1 CORINTHIANS 7
Read 1 Corinthians 7:1-40
Paul now changes the subject, and turns to an issue that the Corinthians had written to him about; marriage. In this chapter Paul skilfully navigates between the two extremes of liberalism and legalism. Corinth seemed to be a church where there opposing views on a variety of subjects and it may have been that these factions were looking for him to support their view rather than that of the others. Paul did not take sides, but offered the best advice he could. It is noticeable in this chapter that when Jesus had made a statement concerning an aspect of marriage, Paul made it clear that it is the Lord’s word, not his opinion, and that it is binding. “Keeping God’s commands is what counts” (v19).
Corinth was an extremely liberal city and sexual freedom was rife. There may well have been a faction within the church that reacted so strongly against the liberal secular views on sex and marriage that they became the exact opposite and were forbidding what God had created for his people to enjoy. Another faction may well have been adopting the sexual standards of secular Corinth. Marriage, said Paul, was a gift from God, and sex was a part of God’s plan, albeit within certain limits. To reject what God has given to mankind is just as bad as abusing what God has given through illicit sexual licence.
Some aspects of sex and marriage are very clear. For example, polygamy is prohibited, “Each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband” (v2). Husband and wife have mutual obligations to each other (v3). Paul is often portrayed as a misogynist, someone who hates women. This chapter challenges that view as he makes it clear than women have rights that should be fulfilled by the husband in marriage.
When he could, Paul used the authority of Jesus to clarify situations. Where this is not possible, he acted as an experienced pastoral counsellor and made it clear that this was his opinion not a command from the Lord Jesus, “I say this, not the Lord” (v12).
Paul works through a series of situations and gives the best and most consistent advice that he can. When reading this passage it is important to note that Paul is not writing a definitive treatise on sex and marriage, but he is responding to a series of specific questions the Corinthian church has put to him.
The consistent tendency throughout this chapter is that Paul advised his readers to remain in whatever condition they were in. Those who were married should remain married and continue to fulfil their marital obligations. Those who are unmarried, Paul encouraged to remain unmarried (Paul thought that there would be fewer distractions in serving Lord for single people). And married Christian couples should not divorce. But the tone of Paul’s advice throughout this chapter is that the Christian should exercise his or her own discernment about how best to serve God.