Paul's Epistles - 1 Corinthians Part 12 – Marriage

Paul's Epistles - 1 Corinthians

Part 12 – Marriage

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

INTRODUCTION

This letter to the Corinthian church began by addressing some sexual immorality among the believers, and actually being allowed in the church.

A son sleeping with his step mother, and prostitution, and who knows what else. Paul said they were allowing things even the pagans wouldn't stand for.

They said to Paul they had the right to do anything, and all things were permissible.

They excused living in sin.

They believed themselves more spiritual than Paul, going beyond what was written, and filling with pride as they became over spiritualized.

They even tried to tell Paul that it didn't matter what they did in their bodies, because they were going to be destroyed by God in the end anyway.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE I Corinthians 7:1-17

7 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” ² But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. ³ The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. ⁴ The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. ⁵ Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ I say this as a concession, not as a command. ⁷ I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

⁸ Now to the unmarried^[a] and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. ⁹ But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

¹⁰ To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. ¹¹ But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

¹² To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. ¹³ And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

¹⁵ But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. ¹⁶ How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Up to this point, Paul has been addressing things he has heard. Now he is referring to the letter the Corinthian church has sent him.

                   I.            MARRIAGE

a.      The Corinthian Church wrote

                                                                         i.      It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.

                                                                      ii.      This line of thinking, "to be like Paul", is what caused the rules in the Catholic Church keeping priests from taking wives.

                                                                   iii.      However, as Paul quickly points out, sexual immorality was occurring in their church "because" of these imposed restrictions.

                                                                     iv.      It is NOT wrong for a man to marry if that is God's calling on him for his life.

b.     Paul's Advice

                                                                         i.      Each man should have sexual relations, with his own wife

1.      This is a "rule", not merely permisison

                                                                      ii.      and the wife with her husband

1.      Paul closes the door to open relationships, swingers, pre-marital relations...it is to be between a husband and wife, only.

                                                                   iii.      Going out and getting "multiple" wives does not work either.

1.      God made Adam and Eve...not Adam and Eve and June and Carol...etc.

c.      Also, each submits to their spouse's needs

                                                                         i.      You should never hold back from your spouse

                                                                      ii.      Paul says in verse 5, "Do not deprive each other, except perhaps by mutual consent and only for a short time, to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you..."

1.      Verse 5 speaking of fasting for prayer.

                                                                   iii.      Paul is speaking of meeting the legitimate sexual needs of your spouse.

                                                                     iv.      The husband and wife belong to each other.

                                                                        v.      Some in the Corinthian Church were refraining from sexual activity with their spouses because they mistakenly thought it would make them more spiritual.

1.      We see this in cults (Heaven's Gate), and also in certain denominations (Catholicism)

                                                                     vi.      Paul says that he wishes all had the gift of celibacy; however, we all have different gifts from God.

                                                                  vii.      If we were all celibate, only non-believers would be having children.

               II.            DIVORCE

a.      Now to the unmarried and widows

                                                                         i.      It is OK to stay unmarried as Paul

1.      Not because Paul was against marriage, but because of the times he lived in, the hostility of Rome against Christians.

                                                                      ii.      However, if they have passions, it is better to marry than to burn with lust.

b.     To the married I give this command

                                                                         i.      A wife must not separate from her husband

                                                                      ii.      A husband must not divorce his wife

1.      Pertains to departing on grounds which were not scriptural; in other words, the husband being unsaved did not give the wife the right to divorce him on those grounds.

                                                                   iii.      Why did Paul say if she did separate, she had to remain single unless returning to her husband?

1.      This refers to her getting a divorce with no grounds, so she would have to remain single, not remarrying unless it was to her former husband.

2.      These same restrictions are placed on the husband as well.

c.      However, there is allowance for divorce in scripture

                                                                         i.      God divorced Israel over Spiritual Adultery

                                                                      ii.      In verse 15, Paul says if an unbeliever leaves his believing spouse, let it be so...don't stop them.

                                                                   iii.      In 1 Timothy 5:8 "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

1.      So according to scripture, we can leave our spouse if

a.      they commit adultery (immorality whether of sexual nature or not)

b.     or if we become believers and they are non-believers who want to leave.

c.      or if they do not provide for their family, because they are worse than a non-believer and are acting immoral by not providing as God commands them to.

            III.            UN-EQUALLY YOKED

a.      The problem as Paul sees it

                                                                         i.      Couples should not marry if they are un-equally yoked.

1.      2 Corinthians 6:14 "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"

                                                                      ii.      A believer should never marry an un-believer

                                                                   iii.      However, Paul is speaking to those who were new believers, and were already married.

b.     Willing to stay with each other

                                                                         i.      Paul says, if a brother who is a believer has a wife who is not a believer, and she is willing to live with him, don't divorce her.

                                                                      ii.      If a woman is a believer and her husband is not, and he is willing to stay with her, she shouldn't divorce him.

                                                                   iii.      WHY?

1.      verse 14 "For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy."

2.      Meaning, the believer, by virtue of being ONE FLESH in marriage with their un-believing spouse, is not considered living in an un-lawful relationship; SANCTIFIED means that God looks at the home as a Christian home and marriage, even though one or the other spouse is unsaved.

3.      And the Children being considered "clean" means, the Lord looks at them as being in a Christian family, which allows God to do a work in their lives, because they belong to Him and His kingdom.

c.      However, if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so

                                                                         i.      God has called us to live in peace.

                                                                      ii.      Speaks of desertion. Desertion for the sole cause of Christ. They left because you became a weirdo in their eyes. A Jesus freak. A religious nut. Let them go.

                                                                   iii.      The believer is free to remarry.

                                                                     iv.      Why do we let them go?

1.      Because we are called to live in peace, and an unbelieving spouse who doesn't want to keep the marriage together destroys all peace.

                                                                        v.      How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

1.      We should do everything we can to keep the marriage together in hopes of saving our unbelieving spouses.

CONCLUSION

So Paul is telling the church in Corinth, your rules about celibacy is causing immorality among you.

Allow marriage, and they should remain with their own spouse.

Do not marry a non-believer, but if you are already married and become a believer, stay if they are willing, you may lead them to Christ.

If the non-believer wants to go, let them. We are to live in peace.

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