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Answering questions
- Answering the 5 questions from the chruch…
- Apparently the church had written to Paul and asked him five questions…
- Paul takes the remainder of the Book to give an answer for each of them…
- 1st – Marriage – I Corinthians 7:1-40 / 2nd – Idols – I Corinthians 8:1-11:1
- 3rd – Worship – I Corinthians 11:2-34 / 4th – Spiritual gifts – I Corinthians 12:1-14:40
- 5th – The resurrection – I Corinthians 15:1-58
- Jesus would often speak to the multitudes in parables – to hide the truth from them…
- Only to the Disciples understood the real meaning behind Jesus’ teachings…
- Not because they had some special insight – some special ability…
- Simply because only the Disciples took the time to ask Jesus what He meant!
- The mark of a true disciple of Jesus – is not the one who understands everything…
- It is the one who asks because he does not understand – questions are GOOD!
- The Marriage chapter…
- I Corinthians 7 is the première chapter in the Bible on marriage…
- No other portion of the Bible has as much to say on the subject…
- Paul divides his teaching into 4 main sections…
- 7:1-9 – Marriage / 7:10-16 – Divorce / 7:17-38 – Singleness / 7:39-40 Remarriage…
- Absolutely everyone falls into one of the these 4 categories…
Marriage… (4 things) vs. 1-9
If we do not repent – it can keep us from Jesus – keep us out of heaven!
1st – It is not wrong to get married… vs. 1
Apparently the church in Corinth has come questions about marriage…
We know they had problems with purity in the church – I Corinthians 6:12-20
It would appear they wanted to know how marriage might solve this problem…
Paul was not apposed to marriage – far from it…
Marriage is very good – Proverbs 18:22 – “He who finds a wife finds a good thing…”
Paul even says those who forbid others to get married are false teachers…
* I Timothy 4:2-3 – “These teachers are hypocrites and liars. They pretend to be religious, but their consciences are dead. They will say it is wrong to be married…”
God’s plan for man included marriage from the very beginning – Genesis 2:24
1st – So that we would understand God’s Love for us…
God uses two relationships to describe His love for us…
He calls us His children / He also calls us His wife…
It is through marriage we understand how much our Heavenly Father loves us!
2nd – So that we would have friendship…
Genesis 2:18 – “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him.’”
* Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – Two are better than one…
God knew that we do not do well on our own – we need help…
3rd – So that we would have Godly children…
They are no longer two – but one – fulfilled in children – two made into one!
God created male & female so that we would have godly children – Malachi 2:15
Children who know / love / follow Jesus – by following their parent’s example
But it is good for a man (unmarried) not to touch (sexually) a woman…
The idea is compromise – starting down a road that has only one end…
God has designed a physical progression to ‘marital intimacy’…
It begins with conversation – then a gentle touch of a hand or shoulder…
Followed by holding of hands – and then a close embrace…
This inevitably leads to a simple kiss – opening the way for more intimate kissing…
The kissing is the door to the intimate caressing – which leads to sex…
This is wonderful – and a gift of God – in marriage – Hebrews 13:4
But if you are not married – it is better not to touch a woman…
Starting you down a road that will inevitably lead to sexual immorality!
2nd – Avoiding sexual immorality… vs. 2
In order to avoid the temptation – get married…
Everywhere we look we find young guys and girls – ‘hooking up’…
Not for the same reasons – guys and girls do not think the same way…
Women are driven emotion – they look forward to the wedding ceremony…
Men are driven by the physical – men look forward to the wedding night…
Bottom line – most of us have a strong desire to be married…
To keep men and women from making a poor decision – sex before marriage…
Let every man have a wife / and every women have a husband!
3rd – Marriage with the right motive… vs. 3-6
Don’t get married just looking for what you can get from the relationship…
Many people end up in difficult marriages because of their expectations…
Men get married expecting their wives to serve and satisfy them…
Women get married to find the ‘love of their lives’ – their best friend…
Marriage is not about what you can get – it is about what you give!
In marriage – you are not your own…
The husband is to pay (it is a debt) to his wife the affection she is due…
The Bible does not teach that men are superior to women…
* Galatians 3:28 – “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
We tend to listen to the commands given to the women – ‘wives submit’…
And overlook the ones given to us the men – ‘husbands love’…
What God tells the women to do – is frankly none of our business…
We are only responsible for the commands God gives to us!
The husband does not have authority over his body – it is given to his wife…
Husbands do not have the right to go where they want – do what they want…
We are ‘owned’ by our wives – and they have authority over our bodies!
When your wife wants to hear how your day went – sit down and share…
When she wants to watch the sappy love story – sit down and watch…
Wives are not looking for physical intimacy in the same way as men…
A woman wants to be held – she wants her husband to listen to her…
She wants her husband to spend time with her – showing her he cares…
The wife is also to give to her husband marital affection…
Marital affection for a man is rather simple – ‘the wedding night’…
The wife does not have authority over her body – it is given to her husband…
But we are not to use and abuse that authority – we are to cherish and honor it!
* I Peter 3:7 – “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”
If you were given a Ming Vase – worth billions of Pesos – how would you treat it…
Would you use it to wash your underwear – use it as a bathroom…
Or would you keep it safe – cherish and protect it from harm…
Wives are the greatest gift we will ever received – we are to cherish them…
If we do not – we will have to explain ourselves to their Father – God in heaven
Intimacy should never be used as a weapon in marriage…
Paul here gives his wisdom (by permission) regarding marriage (not a command)
Unfortunately – husbands and wives can use intimacy to attack each other…
When they husband and wife have selfish motives in their marriage…
They can deprive each other of the intimacy that their spouse desires…
A Husband can ignore his wife when he is frustrated with her…
There is nothing more frustrating to a wife – than to be ignored…
A wife can refuse sexual intimacy as a way to get back at her husband…
Only for fasting and prayer…
The only time you should ‘abstain’ from intimacy for any extended time…
Is when both husband and wife agree to ‘fast’ and seek the Lord…
Fasting is not just about food – it is depriving our body of something it wants…
For the express purpose of ‘starving’ the flesh – to focus on the spirit…
We can fast from food / cell phone / TV / marital relations…
In other words don’t selfishly deny each other the intimacy you owe…
But instead make Jesus the focus of your marriage…
And if you do fast to seek the Lord – make sure you come back together again…
So that satan does not tempt you…
The danger in marriage – when you deprive each other – is temptation…
A wife whose husband ignores her – is tempted to find affection elsewhere…
A husband whose wife deprives him – is tempted to get fulfillment elsewhere…
Satan would love to take advantage of our ‘marital disputes’ to destroy…
He knows that marriage is the cornerstone of our understanding of God…
So don’t give satan the opportunity – keep intimacy in your marriage!
* II Corinthians 2:11 – “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
4th – Remaining single… vs. 7-9
Paul was single – though it may be at one point he was married…
Paul was a Pharisee – perhaps a member of the Sanhedrin – Acts 26:10
It is believed you had to have a wife in order to be on the ruling counsel of Israel…
Apparently by the time this letter was written – he was no longer married…
Whether his wife died – or perhaps even left him because of his faith in Jesus…
The Bible is silent – and history does not give us any insight…
I wish you were all just like me – single…
Paul had the gift of singleness – but not everyone has the same gift from God…
* Matthew 19: 11-12 – “‘Not everyone can accept this statement,’ Jesus said. ‘Only those whom God helps… some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone who can, accept this statement.’”
There is a gift of singleness that God gives to some people…
If you can be single – then it is better to be single and wholly serve the Lord…
But if you cannot exercise self control…
It is better to marry – than to burn…
Burn – could mean one of two things – with lust / or in everlasting judgment…
If you are tempted by the idea of marriage – if you are tempted by women…
If you think every time you look at a pretty girl – you want to get married…
Then there is a good chance you are not called to be single!
It is better for you to get married – than to risk ending up in sexual immorality…
Sin separates us from the Lord…
Sexual sin is no different than any other sin – it removes us from fellowship with God
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