We shall continue the study of First Corinthians of the New Testament.
Theme: This Body is not yours
(1) Because of the rampant immorality in the city of Corinth (its name was synonymous with sexual immorality in those days), some have asked Paul if the best way to avoid this is simply abstinence, even within marriage. What is Paul’s answer and why?
(2) Many couples do not lead a sexually satisfied life often because of refusal (out of revenge or grudges) or disinterest (out of nature) by one of the spouses. What is Paul’s exhortation in this respect and what is the basis of his reasoning?
(3) If there are unresolved problems that lead to such a deprival, what is Paul’s practical advice and the purpose of his advice? Why does he call it a “concession”?
(4) Paul is obviously single (or widowed) and he calls it a gift. What does it mean?
(5) We know that marriage is the most intimate union between a man and a woman, and it should be based on love. But Paul’s advice is based on “passion” or the lack of control. Why?
(6) There was a story about a conversation between US President Grant and the Chinese General, Hung-Cheung Lee about marriage. Grant teased Lee about the lack of love in Chinese marriages in those days; to this Lee retorted, “The western marriage is like a pot of boiling water that cools off over time, but the Chinese marriage is like a pot of cold water put on a burning stove, it boils over time.” Which do you think is closer to the teaching about marriage in the scripture and why?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply to your life?
“Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer… as a concession.” (1 Co. 7:5, 6)
I do not have to tell you or quote any statistics to prove to you that Christian marriages are in trouble.
I do not think it is a result of a lack of teachings in the church. Every couple who has gone through Christian pre-marital counseling understands that love in Christ is a commitment, especially when it comes to our marriage. Feelings come and go, but love in marriage is solidly grounded in commitment which the Apostle Paul captures so clearly in 1 Corinthians 13:7: “It (love) always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres”. This Christ has demonstrated so powerfully as He “loved the church and gave Himself up for her…” (Eph. 5:25). Christ Jesus also makes the issue so black and white when He declares, “Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate.” (Matt. 19:6), and thus “man” includes both the husband and the wife!
As a pastor, I have witnessed the continued disintegration of marriage within the church, especially among the middle-age and senior couples. Yes, many husbands are addicted to pornography especially through the internet, and some have succumbed to temptations that are so readily available through contacts within and without the church of younger women who are often broken and needy emotionally. The relentless attacks and warnings against sexual immorality in the Scriptures appear to have little effect on them. I believe pastors and male leaders of the church should take the lead in setting a godly example in this respect and commit ourselves to walk alongside other men in the church. And I am glad to see the rapid growth of men’s ministry in many churches in the last two decades.
However, there is a growing number of Christian wives, many of whom truly love the Lord, who have grown to resent their husbands of many years. Not that their husbands have changed for the worse, but they themselves, perhaps because of the empty-nest syndrome, have increasingly magnified the short-comings of their spouses—their insensitivity, their chauvinism, their stubbornness or their hypocrisy. I really cannot come up with any defense for some of these husbands, but the truth of the matter is that they have really been like this throughout their marriage, but somehow, the wives have resolved not to bear with them anymore and seek to divorce them. The wives have bought into the lie of the world (and in fact it is Satan’s) that they would be happier without their husbands. As Christians, we all know that one cannot be happy, let alone be happier, if we act outside of the will of God. What’s more, happiness is not the goal of a Christian, loving and honoring the Lord is.
Paul is obviously speaking to Christians spouses whose marriage is in trouble in 1 Corinthians 7:1-7, and in his “concession”, he allows them to have a “time out” for a time, but emphasizes that the purpose is purely so that “you may devote yourselves to prayer” (7:5). I do hope what I have said so far has not been a burden to you, but if you find it hard for you to take, my only advice to you is that of Paul: Devote yourself to prayer, so that you may sort out your true motives and gather strength to do what is pleasing and honoring to the Lord.
Theme: Remain where you are
It is perhaps helpful to remember two things: (1) Paul is likely responding to an earlier letter sent to him by the Corinthian church in which they raised issue after issue and Paul is responding to them here accordingly, and (2) throughout this section, a refrain can be detected in that Paul urges them to “remain” in whatever situation they might be in.
Vv. 10-19—Here, Paul addresses a mixed marriage, where a husband or a wife has become a believer (likely after being married) while the spouse has not.
(1) Paul appeals directly to what the Lord Jesus has said. The fuller version of it is recorded in Matthew 19:4-9. What is Jesus’ command in this respect and what is the basis of His command?
(2) What might be a logical (and spiritual) basis (apart from adultery) for a believing spouse (and it appears that in the Corinthian setting, the Christian wives are the more likely ones) to think of divorcing her spouse?
(3) It is not uncommon even today that a Christian spouse thinks of divorcing his or her non-believing spouse. What have you heard as the likely ground for their thinking?
(4) We know that the Scripture has taught that unless we ourselves
repent and believe in Jesus Christ, we will not be saved. Therefore Paul
is
definitely not talking about “salvation” in v.14, but is using the OT
ceremonial cleansing motif to correct their misapplication of teachings
like in
6:16. Then what might be the meaning of the following?
a. The unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife.
b. Children born within this marriage would not be unclean, but holy.
(Clue: According to Gordon Fee, Paul is using Old Testament terms that are used for ritual cleansing.)
(5) What is the chance of someone with a believing spouse or parent coming to Christ compared to someone living in a totally secular home environment?
(6) Paul challenges the believing wives and asks, “How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband?” How can a wife save her husband? (See 1 Pet. 3:1-6 for believing wives, and 3:7 for believing husbands.)
Vv. 20-24
(7) Isn’t slavery a crime to humanity? On what basis does Paul appeal to Christian slaves not to seek freedom on their own?
(8) Why does Paul say that the Christian slaves are in fact freemen in Christ? Define true freedom within this context.
(9) Why does Paul say that Christians who are not slaves are in fact Christ’s slaves? Define the meaning of Christ’s slaves.
(10) Paul, in admonishing us to remain in the situation God called us to, sets out the following bottom line—be Christ’s slaves not men’s slaves. What does he mean?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply to your life?
“For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife.” (1 Co. 7:14)
I do admit that the language used by the Apostle Paul in urging the believing spouses not to leave their unbelieving (or the more correct term should be yet-to-believe) spouses is a bit confusing. Are unbelieving spouses really saved simply by virtue of the faith of their spouses? Do children born out of their wedlock automatically become saved?
These particular instructions by the Apostle Paul have been manipulated to support some cults in advocating polygamy in that in order to save more women to Christ, Christian men should marry as many women as possible. Of course, any right-minded persons would understand how twisted the minds of these cults are. However, these same arguments have also been used to justify infant baptism.
This highlights the importance that the context of each instruction in the Scriptures has to its proper understanding.
The instructions from 7:12-24 deal specifically with unequally yoked marriages in which one of the spouse became a believer while the other has not (yet) and it appears that some of the believers have seen the continued physical union as sinful (not unlike the argument Paul uses in 6:15). As a result, some perhaps out of sincerity and others out of evil motives seek to divorce their unbelieving spouses. It is under such a context that Paul says that the unbelieving spouse has been sanctified through his or her believing spouse (7:14).
But “sanctification” here definitely does not mean that the unbelieving spouse is saved, because if he or she would thus be saved, then Paul does not have to ask in v.16, “How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?”. Paul is saying that by remaining in the marriage, we have a much better chance of saving our unbelieving spouse (see 1 Pet. 3:1).
And, in referring to the children born within such a marriage, Paul says that they are not unclean, but holy (7:14). The contrast here is clearly between “unclean” and “holy”. The use of the word, unclean, clearly shows that Paul’s discussion in this respect concerned the ceremonial cleanliness under the Jewish traditions. The Jewish traditions see ceremonial uncleanliness as passed on through contact or association, and thus if one is in contact with things that are touched by an unclean person, one becomes unclean, and if one has physical union with an unclean woman (during her periods), one becomes automatically unclean. This is the reasoning or fear that the believing spouses would have in Corinth—by staying married and having continued physical union with their spouses, not only would they themselves be unclean, but also the children born as a result.
Paul’s reply is clear to the believing spouse: If you become a believer, even your marriage is sanctified, and that includes you and your spouse, because now even your marriage is a marriage in the Lord (meant to reflect God’s love through its continuing union); and thus the children so born would not be unclean, but holy in the sense that the physical union is not an act of adultery, but a union sanctified by the Lord.
Therefore, it is a reversal of the Old Testament’s notion of uncleanliness, in that by contact and association, the unbelieving spouse and the children would not be ceremonially unclean. There is no need for divorce, and there is an even greater chance that the unbelieving spouse and the children would come to be saved.
Theme: To marry or not to marry
Vv. 25-28—Remain where you are
(1) Paul appears to favor celibacy. How is it different from asceticism?
(2) Paul appears to lean toward singleness and he gives two reasons for his inclination in this section. What are they?
(3) What kind of crisis (or pressure) did the 1st century Corinthian believers face?
(4) What kind of troubles do married couples face that is unique to them?
(5) Paul makes it clear that his advice is not from the Lord but that he is giving his opinion. Do you agree with his opinion in this section? Why or why not?
Vv. 29-35—Two more suggestions
(6) Time is short: What does Paul mean by "time is short: (the original Greek verb is, “being shortened”)? What is the time that he is referring to?
(7) Because of the shortness of time, he urges the following:a. Be married as if not married
b. Mourn as if not mourning
c. Be happy as if not being happy
d. Having bought as if not having bought
e. Having the use of things as if not needing them
How do vv. 32-35 explain the above reasoning and the purpose of his urging?
(8) What has it to do with “for this world in its present form is passing away”? (v. 31)
(9) How should we apply it to our present life, in your married or single state?
Vv. 36-40
(10) It is indeed hard to imagine given the immorality which had affected the Corinthian church, that some would still take marriage as if it were a sin, but presumably there existed believers in their midst of such excessive spirituality (or perhaps, they were not applying this to themselves, but were using such an erroneous principle in judging those who were or were about to get married). How does Paul skillfully advocate celibacy and yet deny asceticism with these final words on the subject?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply to your life?
“I think that I too have the Spirit of God.” (1 Co. 7:40)
The entire chapter 7 in I Corinthians appears to be Paul’s response to a letter written to him by the church asking matters pertaining to marriage which undoubtedly was heavily influenced by and under pressure from the secular culture of Corinth—a city whose name was synonymous with immorality at the time.
The Apostle Paul also appears to be address different situations concerning marriage. He first addresses marriages (which are in trouble) between two believers (vv. 1-11); he then addresses unequally yoked marriages in which one of the spouses became a believer while the other did not (vv. 12-24); and then he turns to the issues of singleness (vv. 25-38), and ends with a short conclusion (vv. 39-40).
In addressing the different situations of marriage, it is also interesting to note that the Apostle Paul employs some rather puzzling language in that he refers to the command of the Lord in v. 10 (addressing marriages of believers), but clarifies that it is his own words, not that of the Lord in v. 12 (addressing marriages of the rest which, according to the context, refers to unequally yoked marriages); and then admits that he does not have any command from the Lord concerning the singles in v. 25. Finally, as he concludes addressing these different situations in marriages, he thinks that he, too, has the Spirit of God in v. 40.
Because of the above, many have raised concern if these words of Paul are divine inspirations. First, we need to understand that all scriptures are God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16) and we believe it refers to the entire canon of the Old and New Testaments, not just the words of the Lord Jesus (which many translated versions have printed them in red), and that extends to the editing of the Scriptures. Now, as Paul addresses the different issues of Christian marriage, he is distinguishing between what is directly handed down by the Lord Jesus (in v. 10) from other instructions he gives which is not mentioned by the Lord Jesus while He was on earth. That does not make any of his advice void of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In fact, he does conclude with sensing the Spirit guiding him in his replies (v. 40).
We know from the second letter to the Corinthians that some did continue to dispute Paul’s apostleship and thus the authority of the instructions he gave (see 2 Co. 11 and 12). In Paul's defense, the Apostle Peter had this to say, “His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do other Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Pet. 3:16—italics mine). With these words from the Apostle Peter, any doubts concerning the divine nature of the preserved writings of the Apostle Paul should be put to rest.
Theme: Freedom to love
The background to this reply to (yet) another question raised by the Corinthians has to do with the prevalent idol worship in Corinth: A concern was over meat that had been sacrificed to idols in temple and then sold in the open market; practises of the temple worship often involved temple prostitutes.
(1) Vv. 1-3—Principle to be used in discernment
a. What two principles are being contrasted by Paul?
b. What is the danger of discernment purely based on knowledge?
c. Should love and knowledge be necessarily mutually exclusive?
d. What does the fact that a person is known by God have to do with being able to "know as he ought to" and to have discernment?
(2) Vv. 4-6—Only one God
a. Who is our God and Lord?
b. How does our God differ from idols (or other gods)?
c. If an idol is nothing, what is the implication of food being sacrificed to idols?
(3) Vv. 7-13—The principle of love
a. How does Paul describe those who do not have such theological knowledge (i.e. idols are nothing)?
b. What reasons does Paul give in advising us not to eat meat sacrificed to idols in each of the verses from vv. 8-12?
c. How does the consumption of alcohol today resemble the eating of meat sacrificed to idols?
d. Can you think of any other contemporary example?
e. How can we apply Paul’s advice today?
(4) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply to your life?
“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” (1 Co. 8:1)
Reading chapter 8 of I Corinthians reminds me of the testimony I heard from another pastor on the radio (and I am sure I have shared this often with some of you), and that concerned how his use of knowledge had served to destroy rather than to build up others.
It was during a dinner celebration of a couple of newly baptized believers that the pastor ordered some wine to the horror of this couple. They thought Christians should not touch alcohol. This learned pastor explained very biblically that the Bible only prohibits getting drunk, and not the consumption of alcohol itself. What he did not know was that the couple were former alcoholics. Now with the clear teaching of the Scriptures as expounded so convincingly by their pastor, they resumed drinking. The result was tragic—they fell back into their addiction, not only did their marriage end in divorce, but presumably with one of them in a psychiatric institution.
Indeed, “everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial” (1 Co. 10:23). How true is this saying!
Theme: Freedom to serve
(1) In this section, Paul clearly is defending his apostleship. Based on our reading of the preceding
chapters, what are the real reasons that the Corinthians challenged his
apostleship, even though clearly Paul was the one who first brought the gospel
to them and planted the church among them?
What do you think of these reasons?
a. Paul puts down human wisdom which they take pride in.
b. Paul is not as eloquent as Apollo.
c. Paul is too harsh on them, causing them shame with his direct rebuke.
d. Paul did not stay with them but continued his missionary effort elsewhere.
Might there be any reasons that you have observed?
(2) It is also quite apparent that Paul has been mending tents to subsidize his living and taking offerings from the Macedonian churches, but apparently he refused to be supported by the Corinthians. What was the reason given by Paul in v.12? Why would taking money from them be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ (but it is not the case with the Macedonian churches)?
(3) In vv. 3-6, Paul challenges the Corinthians with a series of questions. Can you sense the pain and frustrations behind these challenges? Should Paul vent his frustrations to them? Why or why not?
(4) In v. 7, Paul uses three common-sense analogies to make his case that the ministers of the gospel should be financially supported by the people they serve. What are they? Do they make sense to you? Why or why not?
(5) Paul now resorts to Deuteronomy 25:4 to make his case. Do you think Paul really has to resort to the passage from Deuteronomy to make such a case? Shouldn’t the analogy of priests in v. 13 be sufficient?
(6) It is obvious that the Corinthians did support other ministers of the gospel (v. 15), but Paul “would rather die” than receive support from them. What can you tell about the relationship between Paul and the church in Corinth? What lesson can you learn from this?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply to your life?
“In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” (1 Co. 9:14)
As the head of a para-church organization, I have had the opportunity to travel around the world to minister to churches of different denominations. One of the common denominators that I have come across is how poorly many of the pastors are treated. There is a growing disrespect toward the pastors these days in the church of Jesus Christ.
I have to admit that some of the pastors that I have met act really like dictators and do not deserve our respect. But they are in the minority. Most pastors are truly called by God and are humbly serving their flocks sacrificially, but many do not receive the respect the servants of the Lord deserve.
Many of those not respected by their flocks do not have the gift of eloquent preaching, but may have more than made it up with their sacrificial love and care for their people.
Some, by nature, are not sociable people. They are shy and some lack inter-personal skills. To one complaining leader who took exception to their pastor’s lack of confidence in visitation, I encouraged her by saying, “Why don’t you accompany the pastor to do visitation?”. You see, God often uses lay people to complement and empower their pastors. A successful church is always a result of teamwork.
I have found that there are two kinds of churches: One that understands the sacred calling of their pastor and accepts that he or she is no superman, but a person with flaws, and so they are determined to “make the pastor successful”; the other kind of church looks upon the pastor as an employee (nothing is worse than such a concept in the church of God), and adopt the attitude that “we’ll respect and support you if you prove yourself to be worthy, or else…”.
Theme: Everything for the gospel
Vv. 16-18—Preaching of the gospel
(1) Did Paul preach the gospel voluntarily or involuntarily?
(2) Since Paul is not pursuing financial reward, but the reward that “I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.” (v. 18) , what kind of a reward is it?
(3) Why do you preach the gospel or why don’t you preach the gospel?
(4) If you do, what might be your reward?
Vv. 19-23—All things to all men
(5) What marks Paul’s attitude of becoming all things to all men, according to v. 19?
(6) We know Paul strongly opposes living under the law, yet he is willing to become one under the law. Read Acts 21:17-26 which is one of the examples.
(7) Paul was quick to emphasize that as much as he also became one not having the law as he ministered to the gentiles, he was not free from Christ’s law. Why? (Refer to Gal. 5:14 and 6:2.)
(8) What can you learn from Paul’s attitude toward the gospel?
Vv. 24-27—Running with a clear goal
(9) What is the goal of Paul? What does he do to make sure his goal is met?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply to your life?
“Run in such a way as to get the prize…a crown that will last forever.” (1 Cor. 9:24, 25)
As you were reading Paul’s words of resolve to run, to fight and to beat, and in fact “to do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (I Corinthians 9:23), I am sure that you were greatly touched by his zeal for the gospel and his love for the Lord. It reminds me both of Eric Liddell (whose life’s story was made into the movie, Chariots of Fire) and of one of the hymns sung in the movie, Fight the Good Fight.
I invite you to meditate on the lyrics of this wonderful hymn as an opportunity to renew your commitment before the Lord.
Fight the good fight with all thy might;
Christ is thy Strength, and Christ thy Right;
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally.Run the straight race through God’s good grace,
Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face;
Life with its way before us lies,
Christ is the Path, and Christ the Prize.Cast care aside, upon thy Guide,
Lean, and His mercy will provide;
Lean, and the trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its Life, and Christ its Love.Faint not nor fear, His arms are near,
He changeth not, and thou art dear.
Only believe, and thou shalt see
That Christ is all in all to thee.John S.B. Monsell (1811-1875)
Theme: Be Ye warned
Paul is using the examples of the Israelites in the wilderness to serve as a warning to the Corinthian Christians. Let’s consider what we can learn from them together as well.
Vv. 1-4—The Israelites had special spiritual experiences
(1) Baptism: These people had in fact been baptized, Paul says, into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. The cloud refers to God’s daily presence manifested visibly through the pillar of cloud which stood between the armies of Egypt and the Israelites as they reached the sea (Exod. 14:20). The sea obviously refers to their walking through the parted Red Sea (Exod. 14:21-22)
a. Why would Paul call their experience a baptism?
b. In what way was their experience similar to our baptism today?
(2) Fed spiritually: These people had in fact been fed by food and drink miraculously—the manna and the rock (Exod. 16:4-36 and 17:5-7).
a. Why would Paul say that these were, in fact, spiritual food and spiritual drink?
b. Why would Paul refer to the rock as Christ? (See Note below.)
c. In what way was their experience similar to our being fed today spiritually? (What are we drinking and eating today, spiritually speaking, especially as symbolized by the Lord’s Supper?)
Vv. 5-13—Application
(3) With such spiritual experiences and encounters, Paul follows up in v. 5 with the word, “Nevertheless”. Why?
(4) In alluding to them as examples “to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things”, Paul gives the following applications (concerning evil things):
a. Do not be idolaters (Exod. 32:6)
b. Do not commit sexual immorality (Num. 25:1-9)
c. Do not test the Lord (Exod. 17:2,7)
d. Do not grumble (Num. 16:3, 31-35)
Evaluate each of the above incidents:
- What was the result?
- In what way did their sin invite such a severe punishment?
- Do you think you would commit something similar?
(5) Why does Paul add another warning to us in v. 12?
(6) V. 13 is a promise:
a. In what way does it serve as an encouragement to us?
b. In what way might it serve as a conviction to us?
(7) What is the main message for you today and how may you apply to your life?
Note:
George Beasley-Murray remarks that “According to rabbinic exposition, the rock remained with the people throughout their wilderness journeyings.” (WBC, John, 114)
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.” (1 Co. 10:13)
We like to think of the above verse as a promise by God because He is faithful, so He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. But when we are tempted He will also provide a way out so that we can stand up under it. According to our experience, it is certainly true.
I can still remember the time before I was called into full-time gospel ministry that I was facing a near-bankruptcy crisis in my life. The easy way out was for me to declare bankruptcy and I would not have to repay any of my creditors a dime. But God graciously provided me with a banker who had complete confidence in me and my integrity and he did everything within his power to help me get out of debt; and eventually, after many years, I got back on my feet, financially speaking. In fact, I can recall many other critical incidents in my spiritual life as well where God provided a way out so that I would not end up in spiritual bankruptcy.
However, this verse is also a warning to us in that since God is faithful, therefore if we end up failing, like the Israelites, we have no one but ourselves to blame. The numerous miraculous deeds of the Lord preceding their arrival at Mount Sinai did nothing to prevent the Israelites from making a golden calf to worship. It was their deliberate choice and if not for the passionate intercession of Moses, they would have been consumed by the anger of God. That, too, was another way out, another chance that God gave them. The history of Israel could be said to be a history of numerous second chances, and so when the glory of the Lord eventually departed from them, they really had no one but themselves to blame; and so the Apostle Paul said that their history was written down in the Bible “as a warning for us.” (1 Co. 10:11).