"Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion."
Not everyone is made the same way. We enjoy and are interested in different things because God made us for different purposes. We are all made to bring Him glory. But we do this in different ways. For example, some people give him the most glory by remaining single, while other people give Him the most glory by marrying.
In addition to directives from God’s word, determining what God has for you has to do with you situation, interests, aptitudes, and delighting yourself in the Lord by walking in the Spirit. In the distress of Paul’s day, most single people could give God more glory by remaining single. However, if the single person was going to be burning with passion in his single-hood, he would have been able to give God more glory by getting married.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
1 Corinthians 7:5
"Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control."
We may think that we understand our weaknesses, but God understands our weaknesses far better than we understand them. Furthermore, he understands the weaknesses of the other people in our lives. That is something which we only receive momentary glimpses and of which we are mostly ignorant. Knowing this, God has clued us in on how to relate to others for their best good and ours too.
The directive here is to never withhold sexual relations from your spouse. The context indicated that fulfillment was each spouse's right. And here we see that your spouse's fulfillment in you can keep your spouse from the temptation of seeking fulfillment elsewhere. Therefore always give yourself freely and without reservation to your spouse whenever your spouse desires you, regardless of your current desire.
You can only withhold yourself from your spouse when three requirements are met. You must both be in agreement concerning the abstinence. You must only abstain for a pre-determined temporary period of time. And you can only abstain for the purpose of prayer. Obviously, other short periods of abstinence due to a spouse's illness or other extenuating circumstances are acceptable too. But again this should be an exception from the norm, and you should quickly return to one another after the abstinence and be fulfilled in an acceptable manner.
We may think that we understand our weaknesses, but God understands our weaknesses far better than we understand them. Furthermore, he understands the weaknesses of the other people in our lives. That is something which we only receive momentary glimpses and of which we are mostly ignorant. Knowing this, God has clued us in on how to relate to others for their best good and ours too.
The directive here is to never withhold sexual relations from your spouse. The context indicated that fulfillment was each spouse's right. And here we see that your spouse's fulfillment in you can keep your spouse from the temptation of seeking fulfillment elsewhere. Therefore always give yourself freely and without reservation to your spouse whenever your spouse desires you, regardless of your current desire.
You can only withhold yourself from your spouse when three requirements are met. You must both be in agreement concerning the abstinence. You must only abstain for a pre-determined temporary period of time. And you can only abstain for the purpose of prayer. Obviously, other short periods of abstinence due to a spouse's illness or other extenuating circumstances are acceptable too. But again this should be an exception from the norm, and you should quickly return to one another after the abstinence and be fulfilled in an acceptable manner.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
1 Corinthians 7:3-4
"The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. "
In many cultures throughout time, the woman in a marriage relationship was virtually or actually considered property of the man in a kind of slave and owner relationship. The wife was expected to do whatever the husband wanted (cook, entertain, bare children, pick up after the man, etc.). The husband, however, was only responsible to provide financially for the woman, and there his responsibilities ended. Obviously, this is a simplistic representation. But I consider it to show how different the Bible, an ancient text, directs us to live together.
Indeed, "the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does." But neither "does [the husband] have authority over his own body, but the wife does." A married couple belongs to each other. They exist to give God glory, and one of the ways to do this is by living for the other spouse. The specific application given deals with providing sexual fulfillment, but I think that the same principle applies to every aspect of a couple's lives together. In everything that they do, each should remember that (s)he belongs to the other.
In many cultures throughout time, the woman in a marriage relationship was virtually or actually considered property of the man in a kind of slave and owner relationship. The wife was expected to do whatever the husband wanted (cook, entertain, bare children, pick up after the man, etc.). The husband, however, was only responsible to provide financially for the woman, and there his responsibilities ended. Obviously, this is a simplistic representation. But I consider it to show how different the Bible, an ancient text, directs us to live together.
Indeed, "the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does." But neither "does [the husband] have authority over his own body, but the wife does." A married couple belongs to each other. They exist to give God glory, and one of the ways to do this is by living for the other spouse. The specific application given deals with providing sexual fulfillment, but I think that the same principle applies to every aspect of a couple's lives together. In everything that they do, each should remember that (s)he belongs to the other.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
1 Corinthians 7:1-2
"Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: 'It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.' But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband."
These verses make a distinction between "sexual relations" and "sexual immorality." The former refers to relations within the marriage setting. The later is outside of marriage. Paul is not saying that you should avoid sexual relations within marriage (the next few verses make that abundantly clear). He is saying that it is best for men not to get married. But then he makes the concession that if remaining unmarried will lead you to engage in extramarital relations, you should be married. To put it another way, marriage isn't a good idea, but if you can't contain yourself, get married.
These words seem strange and foreign to us. Do these verses indicate that the Christian church wrong to put such an emphasis on marriage. Should we be supporters of celibacy as a better option than marriage? One might come to believe that from this passage. But a later verse in this chapter helps us to understand the situation in which these comments were made. It is "in view of the present distress." The church was experiencing a time of persecution. And in that situation, it would be better not to be married. But even then, it was better to be married than to be given over to immorality.
Today's Christian should take at least two lessons away. One, relations within marriage are not immoral. They keep you from immorality. Two, if you are single and struggling with the desire for sexual relations, wait until you are married.
These verses make a distinction between "sexual relations" and "sexual immorality." The former refers to relations within the marriage setting. The later is outside of marriage. Paul is not saying that you should avoid sexual relations within marriage (the next few verses make that abundantly clear). He is saying that it is best for men not to get married. But then he makes the concession that if remaining unmarried will lead you to engage in extramarital relations, you should be married. To put it another way, marriage isn't a good idea, but if you can't contain yourself, get married.
These words seem strange and foreign to us. Do these verses indicate that the Christian church wrong to put such an emphasis on marriage. Should we be supporters of celibacy as a better option than marriage? One might come to believe that from this passage. But a later verse in this chapter helps us to understand the situation in which these comments were made. It is "in view of the present distress." The church was experiencing a time of persecution. And in that situation, it would be better not to be married. But even then, it was better to be married than to be given over to immorality.
Today's Christian should take at least two lessons away. One, relations within marriage are not immoral. They keep you from immorality. Two, if you are single and struggling with the desire for sexual relations, wait until you are married.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
The first reason given for avoiding sexual immorality was that our bodies were not made for sexual immorality, and the second was that our physical bodies are spiritually joined to Christ. And now we read that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and our bodies are not our possession. They have been paid for by Christ's death. We have been purchased.
All sin is bad, but sexual sins, for the Christian, are particularly severe. Before a Christian engages in immorality, he needs to stop and think about what he is doing. Not only is he breaking God's law and thus dishonoring God. But he is sinning "against his own body," and because of the relationship between God and his body, he doubly dishonors God.
Even with the higher stakes, the sexually immoral person can be forgiven. But let us avoid that need. We are God's, and He intends for us to bring Him glory through our bodies.
The first reason given for avoiding sexual immorality was that our bodies were not made for sexual immorality, and the second was that our physical bodies are spiritually joined to Christ. And now we read that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and our bodies are not our possession. They have been paid for by Christ's death. We have been purchased.
All sin is bad, but sexual sins, for the Christian, are particularly severe. Before a Christian engages in immorality, he needs to stop and think about what he is doing. Not only is he breaking God's law and thus dishonoring God. But he is sinning "against his own body," and because of the relationship between God and his body, he doubly dishonors God.
Even with the higher stakes, the sexually immoral person can be forgiven. But let us avoid that need. We are God's, and He intends for us to bring Him glory through our bodies.
Monday, October 15, 2007
1 Corinthians 6:15-17
"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, 'The two will become one flesh.' But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him."
Not only does our body belong to Christ, but it is joined to Him. Our bodies are "members of Christ." In a spiritual sense, we are part of Christ as our finger, arms, or shoulders are part of us physically.
Our relationship with Christ goes beyond mere friendship or familial ties. We are part of Him. Should we then, being part of him, be joined with a prostitute? The concept is revolting and blasphemous.
Not only does our body belong to Christ, but it is joined to Him. Our bodies are "members of Christ." In a spiritual sense, we are part of Christ as our finger, arms, or shoulders are part of us physically.
Our relationship with Christ goes beyond mere friendship or familial ties. We are part of Him. Should we then, being part of him, be joined with a prostitute? The concept is revolting and blasphemous.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
1 Corinthians 6:12-14
"“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power."
We have many different natural desires. Some desires can seem very strong and nearly overwhelming. But we are never to be brought under the power of our desire for anything. Take food for example. Our bodies (especially our stomachs) were created to require food, and food was made to be eaten. But eventually we will no longer need food nor our stomachs, and they shall both be destroyed. It is lawful for us to eat any kind of food that we can imagine. But it is not helpful to eat a bag of marshmallows for three meals a day. Someone who would eat such an unhealthy (or unhelpful) diet would likely be doing so because of a lack of control. The acceptable desire for white fluffy sweetness has overwhelmed him. So there is a lawful acceptable desire, but then there is also the unhelpful, misuse of the natural desire.
Another natural, lawful desire is the desire for sexual fulfillment. We were created with this desire. But we are not to fulfill that desire through immoral means (i.e. outside of a monogamous, heterosexual marriage relationship). Our bodies were created with the lawful desire, but we may not attempt to fulfill this desire in an unhelpful, unacceptable, unlawful way. Intensifying the importance of this matter is the fact that our bodies are not our own. Our bodies are "for the Lord."
We have many different natural desires. Some desires can seem very strong and nearly overwhelming. But we are never to be brought under the power of our desire for anything. Take food for example. Our bodies (especially our stomachs) were created to require food, and food was made to be eaten. But eventually we will no longer need food nor our stomachs, and they shall both be destroyed. It is lawful for us to eat any kind of food that we can imagine. But it is not helpful to eat a bag of marshmallows for three meals a day. Someone who would eat such an unhealthy (or unhelpful) diet would likely be doing so because of a lack of control. The acceptable desire for white fluffy sweetness has overwhelmed him. So there is a lawful acceptable desire, but then there is also the unhelpful, misuse of the natural desire.
Another natural, lawful desire is the desire for sexual fulfillment. We were created with this desire. But we are not to fulfill that desire through immoral means (i.e. outside of a monogamous, heterosexual marriage relationship). Our bodies were created with the lawful desire, but we may not attempt to fulfill this desire in an unhelpful, unacceptable, unlawful way. Intensifying the importance of this matter is the fact that our bodies are not our own. Our bodies are "for the Lord."
Friday, October 12, 2007
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
There is both great condemnation in these verses (harsher than we would commonly admit) and great hope. There is condemnation for those who are not in Christ. Those who do not have the righteousness of Christ applied to their account continue unhindered in their sinful ways.
They commit immorality, idolatry, and thievery. They are also guilty of greediness, drunkenness, anger, and deception. This second group of sins is no less serious than the first. Unrepented of, all of these sins (little or small, as we falsely dichotomize) keep a person from being part of God's spiritual kingdom.
But the worst of sins cannot separate you from God, if you come to him for salvation. After the list of condemnation, we read "and such were some of you." There is great hope for the worst of sinners. You can be clean. You do not have to stay in your sin. You don't have to be described that way anymore.
I have heard it said that a person who steals one time is a thief, or a person who is unfaithful one time is an adulterer. There is a sense in which this is true. They have violated the law and are guilty before God. But if they come to God for forgiveness, it can then be said of them that they once were thieves and adulterers, but now they are clean.
When involved in a jail ministry, I spent several weeks speaking with a man in solitary confinement. He was in solitary for his own protection. He told me that if he were released into the general population he would be attacked by the other prisoners because of the heinousness of his crime. I do not know what his crime was. But I know that he could be "washed, ... sanctified, [and] justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." Whatever your sin, God can save.
But why would this wonderful truth be located in a passage instructing believers not to take other believers to court before unbelievers? Well, would you like someone fitting the description of the unrighteous judging you? Of course not. Christians should remember what they were like. This will keep them from putting themselves under the judgment of someone who is still that way.
There is both great condemnation in these verses (harsher than we would commonly admit) and great hope. There is condemnation for those who are not in Christ. Those who do not have the righteousness of Christ applied to their account continue unhindered in their sinful ways.
They commit immorality, idolatry, and thievery. They are also guilty of greediness, drunkenness, anger, and deception. This second group of sins is no less serious than the first. Unrepented of, all of these sins (little or small, as we falsely dichotomize) keep a person from being part of God's spiritual kingdom.
But the worst of sins cannot separate you from God, if you come to him for salvation. After the list of condemnation, we read "and such were some of you." There is great hope for the worst of sinners. You can be clean. You do not have to stay in your sin. You don't have to be described that way anymore.
I have heard it said that a person who steals one time is a thief, or a person who is unfaithful one time is an adulterer. There is a sense in which this is true. They have violated the law and are guilty before God. But if they come to God for forgiveness, it can then be said of them that they once were thieves and adulterers, but now they are clean.
When involved in a jail ministry, I spent several weeks speaking with a man in solitary confinement. He was in solitary for his own protection. He told me that if he were released into the general population he would be attacked by the other prisoners because of the heinousness of his crime. I do not know what his crime was. But I know that he could be "washed, ... sanctified, [and] justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." Whatever your sin, God can save.
But why would this wonderful truth be located in a passage instructing believers not to take other believers to court before unbelievers? Well, would you like someone fitting the description of the unrighteous judging you? Of course not. Christians should remember what they were like. This will keep them from putting themselves under the judgment of someone who is still that way.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
1 Corinthians 6:5-8
"I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!"
Perhaps the problem in our churches is that there doesn't seem to be anybody wise enough to solve the dispute. But I think that it is what is being communicated here. There were people capable of mediating the dispute. So why weren't disputers going to them? Perhaps the offended party failed to seek out brothers to deal with the problem because he thought that they would not be able to enforce their decision. So to keep from loosing out, he went to court before unbelievers. This does not keep a person from defeat. It is a defeat.
We are so concerned about standing up for ourselves that we cannot imagine a situation where it would be good for us to suffer wrong or be defrauded. So instead of taking it, we dish out. We go from someone who was suffering because someone did wrong to being one who is doing wrong.
It would be far better for me to suffer wrong than to do wrong. God will not hold me accountable for the wrong done for me, but He will hold be accountable for the wrong that I do.
Perhaps the problem in our churches is that there doesn't seem to be anybody wise enough to solve the dispute. But I think that it is what is being communicated here. There were people capable of mediating the dispute. So why weren't disputers going to them? Perhaps the offended party failed to seek out brothers to deal with the problem because he thought that they would not be able to enforce their decision. So to keep from loosing out, he went to court before unbelievers. This does not keep a person from defeat. It is a defeat.
We are so concerned about standing up for ourselves that we cannot imagine a situation where it would be good for us to suffer wrong or be defrauded. So instead of taking it, we dish out. We go from someone who was suffering because someone did wrong to being one who is doing wrong.
It would be far better for me to suffer wrong than to do wrong. God will not hold me accountable for the wrong done for me, but He will hold be accountable for the wrong that I do.
Friday, October 5, 2007
1 Corinthians 6:1-4
"When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?"
Christians should not have grievances with other Christians at all. If Christians were without sin, we would be able to avoid disagreements altogether. But no one on earth, not even the best of Christians, is without sin. Therefore, from time to time a Christian is going to wrong you, or you are going to wrong some other Christian. What should happen in such a case? After repeatedly talking to the person personally, we go with another Christian repeatedly and finally we take it to the church (according to Matthew 18). We do not go before non-Christian officials.
Consider an example: you have a lawn care business and one of your customers is a fellow Christian in your church. You mow his lawn several times, but he never pays you. Do you turn him over to the collection agency? No, people within the church have the capability of clearing up the matter. What if there is no proof of who is telling the truth? Allow yourself to be wronged. It was wrong for him to rob you. But it is wrong of you to take him to the civil authorities over the matter.
Christians should not have grievances with other Christians at all. If Christians were without sin, we would be able to avoid disagreements altogether. But no one on earth, not even the best of Christians, is without sin. Therefore, from time to time a Christian is going to wrong you, or you are going to wrong some other Christian. What should happen in such a case? After repeatedly talking to the person personally, we go with another Christian repeatedly and finally we take it to the church (according to Matthew 18). We do not go before non-Christian officials.
Consider an example: you have a lawn care business and one of your customers is a fellow Christian in your church. You mow his lawn several times, but he never pays you. Do you turn him over to the collection agency? No, people within the church have the capability of clearing up the matter. What if there is no proof of who is telling the truth? Allow yourself to be wronged. It was wrong for him to rob you. But it is wrong of you to take him to the civil authorities over the matter.
a reminder
The sub-title to the blog reads "trying to know more of God through His word." I started reading Taste and See, a book of devotional meditations written by John Piper. The first entry reminded me that I needed to be driven by a desire to know God more. I recognize that the section that I am reading/studying in 1 Corinthians is very practically oriented and does not explain who God is directly. So in considering the text, I will be trying to understand practical matters. But even in such a section, I can be focused on knowing God better.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
1 Corinthians 5:11-13
"But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”"
Those who do not know Christ will be immoral, greedy, idolatrous, angry, drunken, and deceptive. It is their nature. It is to be expected. This is not to say that every non-Christian will be clearly characterized by all or any of these things. This simply is the way many are, and it's what is natural for them. Christians should not run away from non-Christians who are like this.
However, if someone is believed to be a Christian, and he acts like this, it must be dealt with. After trying to convince someone (according to Matthew 18) to stop behaving these ways, if he refuses biblical counsel, you must stop fellowshipping with him. Many Christians accept this as true for those engaged in immorality, idolatry, drunkenness, or deception. But God takes it further, saying that we shouldn't even fellowship with greedy or angry believers.
This may seem like an extreme standard, and perhaps it even seems unkind and unloving. I suppose that the discipline could be done in such a manner. But the discipline itself is not unkind. It is for the sake of the person being disciplined, for the testimony of Christ, and for the protection of other people in the church.
Those who do not know Christ will be immoral, greedy, idolatrous, angry, drunken, and deceptive. It is their nature. It is to be expected. This is not to say that every non-Christian will be clearly characterized by all or any of these things. This simply is the way many are, and it's what is natural for them. Christians should not run away from non-Christians who are like this.
However, if someone is believed to be a Christian, and he acts like this, it must be dealt with. After trying to convince someone (according to Matthew 18) to stop behaving these ways, if he refuses biblical counsel, you must stop fellowshipping with him. Many Christians accept this as true for those engaged in immorality, idolatry, drunkenness, or deception. But God takes it further, saying that we shouldn't even fellowship with greedy or angry believers.
This may seem like an extreme standard, and perhaps it even seems unkind and unloving. I suppose that the discipline could be done in such a manner. But the discipline itself is not unkind. It is for the sake of the person being disciplined, for the testimony of Christ, and for the protection of other people in the church.
Monday, October 1, 2007
1 Corinthians 5:9-10
"I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. "
Jesus was criticized by the religious crowd for interacting with sinners. The religious of Jesus' day would have nothing to do with tax collectors or other seriously immoral people. But Jesus knew that He was sent to minister to these sinners. Today's religious or churched people often act like the religious hypocrites of Jesus' day rather than like Jesus. It was a problem in the first century church, and it is a problem today.
We need to be concerned about our purity. We need to deal with sin in our midst, but we also need to actively pursue ministering the gospel to even the most openly vile of sinners. Failing to do this parallels the building cloisters for ourselves out in the country somewhere away from everyone else. That's not God's plan.
Jesus was criticized by the religious crowd for interacting with sinners. The religious of Jesus' day would have nothing to do with tax collectors or other seriously immoral people. But Jesus knew that He was sent to minister to these sinners. Today's religious or churched people often act like the religious hypocrites of Jesus' day rather than like Jesus. It was a problem in the first century church, and it is a problem today.
We need to be concerned about our purity. We need to deal with sin in our midst, but we also need to actively pursue ministering the gospel to even the most openly vile of sinners. Failing to do this parallels the building cloisters for ourselves out in the country somewhere away from everyone else. That's not God's plan.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)