Monday, November 12, 2007

1 Corinthians 7:36-38

"If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better."


It is not a sin to get married (not even during a time of persecution). Again the decision to marry in time of persecution or not to marry comes down to what is best in your situation. It is the larger situation, the persecution, that makes refraining a better option in the first place. And it is the specific situation, your being unable to refrain from marriage, that overrides the call to refrain from marriage in the first place.


We can see from these verses, that sometimes your circumstances influence what is best for you. This could easily be used as justification for situational ethics. But an important distinction must be made. In situational ethics, the situation determines right and wrong. But in this passage, the situation influences what is best; it has no bearing on right or wrong. It is never wrong to marry in the Lord (if you are single). Therefore, the situation does not alter morality. The situation can help us determine what is best, but it never effects moral absolutes.

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