1 Corinthians 7:1-40
Marriage
1 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 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?
17 Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. 20 Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.
21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22 For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. 24 Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.
25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is.27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
36 If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. 37 But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. 38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.
39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
Genesis 2:1-25
Preparations for Man
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man. ”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Matthew 19:1-12
Jesus on Divorce
1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 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’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
When the Pharisees ask Jesus about divorce, He talks about marriage, and about the origin of marriage...“The Pharisees ask Him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”...“Haven’t you read,” He replied, “that 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’?...So they are no longer two, but one flesh...Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”...“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”...Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard...But it was not this way from the beginning...I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”...Jesus tells us that God is the One who originated marriage...Marriage was not mans' idea, but a Divine Creation in the beginning...So Jesus is telling us that God created marriage and not man...
When Jesus was speaking about marriage and divorce He brings us back to Scripture and quotes Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24, when He talks about divorce... Jesus reminds us that in the beginning God made male and female and for this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united in marriage and the two will become one flesh...So with one flesh there is no other place for a third person in the marriage relationship, other than their children...So what God has joined together, let no man separate...God made marriage a part of the world He created...Marriage and family are a part of His created order...Jesus takes marriage and divorce very seriously...If we give marriage vows to God we are committed for life in marriage...If we cannot accept this commitment and we believe this is the situation in and of marriage, Jesus says it is better not to marry (Matthew 19:10)...There are very tough and rocky situations that come up in marriage and Jesus wants us aware of the commitment that we made to our spouse and the vows we made in front of God...
Over a lifetime, we know that we will face many experiences in this life that test a marriage...St. Paul tells us whenever possible it is good that Christians stay single...But he adds that a woman is bound to her husband, once they are married, as long as he lives...But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the LORD...In Paul's judgment, the woman is happier if she stays close to the LORD—and the husband and wife should seek the Spirit of God...
St. Paul also says he wishes men were more like him, in that he is committed to God...His desire to seek God and zeal for Him has overcome any desire to be married...St. Paul is dedicated to God...Paul says that the LORD has said that a woman is to stay married to her husband and must not separate from her husband...And a husband must not divorce his wife...St. Paul echos Jesus the importance of staying married...So if a man and woman are thinking of marriage they must think through the lifelong commitment to marriage...The vow they give before God is a commitment one is expected to keep...
St. Paul also says that a wife's body does not belong to her alone, but also to her husband...In the same way a husband's body does not belong to him alone, but also to his wife...He tells his readers from Corinth, do not deprive each other except by mutual consent...And we must make time for prayer...Prayer helps marriage...Married couples that pray together have a powerful tool in their marriage...
St. Paul says in some marriages there is only one believing spouse...They too are not to get divorced...The unbelieving spouse has been sanctified by the believing and sanctified spouse...The one parent who believes has a strong, positive, and holy impact on their children and families because of their faith....
In Genesis we learn that it is not good that man be alone, and that he should have a female partner...So God made Adam a partner from his rib...Eve, being from his rib, is by Adam's side and close to him...
We are a function of our thoughts and minds...Whatever is on our minds and thoughts gets our attention and our time...With spouses and families do take up our time, we have less time for the LORD...St. Paul wants us to have God as our life's priority...Paul in speaking about those who have not married yet, should stay unmarried...Does the young mind think of marriage for a lifetime?...But when the never married do get married, they have not sinned...Because those married will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare this for you...Paul felt that the unmarried would be more committed to God...He feels that a married man and woman will be concerned with worldly affairs and his family and have less time for God...St. Paul ends this chapter on marriage in telling us we are to stay married as long as we live, but when one becomes a widow, one is free to marry...But St. Paul in his opinion thinks the widow is happier staying unmarried and staying as they are (widowed)...He adds that they should work on having the Spirit of God...The can do this with more time for the above and our spiritual God, and less time concerning themselves with other things in this world...
We are only here a short time on earth (verse 29)...All things on this earth can take up our time...Family, job, hobbies, our favorite interests, TV take up our time...It can take up our lives...Married or unmarried we need to keep our lives simple...St. Paul teaches us to spend as much time in Scripture seeking the Father and Son as we can...