1 Corinthians 7:10-11
The Corinthians had a lot of questions for Paul regarding
singleness.
Paul has clear opinions separate from the Lord: v 12, v25.
That doesn’t mean that it’s not the Word of God, because Paul was led by the
Holy Spirit to write this. One interpretation is that there is difference from
Jesus’s literal teachings. Another interpretation is that Paul was given a
Divine allowance to say these things. Paul’s preferences, according to
scripture is for single people to remain single. He is intending that believers
in Christ to be his audience.
1.
Believers are to honor their marriage vows.
a.
If you are married, honor the promise you have
made.
i. 1
Corinthians 7:10-11 NKJV
ii. A
wife is not to leave her husband (except for conditions later mentioned)
iii. If
a spouse leaves the marriage, they are to remain unmarried, or reconcile with
the spouse.
c.
Narcissism is not a pitfall of singleness; it
can also be a pitfall in marriage.
d.
Marriage is not intended to be a checklist of
needs to be met--if you’re not careful about it, perceived unmet needs an
become a selfish manifest of neediness.
e.
God calls husbands and wives to be devoted to
each other with a sacrificial love.
2.
Believers are not to use their faith as an
excuse for ending a marriage.
a.
1 Corinthians 7:17-24 NKJV
b.
Don’t instantly start trying to make changes in
your life based off newfound faith.
c.
This is referring to marriages with a new
Christian, and an unbelieving spouse.
d.
This is also referring to unequally yolked
marriage, with one believer and one unbeliever.
i. If
you are a Christian and have a Bible, there is no justification for you to walk
into a marriage with an unbeliever. You are signing your life into misery. Yes,
there are cases of His mercy, but there are many cases also of an unbelieving
spouse reaching the end of their life without becoming saved.
ii. 1
Corinthians 7:12-13 NKJV
iii. If
the unsaved person is willing to stick it out, ask God to give you the strength
to stick to your marriage vows.
iv. But
will being with an unbeliever make you unclean? No, it does not contaminate
you, because you have been washed in the Lamb and there is no way for you to
lose your cleanliness. The question is how long you can handle the marriage.
1.
1 Corinthians 7:14 NKJV
2.
The unbeliever becomes a beneficiary of the
believer; the runoff of blessings.
v. 1
Corinthians 7:15 NKJV
1.
God blesses a spouse to be a peacemaker in a
household, so that the ship can sail on.
vi. 1
Corinthians 7:16 NKJV
1.
If you’re able to hold on, how do you know that
your spouse won’t get saved in the future? A spouse’s longsuffering, endurance,
that is rewarded is beautiful.
2.
Paul appeals to the saved--hold on as long as
you can, because you could be their last chance to be saved.
3.
There are biblical allowances for divorce.
a.
Adultery | Matthew 19:9 NKJV
b.
Abandonment | 1 Corinthians 7:15 NKJV
c.
Serious Endangerment
4.
There are biblical conditions for Christian
marriage
a.
Believer to believer!
i. 2
Corinthians 6:14 NASB
ii. 2
Corinthians 6:14 NKJV
b.
There are fewer criteria to satisfy for first
time marriages.
i. Confirmations
1.
Holy Spirit
2.
Friends
3.
Family
ii. Philosophical
alignment
c.
Subsequent marriages
i. Confirm
the end of previous legal arrangements
ii. Death--
1 Corinthians 7:39-40
5.
Single or married, God wants us to have a single
focus on Him.
a.
Paul was convinced that the Lord could come by
at anytime. The apostolic period was marked by the thought of an imminent
return
i. 1
Corinthians 7:29-30 NKJV
b.
Even if you are married, your spouse is not your
first love. Your spouse is just along for the ride. Be careful so that your
spouse does not become your idol, as with your marriage. You should be lost in
the Lord, not lost in your marriage. Do not put your spouse in place of God.
i. 1
Corinthians 7:35 NKJV
c.
When you’re married to a Christian, the marriage
does not become a distraction, but a fertile ground to grow in the Lord.
d.
A Godly spouse will bring about a Godly
marriage.
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