Spouses in the local church

[OBW]

1 Corinthians 7 has always been a perplexing passage. If we were to take it as somehow prescriptive, it would seem to be:

1. If you are single, stay single and pure if you can.
2. If you can't, you should marry.
3. If you are married, stay married and honor the needs of your spouse.

But on more than one occasion, Paul indicates that he is giving his opinion, not declaring that he has a clear word that this is how it ought to be.

For one thing, if it is "how it ought to be" then it would be more like "if you are single, stay single and pure." Period. Amen. End of story. No exceptions. Everything else is a sin.

No. In this case, Paul is expressing a preference for one acceptable condition over another. And whether you follow his preference or the alternative is decided (in this context) by factors that Paul does not simply say you should be able to control or dictate.

In modern terms, it is sort of like Paul saying "if you can remain single, then do it. But if you are having a hard time with it, then marry."

He does keep acknowledging that it is his opinion or preference. But not a command.

And if you have a goal to be absolutely single-minded for Christ, then remaining single might help. Of course so would not working a job or having any property or possessions. So unless you are content allowing the government (or the other believers who are not "single" enough to forgo making money) to provide for all your living, you will have distractions all around you all the time. Work, shelter, food, friends, family, a wife, children.

But it would sure make it easier to bring up Godly offspring since it takes no effort to bring up no offspring.

The thing that stood out to me in reading the passage this time is that (in the NIV) the chapter begins with Paul saying

Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.

The Corinthians seem to have said "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman" and Paul is commenting on that for the rest of the chapter.

Note that Paul does not go directly to "and while you are at it, don't even get married so you don't have to think about a wife or husband." I wonder if what is following is somehow dealing with a state of affairs that is only hinted at in the single reference to their issue and the nature of Paul's comments. It would seem that the society in which they are living is much more free with sex. And it may be permeating the church. How does Paul deal with that? He commands that sex is only between the husband and wife. He goes on to say in so many words that neither should "cut off" the other.

And he suggests that those who desire to remain single should be truly single. And that if they can't do that, they should be married — for life — in a relationship in which sex is only between the husband and wife. He didn't say to try to avoid sex, and if you can't, then get married, and then try to be faithful. He said to be faithful. And that means a commitment.


I wonder if, in the context of the Corinthians' issue, Paul is saying:

• If you are happy being single, be single because it is easier. Don't have sex.
• If you have the desire to get married, then get married. Beware that life gets more complicated. Have sex only with your spouse.
• If you are married, then you are married. Period.

Is this more of what it is about? Does ripping little bits out of context like fortune cookies make them seem to have an independent meaning that is not really what the passage is about? Is this passage about staying single, or about dealing with the statement that the Corinthians seem to have made to Paul as quoted in the first verse?