FIRST CORINTHIANS How to Live in a Pagan World. 1 st Corinthians 7:1-16 1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not

FIRST CORINTHIANSFIRST CORINTHIANSHow to Live in a How to Live in a

Pagan WorldPagan World

11stst Corinthians 7:1-16 Corinthians 7:1-16

1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

6 But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment.

7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am;

9 but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.

11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.

13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.

16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

New King James Version

Two Mega-ThemesTwo Mega-ThemesIn 1In 1stst Corinthians Corinthians

• Living as Christians in a pagan world.

• Being the Church in a pagan world.

Two Mega-ThemesTwo Mega-ThemesIn 1In 1stst Corinthians Corinthians

• Living as Christians in a Living as Christians in a pagan world.pagan world.

• Being the Church in a pagan world.

Living as Christians in a Pagan Living as Christians in a Pagan WorldWorld

1. God’s People: Living as a Minority Group 1:18-2:16

2. Living as God’s People in a Litigious Society 6:1-8

3. Living as God’s People in a Sexually Immoral Climate 6:9-20

4. Living as God’s People in a Culture of Divorce 7:1-40

5. Living as Free People with a Cause 8:1-9:23

6. Living as God’s People in an Idolatrous Age 9:24-10:33

7. Living Steadfast, Knowing How It Turns Out 15

Living as Christians in a Pagan Living as Christians in a Pagan WorldWorld

1. God’s People: Living as a Minority Group 1:18-2:16

2. Living as God’s People in a Litigious Society 6:1-8

3. Living as God’s People in a Sexually Immoral Climate 6:9-20

4.4. Living as God’s People in a Culture of Living as God’s People in a Culture of Divorce 7:1-40Divorce 7:1-40

5. Living as Free People with a Cause 8:1-9:23

6. Living as God’s People in an Idolatrous Age 9:24-10:33

7. Living Steadfast, Knowing How It Turns Out 15

Living as God’s People in a Living as God’s People in a Culture of DivorceCulture of Divorce 7:1-7:1-4040

1.1. Marriage, celibacy, and the Marriage, celibacy, and the avoidance of immoralityavoidance of immorality 7:1-9

2.2. Married Christians Married Christians contemplating divorcecontemplating divorce 7:10-11

3.3. Christians married to non-Christians married to non-Christians contemplating Christians contemplating divorcedivorce 7:12-16

4.4. Unmarried Christians Unmarried Christians considering marriageconsidering marriage 7:17-40

1. Marriage, Celibacy, 1. Marriage, Celibacy, and the Avoidance of and the Avoidance of

ImmoralityImmorality

7:1-97:1-9

The Value of CelibacyThe Value of Celibacy

• Vs. 1 “Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.”

• Vs. 1, HCS “About the things you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have relations with a woman." ”

• Vs. 1, NLT “…Yes, it is good to live a celibate life.”

1. Marriage, Celibacy, and the Avoidance of Immorality

The Gift of CelibacyThe Gift of Celibacy

• Vs. 7 “For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.”

• Vs. 7, NLT “…God gives some the gift of marriage, and to others he gives the gift of singleness.”


Marriage and Avoiding Marriage and Avoiding ImmoralityImmorality

• Vs. 2 “But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.”

• Vs. 9 “But if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”


2. Married Christians 2. Married Christians Contemplating DivorceContemplating Divorce

7:10-11

The Basic PrincipleThe Basic Principle

7:10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.

7:11 But even if she does departBut even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

2. Married Christians Contemplating Divorce

3. Christians Married to 3. Christians Married to Non-Christians Non-Christians

Contemplating DivorceContemplating Divorce

7:12-407:12-40

Your First ChoiceYour First Choice

• 7:12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.

3. Christians Married to Non-Christians Contemplating Divorce

Consider Your InfluenceConsider Your Influence

• 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

• 7:16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?


Think About the ChildrenThink About the Children

• Vs. 14, Amplified “For the unbelieving husband is set apart (separated, withdrawn from heathen contamination, and affiliated with the Christian people) by union with his consecrated (set-apart) wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart and separated through union with her consecrated husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean (unblessed heathen, outside the Christian covenant), but as it is they are prepared for God [pure and clean].”


When the Choice is Taken Out When the Choice is Taken Out of Your Handsof Your Hands

• Vs. 15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.

• Amplified: “in such [cases the remaining] brother or sister is not morally bound”


4. Unmarried Christians 4. Unmarried Christians Considering MarriageConsidering Marriage

7:17-407:17-40

The Key to the PassageThe Key to the Passage

• 7:26 “I suppose therefore that this is good because of the because of the present distresspresent distress—that it is good for a man to remain as he is”

• 7:28, Phillips “Yet I believe that those who take this step are bound to find the married state an extra burden in these critical in these critical daysdays, and I should like you to be as unencumbered as possible”

4. Unmarried Christians Considering Marriage

Because of the Present Because of the Present Distress…Distress…


Dayna Curry (left) and Heather Mercer answer questions during a Dec. 8, 2001 press conference in Waco, Texas. The two were held in Afghan jails for 104 days on charges of preaching Christianity to Muslims. Baptist Press Photo by Joe Griffin

The Need of the HourThe Need of the Hour

• 7:30, Phillips “…and indeed their every contact with the world must be as light as possible”

• 7:35, NIV “…that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.”


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FIRST CORINTHIANS How to Live in a Pagan World. 1 st Corinthians 7:1-16 1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not