Something About Marriage

Bible Text: 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1 Corinthians

Read verses 1-9. Paul evidently sent an earlier letter to the Corinthians about immoral behavior, having to do with sexual relationships, at which time he gave to them instruction concerning remaining sexually pure.

Here he warns and instructs that if people should get married, rather than fall prey to immoral behavior – meaning sexual relationships outside of marriage, for God’s clear mandate is that one man be married to one woman, committed for life according to God’s plan.

In marriage, the body of the husband belongs to his wife and the body of the wife belongs to her husband; they belong to each other, they have become one. Genesis 2:24, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

Matthew 19:4-5, “At the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’”

Ephesians 5:31, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

Verse 1… See 1Corinthians 5:9. Paul reminds them that he had previously responded to some of the concerns they had written him about, at which time he told them “not to associate with immoral people,” [meaning, those who call themselves believers and followers of Christ].

A man in the church was having a sexual relationship with his step mother and the church did nothing about it. Paul commands them to remove the man from fellowship.

Because of the sexual immorality going on among those in the Corinthians church, Paul writes:

(NIV) “Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.”
This is not a good translation of this verse

(ESV) “Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: ‘It is good for a man
not to have sexual relations with a woman.’”

(NAS) “Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man
not to touch a woman.”

The translators are saying the same thing, in different ways, i.e., Paul is talking
about sexual relationships.

Paul says it is good for a man or woman to be single, if they remain celibate;
just as it is good for a man or a woman to be married, if they are faithful to their spouse.

God declared, in the very beginning (Genesis 2:18), “it is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” God made us to be in community.

Marriage is the most sacred relationship we experience on a human level; but marriage is also representative of the relationship we have with God the Father, through God the Son, by the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”

Marital faithfulness is a high priority in God’s eyes, for just as a husband and wife become one flesh (literally, Eve was made from the flesh of Adam), so a
believer is one Spirit with God, at the moment of genuine belief, joining us with all other Christians, for we have one Lord, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father who is over all, through all and in all.

Turn to Ephesians 5:22-32. This is so awesome, it expresses the depth of intimacy designed by God for both the physical and the spiritual aspects of the relationship between a Christian husband and wife; also, brothers and sisters in Christ, through the indwelling of God’s Spirit.

Verses 2-5… Sexual desire unfulfilled can be strong for those who are single, tempting them to sin (any sexual activity outside of marriage is sin), so to avoid sexual immorality, Paul says, get married!

As we already talked about and read in Ephesians 5, a husband and wife belong to each other, their bodies aren’t their own; therefore, physical intimacy in marriage is not just a benefit, privilege, and pleasure, it is a responsibility and a duty to provide satisfaction to one another.

To not submit to one another intimately is dishonoring to God, for it dishonors marriage. God created physical intimacy to be an expression of physical love on the deepest level of experience, forming a powerful bond between a husband and a wife.

In fact (v.5) Paul says husbands and wives are not to deprive each other, or abstain from physical intimacy, except when they agree to devote themselves to intensive prayer for a certain situation, person, ministry, etc., for a period of time; after which, they are to come together again, so as not to give Satan opportunity to tempt them into unfaithfulness, manifested by adultery, pornography, or fornication – Paul says, “come together again!”

Verses 6-7… Paul was unmarried (v. 8); but why would he encourage unmarried believers to remain single? Perhaps, because you are freer to go here and there with much less concern, planning, and preparation, than a married person. But also (v. 26) because the Corinthian church was under persecution, perhaps this was not the time to get married and start a family.

But Paul is in no way implying, let alone commanding, that a believer should be single or married, nor is he in any way inferring that there is some special spiritual status to being single or married, i.e., if God grants you singleness, great, but you must be celibate; if God allows you to be married, great, but realize that your body is not your own, it belongs to your mate: so whether you are married or single (seen as gifts), God is the gift giver.

Verses 8-9… Paul speaks to unmarried and widowed persons (Gr agamos, unmarried, previously married, not a widower, i.e., divorced, used 4x, vv. 8, 11, 32, 34). Paul says it is good for a believer to remain single, as he is, freeing them up to serve the Lord like he does. Paul was “unmarried or widowed” i.e., he had been married at one time, but we really don’t know more than that.

But clearly, Paul says, if a single (never married), or unmarried (divorced), or widowed Christian is unable to live a celibate life and serve the Lord effectively, because they are distracted or dominated by unfulfilled sexual passions, they should get married; otherwise, they should remain as they are, and as he is, so that they are freer to go anywhere, anytime, and do anything to serve the Lord.