1 Corinthians 7:1-7

1 Corinthians 7:1-7

Now concerning matters about which you all wrote: it is good for a man to not marry a woman.  But because of sexually immorality, let each one have his own wife and let each woman have her own husband.  Let the man fulfill what ought to be done for his wife, and also likewise the woman to her husband.  The woman does not have authority over her own body – rather the husband.  Likewise the man does not have authority over his own body – rather the wife.  Do not be defrauded by one another – except out of a mutual agreement for a season in order that you all should devote yourselves to prayer – and then you all should be together in order that Satan should not tempt you all because of your lack of self-control.  And I say this according to a concession, not according to a command.  And I desire that all men should be as I myself am.  But each has his own gift out of God – in one case this way and in another case that way.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The advice in the opening sentence can be taken three ways.  The easiest interpretation is that when Paul says, “It is good for a man not to marry a woman” that he is actually quoting the words that the Corinthians wrote to him.  However, I don’t think this provides as deep of an understanding as is possible.  The second way to take this phrase is that Paul is setting a high bar of expectation.  Again, I don’t think that Paul is setting up a high bar and thus telling those who do marry that they are some sort of second class Christian citizen.  I believe a third understanding is important.  After all, how did we begin the last section of verses?  Remember that Paul’s point is that we need to be discerning people.  All things are permissible, but not all things are healthy in every circumstance.  Therefore we can say this.  There is nothing wrong with living a celibate life.  But that is not the only way to live, either.  For those who can live that way, it is good.  But for those who cannot, we have the rest of the verses in this passage.

Why do you think people intend to take the first verse of this chapter and make it into a higher standard?  How does our attempt to do things like this actually disrupt community?

Second Thought:

Paul says a really interesting thing in the middle of this section.  The woman is not in full authority of her own body.  The husband is not in full authority of his own body.  Remember what God says?  The two shall become one.  Marriage is not a social contract.  Marriage is not a means for two people to combine their resources and have an easier time paying bills in the world.  Marriage is a commitment to one another in which we give up of ourselves and become one new being.  If the husband is in need of physical release, then the couple is in need.  If the wife is in need, then the whole couple is in need.  When we unite ourselves in marriage, we inherently turn from a position of self-interest to a position of joint interest.  The needs of the spouse become the needs of the couple.  That is how marriage works.

How can this view of marriage bring strength to life?  What are the downsides of this view of marriage?  Why might this lead us to consider why Paul says that he wishes all people were like him – that is, able to live without succumbing to sexual impulses?

Third Thought:

When Paul says that we should not be defrauded, he is actually using the same verb that was found in 1 Corinthians 6:7.  To defraud means to deprive someone of something that is typically theirs.  It is often used in context of money and possessions, but it can be used with respect to character and persona as well.  A person can even be defrauded of their reputation.  So what is Paul saying here?  To be blunt, Paul is speaking about not using sex as a weapon.  A person should not without sex because they are trying to punish their spouse.  After all, what is the natural consequence?  Sexual urges are primal, often beyond the control of logic and reason when they are at their worst.  So when one spouse decides to defraud the other spouse – that is, to withhold sex when it is genuinely needed by the other – it throws open the door to temptation.  Paul warns us to not do this.  We should not desire to intentionally put our spouse into a place where temptation could take root and lead us into easy sinful behavior.

Where are you guilty of leading your spouse into an easy place for sin?  Is sex the only dynamic of marriage that this is possible?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Corinthians 7:8-11