Snapshots from Corinth
‘Marriage’ - 1 Corinthians 7 and Genesis 2:18ff
Marriage is the basis of any society. It is a bed rock. It provides security for people - it is the best way to rear children and creates a good and happy society. Marriage was God’s idea. It is a Creation Ordinance.
Marriage is a life long relationship between a man and a woman. It involves love, faithfulness and duty.
Last week the eyes of the world were on Westminster Abbey for the 60th Anniversary of the marriage of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. In a day when divorce and cohabitation are all too common it was good to celebrate a sound and secure marriage.
This is the final Sunday in 1 Corinthians as you can see in the Bulletin. Next Sunday we think about Mission in Ireland and then for the rest of December we focus on ‘Prepare for Christmas’. I have been struck by the relevance of this series to the life of our Congregation.
Paul in 1 Cor turns to deal with issues the Corinthians wrote to him about. They wrote to ask about Marriage and divorce - he replies in Ch 7. They wrote about food offered to idols - he replies in Ch 8. They wrote about spiritual gifts - he replies in Ch 12. They wrote about the resurrection of the dead - he replies in Ch 15. And they wrote about a missionary offering - he replies in Ch 16.
So today we hear God’s Word about marriage. I will not be able to deal with the whole chapter and I hope that you will read it all and see what God is saying about this important matter.
Marriage: 7:1-9
The Corinthians had written from their own situation - Corinth was a sex obsessed City and the Christians in it either took on that life style or reacted against it. So there is legalism and licence. Some were saying “It is good man for man not to touch a woman” this was the reaction of some Christians to the sex obsession in the City.
But Paul says that in marriage the expression of natural instincts is right and proper. Sex is a gift from God. We are sexual creatures and God has ordained marriage as the place for sexual activity. “Each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband”. (7:2) Sexual activity in marriage is normal, right, good and it is from God. The union of marriage is expressed in clear language “the wife does not rule over her own body, but her husband does; likewise the husband does not rule over his won body, the wife does” (7:4) Remember the background in Corinth - people had been converted from an exceedingly immoral life style as we heard last Sunday - where people had many sexual partners - God declares that marriage is the union of one man to one women in a life long relationship. In addition some in Corinth said now that we are Christians all sexual activity should stop and Paul gives us God’s Word - “the husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights and likewise the wife to her husband”. (7:3)
There is no room for intimacy with any other woman in your life man apart from your wife. There is no room for intimacy with any other man in your life woman apart from your wife. Let us take note and let us take care to honour God in our marriages. Satan is always out to destroy us and our marriages. It is well said that Satan usually gets us through sex or money - be on your guard for nothing would please him more that to destroy your marriage, damage your children and ruin your Christian witness.
Also -Christians in their marriage must be sure to keep their spiritual lives alive. “Do not refuse one another except perhaps by agreement for a season, that you may devote yourselves to prayer but then come together again”. (7:5) That means a lot but let me focus on this - be sure that your relationship as man and wife in all the sharing, loving and caring for each other does not put God your Saviour out of your lives. Don’t let Ggod’s gift become a substitute for God Himself. Don’t se so wrapped up in each other that no one else matters. That is not God’s plan for your life and marriage.
I must say this - if any of us is in any intimate relationship outside our marriages - get out of it! Make the decision now. Give effect to it as soon as you leave this building. Let your marriage be in every sense of the word ‘Christian’!
Marriage and Divorce: 7:10-16
What about shaky marriages? What about those who feel that if I was not married to so and so then I could serve Christ to greater effect? Paul gives the word from the Lord - verse 10 - that the “wife should not separate from her husband and that the husband should not divorce his wife”. (7:10) Jesus taught about divorce and said that “whoever divorces his wife and marries commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another she commits adultery”. You see the commitment of marriage by a man and a woman is life long, underwritten by God Himself and not to be loosed, let alone destroyed by human action. Jesus as you know allowed divorce on one ground - the adultery of a partner.
Divorce is always a problem. Why? - Because marriage binds two people into a union. Genesis 2:24 “a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife” - the word for ‘cleave’ is one that means ‘welded’ and to pull a man and a wife apart always causes pain and more so if there are children involved. We all know that. Be careful who you marry - young people.
Paul goes on to talk about the blessing that comes to a non Christian through a Christian wife or husband. This is from verse 12 ff. Imagine the scene. A married man is converted or a married woman is converted. The other partner is unsaved. There is a new Lord in this home and His Word now dominates the Christian partner. This is never cause for divorce!
If you are in that situation an unconverted man living with a Christian wife or as an unconverted woman living with a Christian husband you are privileged beyond words -(this is a situation where the one has been converted after their marriage, for God’s will never is that a Christian should marry a non Christian) - privileged beyond words and so are your children! Look at 7:14 “the unbelieving husband is consecrated through his wife - the unbelieving wife is consecrated through her husband - otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy”. (7:14) - The power of God has come into your home and marriage. You are now prayed for by your believing wife. You unconverted wife are sharing your marriage with a child of God. You unconverted husband are sharing your marriage with a child of God.
What a blessing! You are privileged. And your children are holy! Otherwise they would be unclean. Paul always treated believer’s children as being in the Lord. That’s yet another reason why Presbyterians baptize the children of believers. So into your marriage - unsaved friend has come a power - the power of God through your husband or wife and their saving faith in Christ - the power of God to make you holy. So respond to God’s grace to you and do it now for you are privileged beyond words. It is no accident that God has saved your husband / wife and by that wonderful event God is blessing you and your children and you need to respond to His grace by giving yourself to Him.
A word of advice - look at 7: 15 “if the unbelieving partner desires to separate let it be so in such a case the brother or sister is not bound”. If the unsaved partner can’t have the new life style and the new boss then let them go. You are not bound.
A word of encouragement - “wife you do not know whether you will save your husband? Husband you do not know whether you will save your wife? So be a good Christian husband and a good Christian wife putting Christ first and seeking His kingdom that’s how to win your unsaved husband of wife.
Many Christian partners make this vital mistake. They softy pedal their faith hoping to see their unsaved partner converted. When he or she says “Don’t go to Church or the Bible Study or don’t tithe your salary or don’t go there or don’t support this” you must do the Christian thing. For Christ must be first!!! You will never see him saved or her saved or the kids saved if you live your Christian life as if it din not matter.
Paul goes on in Chapter 7 to talk about the gift celibacy and about remarriage after the death of a partner. But that is for another occasion.
Have you heard God’s Word today? Remember you will be blessed only as you do it.