1 Corinthians 7:1-9 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 7:1-9. Let’s go!
1 Corinthians 7:1-9 (NIV)
1 Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.
2 But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
4 The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.
5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6 I say this as a concession, not as a command.
7 I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.
9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul replies to a question that his church in Corinth had written him concerning being married, being single and having sex. The question was probably something like “Is it better for a Christian to stay single or to get married?” From reading Paul’s question we can learn a few important truths about marriage, singleness and sex:
1. The reason it is good to stay single is because, like Paul, you have more time to serve God as a single person. Serving God as a single person is great if you can (v1, v7, v8), but not everyone is called to be single (v7, 9).
2. If a person’s sexual urges are strong, to avoid sexual immorality, it is best for that person to marry (v2). Marriage is the best and safest place for sexual expression. When you are committed to your partner for life in marriage, there is a safety, a vulnerability and a security there that enables you to enjoy sex with your spouse to the fullest.
3. The husband should not see his body as belonging to himself alone, but as belonging to his wife. Similarly, the wife should not see her body as belonging to herself alone, but as belonging to her husband too (v4). So, husbands and wives, don’t deprive one another of sex unless you both agree and it is for a temporary season, such as to devote yourselves to prayer (v5).
Question: How does 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 challenge the way you see marriage, singleness and sex?
For those of you who are married, pray for your spouse and your marriage. May God bless your sex life with your spouse. May your marriage be full of deep joy and intimacy with one another. Believe that God joined you and your spouse together because together you could give more glory to God as a team than you ever could on your own. May God use your marriage to make you more like Jesus in your character. May your marriage be an instrument in God’s hands to point people to Jesus Christ.
For those of you who are single, pray that God would lead you, whether it’s to live a life of singleness or to get married. If you stay single, may you use your singleness to your advantage, using the time to serve God to the fullest. If you have a strong desire for the opposite sex, may you find an excellent spouse who loves Jesus and with whom you can serve God all the days of your life.
Heavenly Father, thank You for making us sexual beings. Thank You that whether we remain single or get married, we exist to serve You and worship You. More than anything or anyone else, may You be the object of my desire. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
