiful, beautiful insight and I would just say walk through it. I would urge Christians not to be offended by it. Sometimes people get upset or offended because perhaps there’s a divorce in their past or they’re not thinking properly, or you yearn to get married, and God hasn’t provided anyone yet, et cetera. I understand all that. But just see the wisdom of God in this beautiful chapter, submit to it. And the central main idea is everything in this life is temporary. It’s brief. So don’t live for it. No matter what you do about this, don’t live for it, but live for eternity, live for Christ.
Wes
Well, this has been episode nine in our 1 Corinthians Bible Study podcast. We want to invite you to join us next time for episode 10, entitled Food Sacrificed to Idols and the Limits of Christian Freedom, where we’ll discuss 1 Corinthians 8:1-13. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys podcast., and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys Ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to twojourneys.org. Now, on to today’s episode. This is episode nine in our first Corinthians Bible Study podcast. This episode is entitled, Living for the Service of God, where we’ll discuss 1 Corinthians 7:17-40. I’m Wes Treadway, and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis.
Andy, what are we going to see in these verses that we’re looking at today?
Andy
This chapter, 1 Corinthians 7, just really makes me thankful for the word of God because it addresses felt needs. It addresses things that people really ask of pastors all the time. This chapter is about marriage. It’s about just having a healthy marriage as we discussed in the last podcast, but also other issues such as divorce and remarriage, what to do if an unbeliever leaves, if he wants to stay then what, and singleness. The whole issue of people that are single and being wholeheartedly devoted to Christ. And Paul here advocates more than anywhere else in the entire Bible, the benefits of singleness in terms of serving Christ. And above all that, how to think about your present condition, how to think about whether you’re married or not, back in those days a slave or free, whoever you are, just don’t let any of those earthly circumstances be the dominant theme of your life, but above all things live for the glory of God. But still, practical wisdom in how to do it best. And so, I’m looking forward to walking through the details of this chapter.
Wes
Let me go ahead and read verses 17-40 in 1 Corinthians 7:
Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise, he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. I think that in view of the present distress, it is good for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.
If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry-it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.
A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. Yet in my judgment, she’s happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the spirit of God.
Andy, what’s the general point Paul is making in verses 17-24? And what does Paul mean by let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him?
Andy
As I was listening to you read over this, the themes of Christian contentment came in again where we learn to be content in any and every situation. So many people are concerned all the time to arrange their earthly circumstance to maximum benefit. And Paul’s point is, our time here is brief, and our focus should always be on the Lord. And to focus on serving him and to accept the providence that God has for you in your circumstance. And he walks through that in ways that I think would be pretty stunning these days, especially on the topic of slavery. I think on race relations in our country, the history of American slavery has been much discussed and with good reason. But Paul amazingly says here, don’t let it trouble you if you are a slave. And what he’s saying is he understands that most of the people in his day and age that were slaves in the Roman Empire would be slaves their whole lives.
And Paul’s saying to them, look, that’s not the most important thing about you. Most important thing about you is you’re a human being redeemed by the blood of Christ, and you have a ministry that you can do, so don’t let it trouble you. So, I think the central idea is whatever your circumstances, live to the glory of God. Now, a second point is if you do have some power to change your circumstances, whether by getting your freedom or by acquiring a spouse, a godly spouse, and God leads you to do that, fine. Okay. And God can bless that, but it’s not the primary thing. I think in the whole chapter the primary thing is in whatever condition or circumstance you’re in, glorify God and serve Christ.
” The primary thing is in whatever condition or circumstance you’re in, glorify God and serve Christ.”
Wes
What in particular does Paul mean by becoming uncircumcised or becoming circumcised? And how do these verses, verses 18 and 19 make circumcision basically of no account at all?
Andy
Well, he basically says that in another place. “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation,” or in another place, “Neither circumcision or uncircumcision means anything. What counts is faith working through love.” So, he gives these other statements. He is definitely trying to minimize circumcision. He’s definitely saying it’s no big deal. And so, I think obviously we know given the surgical nature of it and what it is, without walking through the details of what it is, I think we know what it is, you can’t become uncircumcised. But I think what he’s saying is to repudiate circumcision or to be all about that topic and make it important, it’s not the point. You can live a very fruitful Christian life as both a circumcised man and an uncircumcised man. I think that’s what he’s saying. So don’t seek to repudiate or backtrack or even be focused on it, it’s not the point.
Wes
Now, Paul seems to repeat himself in verses 20 and 24. What is the command that he issues with slight variation but the same command? And why does he repeat this three times in such a short span of scripture?
Andy
Yeah, so this is what I alluded to a moment ago, maximize the glory of God in whatever circumstance you find yourself in. So, this is just a robust doctrine of providence. You have to trust the situation you were born into, the country you were born into, the educational status that your parents had and the economic status, rich or poor, those things you had no choice over. You were born into that. And what he’s saying is you should learn to be content and to be fruitful in whatever circumstance you’re in. And so, in this case, he says, were you a slave when you’re called? Don’t let it trouble you. That’s an amazing statement. Now, obviously there’s some circumstances in which the master is oppressive and tyrannical, and it’s hard not to let it trouble you. I think Paul would say when stretched out to be beaten as he and Silas were in Philippi, he’s not saying you could come on and say, “Paul, don’t let it trouble you that you’re about to get beaten.”
He’s like, he’s going to do everything he can and not get beaten again. Hey, is it lawful for you to beat a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty? He did what he could to not get another beating, and then he did what he could to be set free. So, what he means by don’t let it trouble you, is don’t let it be the determinative factor of your entire existence. What’s most important is you are a born again, a believer in Christ, a child of God with the indwelling spirit, and you can live for the glory of God in your present circumstance, so do so. However, if you can get your freedom, do so. It is better to be free than a slave. And that’s what he’s going to argue in the little book of Philemon, he’s urging Onesimus to set Philemon free. And so, freedom is better if you can get it. But it’s such a refreshing thing here to say, look, the ultimate thing is not whether slave or free, the ultimate thing is being in Christ.
Wes
Now, we’ve talked about this slavery question, and it’s one that comes up as people read through the New Testament. What contribution do verses 21-23 add to this conversation, and why doesn’t Paul simply command all Christian masters to set their slaves free?
Andy
Well, that is the question, that’s how you try as a theologian or as a pastor to sharpen the stick. And let’s get into what’s really the issue here. And this is what I would say, slavery is illegal all over the world now. It wasn’t even within a short amount of time in world history, just some time ago, it was really in the 19th century and then into the 20th century. Then little by little, I think the last slave holding state, Muslim state somewhere in North Africa finally made slavery illegal. That was like in the 1980s. So, it took a while, but I would say that Christianity without question, beyond any question was instrumental in worldwide emancipation. Now the issue is illegal slavery. So, it is sex trafficking and other things like that, it’s a different topic. But Christianity was instrumental in ending slavery, but not directly. It was more indirectly. It kind of undermined it again and again and again by questions of the second great commandment, love your neighbors yourself or the golden rule, do to others what you’d have them do to you. If you were a slave or you’re a master, would you want to be set free? Well, then do it to them. And so that kind of thinking ultimately destroyed slavery worldwide.
So, Christianity indirectly ended slavery. But it’s reasonable for me to ask why didn’t it do it directly? Well, I think one of the reasons I get out of that is that slavery is indeed a picture of our relationship with God to some degree. It’s not a whole picture, but it is an aspect of it. And the reason I know that is Paul calls himself a bond slave of Christ. He actually says that right in the text here, “He who is a free man when he is called is Christ’s slave.” Says it right there in verse 22 and verse 23, “you are bought at a price.” In other words, in case you didn’t know Jesus’ blood bought you, so you are His slave. So, slavery actually is a valid picture of our relationship with God. And in Revelation 22 it says his douloi, his slaves, servants, will serve Him in heaven. So, we’ll be slaves in heaven, and we’ll also be sons in heaven. And we’ll be bride in heaven, we’ll be all these different images. So, I think the reason the Bible doesn’t directly end slavery is that it is a valid interpretation or a valid picture of our relationship with God. How do I mean? What’s the difference between a slave and an employee? The freedom to walk away. All right, let me ask you a question. When we get to the new heaven, new earth, will we have that freedom to walk away?
Wes
No.
Andy
No. And so I would say that’s why it is a valid image. Also, Jesus is a servant of God, he is the suffering servant, he is the slave of God. He did God’s will even to the point of death. So, I think we can’t just abolish slavery absolutely scripturally because the Bible says it’s a pattern of our relationship with God that’s vertical; horizontally, absolutely the Bible abolished slavery providentially in time. So, it’s a complex issue and a long answer. Sorry about that.
Wes
No, that’s quite all right. Now Martin Luther taught about this kind of dual perspective that verses 22 and 23 give of how we ought to think of ourselves as both slaves of all and freed men ruled only by Christ. How is that dual perspective helpful in the Christian life? Now, we’ve talked a little bit about its application to the abolishment of slavery. We’ve talked about the new heaven and the new Earth, but now in 2023 how do we live as Christians in light of this dual perspective?
Andy
Yeah, it’s great. And thank you for referring to that. The freedom of a Christian man, that’s a great insight where a Christian is totally free, subject to none. A Christian is slave of everyone, subject to everyone. So, on the second one it’s a little bit easier, that’s just the parable of the good Samaritan. Anyone with a need, you are that person’s slave. You’re going to do whatever. Look at the Good Samaritan and he was basically in bondage to the suffering, bleeding man’s condition until he was well cared for. He didn’t have the freedom to walk away. He wasn’t doing the priest and Levite thing, he’s going to serve his neighbor. And so, I think there’s that same thing. Paul considered himself under obligation to every lost person he met to share the gospel with him. So he was that person’s slave. All right, so horizontally we are slave to everyone.
What does it mean that we’re slaves to none? I think what he meant was when he was standing before the Emperor Charles V and commanded to renounce his faith in the gospel, he wasn’t listening to that. He’s God’s slave, he’s a slave to God, and he’s going to say no to anyone who would compel him to violate his conscience on doctrine. So, he’s a totally free man subject to none on that issue. I think that’s the way Luther argued here. So, in this case, what we’re saying is look, if we’re slaves back in those days and physically can become free, we’ll have some more leisure and time and opportunity to serve the Lord. But in any case, we’re still Christ’s slave. And in that sense, we’ll be slaves to everyone else because Christ will command us to share the gospel or to serve the poor and needy or do something for their benefit.
Wes
What general command does Paul then turn to in addressing virgins, people who have never been married in this section verses 25-28? And how does verse 26 basically repeat the same kind of advice he’s been giving over and over again as he moves to this new topic?
Andy
Right. This is a notoriously difficult section to translate. Many of the translations give entirely alternate translations at the bottom. So, are we talking about virgins? Are we talking about somebody’s betrothed, like you’re engaged to the person? Are we speaking to Christian fathers and what they should do with their unmarried daughters? It’s a challenge. So, we’re definitely talking about for the most part women, and should they be given in marriage, or you could be saying any single person, male or female, what should we do about the topic of marriage? And so, he’s saying, look, the Lord hasn’t given me any word but I’m going to speak here as an apostle, and I’m going to try to give you some advice. Now, what is that advice? The advice is don’t live for marriage or singleness in any case, that’s not the point. The point is Christ, the point is loving Him and serving Him in whatever circumstance you find.
Just that it’s that language of Christian contentment, I’ve learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. And so, I can be content as a married man, I can be content as a single person. The woman could say the same thing. I could be content as a married woman, as a wife and a mother, but I could also be content for the rest of my life as a single person. So that’s about what he’s advocating here, although he is going to say some advantages to singleness later. But he’s saying, look, fundamentally don’t be troubled about your marital status. Now he says in verse 26, “Because of the present crisis I think it’s good for you to remain as you are.” I don’t really know what that means. It could refer to the persecution of the church. You could imagine let’s say in the final generation, in the days of the antichrist in which it was illegal to be a Christian, you could imagine it would not necessarily be a good time to get married and start a family. At that point you’re just literally trying to survive.
So, it could be at a lesser degree Paul’s talking about that, and view of the present Christ is better not to get married. So, it could be a situation like that. It’s good for you to remain as you are. But he doesn’t say just don’t get married. He’s saying, look, if you are married, don’t get divorced, don’t end it. Are you not married? Don’t seek a wife. Now clearly the second part of verse 27 is not an absolute prohibition to all Christians because then there would never be another Christian marriage. Are you unmarried? Do not seek a wife. Imagine that being said to every single man. It’s like, well, that doesn’t seem biblical, but we need to understand scripture and interpret scripture. What he’s saying is in view of the present crisis, I’m advocating singleness. So, he’s going to finish that task of advocating singleness in general. But he understands some people, one has one gift, another has another.
Wes
Now Paul revisits this idea of a present distress or some motivation external to the individual that would cause them perhaps to not look for their ultimate satisfaction in this marital relationship. So, we talked a little bit about what Paul might’ve meant by the present distress. Then he revisits that in verse 29 and says, “The time has grown very short.” How did these insights help us understand Paul’s overall ethic in this section?
Andy
Well, in general time is short. These are the last days. John says in 1 John, “This is the last hour.” And Isaiah 40 says, “All flesh is grass.” Time is short. And so actually the time you’re going to spend as a married person in light of eternity is a short amount of time. So again, I think he’s trying to put marriage and singleness in perspective. These are not the ultimate issues. He is going to say, and he already did say it in verse 28, “Those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.” So, we’ll get into that. But you can see a young married couple with three kids ages seven, four, and two. Those kids demand attention loudly and can you imagine-
Wes
Relentlessly.
Andy
Relentlessly and loudly. Can you imagine either one of the husband and wife saying, “Look, I’m going to take some time now for prayer and some Bible intake right now.” Or “I’m going to go out and do some evangelism.” It’s like, “No, you’re not. We’re going to get these kids fed and to bed, all right, that’s what we’re doing.” And Paul, he’s very practical about that. If you have a family you’re going to have to look after their needs. It’s what you have to do. Single people don’t have to do that. So, he’s advocating singleness in verse 28 and other places we’ll get into that. But what he’s saying is in general, I just want to give you a philosophy. I want to give you a worldview. Your spouse is not your life, Christ is your life.
Any good Christian married person should think that way. We don’t say it in an insulting way. It’s like you’re not going to say to your wife or to your husband, you’re not my life, Christ is. But you need to think, and you need to live like it. And the other, if they’re really Christians should want them to think that way because it would be idolatry to think any other way. Christ is your life. What that means is you can hold marriage loosely because you might become unmarried today through death, today because of a tragic accident. If that happens, you will grieve and rightly so, but your life hasn’t ended, your existence hasn’t ended, that spouse wasn’t your life. Christ is. And so, he’s saying, look, I want you to think as if you didn’t have a wife or a husband in that sense, live ultimately for Christ. And then you’ll do marriage better, I think he would say, if you think as if you had none.
Other than that, you could take this verse out of context and say, “What a weird verse, but I’m going to obey it.” So, you read this verse for the first time let’s say, and you come home and your wife talking to you, “What time do you want to eat dinner?” You don’t answer her. It’s like, “Didn’t you hear me? I just want to… What’s good for you?” “Nothing.” It’s like, “What are you doing?” “Nothing.” Finally, the wife or the husband goes, shakes him and is like, “What’s going on?” It’s like “I’m acting as if I have no spouse.” It’s like that’s not what the verse is saying here. That’s crazy. But he’s saying look, ultimately your spouse is not your life. Christ is.
Wes
Now, Paul goes on to elaborate some of the particularities of what he’s endeavoring to spare his readers from in verses 28 through 35. What are some of the troubles that Paul desires to spare single people from and how does getting married and raising a family divide both a husband and a wife’s attentions and needfully so?
Andy
Yeah. All right, I want to do that, but I want to say some things that those who have wives that live as if they should not, he actually expands that those who mourn as if they did not, those who are happy as if they were not, those who buy something as if it’s not theirs to keep. What is your translation saying in verse 31?
Wes
“Those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it for the present form of this world is passing way.”
Andy
So, it’s a philosophical approach. It’s like, look, everything in this life that’s physical is temporary. I think that’s what he’s saying as Ecclesiastes, it’s just everything you can touch is temporary, and you need to live accordingly. Don’t put ultimate value on the stuff of this life. However, as we just kind of goofed around with a young couple with three kids, if you do have a family, practicalities are going to press in on you. If you have any heart of compassion at all, you’re going to care, let’s say as a husband, you’re going to care for the needs of your wife and of your children in sickness or in health. So, suppose your wife gets sick, what are you going to do? You’re going to care for her. Can you go on that mission trip? No, as a matter of fact that specifically happened to me. I had a mission trip set up to India, and my wife was having neurological symptoms, and I remember it was at Sunday school picnic.
It was one of that fall picnic, and she had her film, and somebody had brought a laptop. They were looking at her scans, her MRIs and all that. And we have medically trained people, and they looked at what was happening to her spinal column. And somebody came and said to me (typical of this individual’s personality), “You’re not going to India.” And I was like, “Oh, okay.” “Yeah, your wife immediately needs surgery to relieve the pressure on her spinal column.” I remember her surgeon told us, and we’d already decided to get the surgery, in over a normal lifetime, 100% chance of total paralysis if you don’t get this surgery. She’ll slip in the shower, or she’ll get in a car accident, and she will be completely paralyzed if you don’t get this, it was degenerative disc disease. Anyway, that’s our own personal thing, our own personal story. The fact is fundamentally, if you have a wife or a husband, you’re going to give care to that because you love them and care for them and how much more your children as they’re growing.
So, Paul says, look, if you have a family you’re going to be immersed in practical physical concerns. Look at Jacob and with Esau, remember he said, “Look, if I drive the young ones even a single day, they’ll die.” He’s talking about the ewes, the little sheep and all that, but the family, the children, too, they can’t go hard. And so, you’re going to have some practical things. And so, in that sense Paul’s saying, your mind is going to be immersed in practicalities, and you’ll be constrained thereby. And I would like you to have the kind of freedom I enjoy.
Wes
Now, according to Paul, what is the greatest benefit to the single life for Christians? He gets into the sum in verses 32 and 34.
Andy
The ability to focus entirely on the work of the kingdom, to focus entirely on the Lord’s work which is make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded. Paul was a trailblazing frontier apostle to the Gentiles going from place to place preaching the gospel where Christ wasn’t named. It was good for him to be single because he’s not going to stay in one place for long. He’s going to plant a church and move on. However, I’m not arguing with Paul. I’m going to say Paul would agree with this, that by far, by far the most successful and strategic evangelism and discipleship there is in the world is in the Christian family by far, all over the world. Christian parents raising their children in the nurture and admonition is the most effective evangelism and discipleship there is. Paul would agree with that. And even frontier trailblazing church planting apostles to the Gentiles that are planting churches would like to see a bunch of good families growing in the churches, raising the next generation of Christians.
So, Paul’s not advocating like I wish everyone were doing what I’m doing literally, absolutely because he knows then where’s the next generation of Christians going to come from. So fundamentally he’s saying that the advantage of singleness is you can completely and totally focus on the Lord’s desires and pleasures.
Wes
Andy, why do you think so few Christians choose a life of joyful singleness despite Paul’s many persuasions here?
Andy
Well, I do think that the norm is to get married. I think most people get married. I don’t know if I have statistics on that, but I would think it’s more than 50% of adults get married at some point in their life. Must be. So that could be a quick answer to your question, that’s why most don’t because they don’t have the gift of singleness. That the gift of singleness is probably relatively rare. It’s similar like gift of being a cross-cultural missionary. There just aren’t that many of them. It’s rare because it’s just not the calling of the Lord. But it could be that there are some they’ve been kind of sold a bill of goods that they’re not worth anything, especially women, perhaps, you’re not worth anything if you’re not a wife and mother, like you weren’t desirable, there was nobody for you or something like that.
It could be a message that’s given by popular culture, should never be given by the church. There could be either a young man or a young woman that’s perfectly attractive and desirable and winsome in their personality and would make a wonderful spouse, but is called to singleness. Well, that’s why I think churches need to preach and teach this chapter well and say it is if God calls you to singleness, that’s a marvelous state to be in and we should celebrate it. So, we can take some of that pressure off that you’re not worth anything if you don’t have somebody who will love you in that way. So that may be part of the answer too.
Wes
What situation does Paul address in verses 36 through 38? And how does the tone of his advice here fit in well with the tone of the rest of the chapter.
Andy
All right, so if anyone thinks he’s acting improperly toward his betrothed, maybe your translation gives, the virgin he’s engaged to, all right, and she’s getting along in years. So, this is the Bible’s statement on the biological clock, so she feels like my childbearing years are coming to an end, we need to get moving here. And he feels he ought to get married, he’s led toward marriage, Paul says he should get married. All right, so sometimes, and I’ve heard about this, pastors are going to say to somebody, it’s like, “Look, I know you’re interested in her, and I have in good information she’s interested in you. Brother, what are you waiting for?” And I’ve heard pastors do this, and they get to kind of light a charge under the guy and say, “You need to get going. It’s time for you to get married.” So, Paul’s doing a little bit of that.
Look, here’s the condition, here’s the circumstance. If you don’t have the gift of singleness, you got an eligible woman, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get married. But in some cases, he says he’s not sinning. That’s not the best you can do. By the way, you’re not sinning if you get married. It’s like really? But he’s saying, “In the light of the advice I’m giving, if you choose not to be single, you’re not violating a command of God, you’re not sinning.” You should get married, and you should enjoy the married life you have. But on the other hand, the man who is like, nope, I am single. He’s under no compulsion, meaning he’s not sexually pressured. Earlier in the chapter he talks about if you can’t control yourself, you should get married. It’s better to marry than to burn. So, it’s like burning with passion. It’s like, “Look, no, I’ve got my desires in control. Okay, I have control over my own mind and will in this matter, and I know I have the gift of singleness. I’m not going to get married.” He’s fine. That’s a valid thing as well.
So, he says either way, God is set up for both. There are some that are going to do the one and some are going to do the other. Each one should accept whatever gift he has been given by the Lord. So that’s what I think he’s saying here.
Wes
What final case does Paul address in verses 39 through 40? And again, how does this fit in well with the tenor of the entire chapter?
Andy
All right, so a woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives, that’s just Christian marriage doctrine. You can’t just… That’s Romans 7 also, you’re bound until he dies. So, he’s not dealing with the issue of divorce and the exception clause or any of that. He’s just saying in general, you’re bound, you’re married, you can’t just walk away. So, you can’t have religious reasons to walk away from a marriage, that is not acceptable. You’re bound. But now, once the husband dies, now she’s free to remarry if she wants to. She can marry anyone she wishes, but he must be a Christian. So, this is a clear statement, and this is why I as a pastor will never be involved in a mixed marriage. I would never marry a Christian to a non-Christian. All right, I know the Lord makes mixed marriages by converting only one of the two, and we talked about that in the last podcast.
But if you have a choice in the matter, and you’re going ahead, now, this is a widow and she wants to remarry, fine, that’s okay. She’s free to do that and she can marry anyone she wants, but he must be a Christian. But I wish she would at least consider and pray about remaining single for the reasons I’ve given so that her interests aren’t divided. She’s able to focus entirely on the Lord. So, he just basically doubles down on this case study. And I think the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul has given us a wide range in this chapter of different cases, different scenarios. And a mentality, a mindset by which we can understand marriage, singleness, sexual purity, all of these things, the family life, the single life in the best possible way. It’s a brilliant chapter that’s given good, clear advice.
Wes
And any final thoughts on the verses we’ve looked at today, or perhaps all of chapter seven as it does come to us as an entire unit it seems?
Andy
Yeah, it’s a beautiful, beautiful insight and I would just say walk through it. I would urge Christians not to be offended by it. Sometimes people get upset or offended because perhaps there’s a divorce in their past or they’re not thinking properly, or you yearn to get married, and God hasn’t provided anyone yet, et cetera. I understand all that. But just see the wisdom of God in this beautiful chapter, submit to it. And the central main idea is everything in this life is temporary. It’s brief. So don’t live for it. No matter what you do about this, don’t live for it, but live for eternity, live for Christ.
Wes
Well, this has been episode nine in our 1 Corinthians Bible Study podcast. We want to invite you to join us next time for episode 10, entitled Food Sacrificed to Idols and the Limits of Christian Freedom, where we’ll discuss 1 Corinthians 8:1-13. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys podcast., and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
