Day 87: The gift of marriage – 1 Corinthians 7 vs 1 - 7

1-2 Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations (for a man not to touch a woman), but because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. 3-4 The husband should fulfil his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfil her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterwards, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

6-7 I say this as a concession, not as a command. But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another. 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 New Living Translation

A traditional custom at weddings is for the bridal couple to be given presents. However, Paul's words in vs 7 could imply that the best present of all is marriage itself. While the 'gift' he speaks of is probably the ability God gives to some people to remain single so they have more time to serve others, it's also true that the union of a man and woman was a gift from God right from the start.

What do you think may have caused people at Corinth to ask Paul about marriage and all that goes with it?

It was probably due a view of some that the body was somehow made unclean by sexual activity. When Paul wrote to Timothy he warned of false teachers who “forbid people to marry, and order them to abstain from certain foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.” And then Paul adds “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” (1 Timothy 4:1-5) That obviously includes marriage.

As we go through this chapter we will get to the part where Paul speaks of the advantage of being a single person, but in these verses he deals with how a married couple should respond to one another. If you are someone who is not married, or still to young to be married, it's still good to be aware of what the Bible says about the delicate subject of sex. What does Paul say in vs 1-2 is one of the dangerous things that marriage helps to prevent?

The implication there is that even Christians face the danger of getting snared by all the immorality there is in society. Pornography is a big example of that in our generation. A healthy marriage is a far better option than to give in to promiscuity. Apart from things such as love, kindness, caring and faithfulness, what does Paul say in vs 3-5 will also help to keep the marriage a healthy one?

The physical side of marriage needs to be respected by both husband and wife. It should never be used as 'a weapon' to get one's own way. It’s part of the Christian way of living where we try and put the needs of others above our own.

From vs 5, who would you say is ultimately behind some of the problems that can lead to break-ups in marriage?

We must never forget that Satan is real. Nor must we underestimate his desire to destroy all the good things God gives us to enjoy. Notice how Paul spoke of couples praying together. The Bible says Christians must “Give honour to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage.” (Hebrews 13:4) So whether we're personally married or not, it's a good thing to pray for Christians who are married, that their marriages will mirror to the world how Jesus loves His bride, the Church. Pray that their love will grow stronger, and that God will keep Christian marriages from failing.