Apostle Paul changes the
subject to single life or celibacy. The Scripture never condemns sex because
what God made is good. What’s wrong is the abuse of sex like sexual immorality
including fornication, adultery, and pornography. Everything God made is good
including sex and appetite. However, there are number of things which are
eternally wrong. The Scripture says that sexual immorality and idol worship are
not right, nor stealing, lying, coveting, murdering, and deceiving. What God
made visible is the manifestation of what is unseen. Hunger and thirst are the
most powerful drives in humanity. Mankind is still in unrest in findings how to
quench hunger and thirst and thus they may fulfill life. Exquisitely sensual
pleasure in sexual activities is permitted within the marriage for humanity.
It’s given not only for our happiness but also for teaching us that mankind is
fundamentally and essentially sexual. Until the mystery of sex is fully made known
and understood by God’s teachings and revelations, we don’t understand what we
are really.
“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 husband should
fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.” (1
Corinthians 7:1-3)
The Corinthian Christians asked
a few questions to Apostle Paul in a letter sent earlier. The first question
they asked the Apostle was about singleness. They asked that it was not good
for a man to marry a woman. Sexual relations are permitted only in marriage. It
is perfectly right that a man may not have sexual relations with a woman.
However, it is unlawful for a man to have sexual relations with a woman outside
marriage. It is the Lord’s permission to remain in singleness without marriage.
It’s all acceptable to Holy God and nothing wrong with celibacy. Both marriage
and celibacy are the gifts of God.
But Paul was dogmatically
uncompromising and straight in saying that sexual immorality is wrong. In
Corinth, sexual promiscuity was widely acceptable just like in our days. The
scriptures are always up-to-date. There were thousands of prophetesses in the Temple
of Diana who publicly sold their bodies for prostitutions on the streets in
Corinth just like it’s going now on the streets of our cities around the world.
We’re living in the sex saturated society just like the first-century
Christians. The pressure and temptation for sex is so enormously powerful that
many a people succumb to sexual immorality.
So, Paul says that since sexual
immorality is occurring each man should marry and sexual relations with his own
wife and each woman with her own husband. Sexual intercourse and ecstasy within
the marriage bound is divinely provided by God. So, Apostle Paul adds that the
husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to
her husband. The marital duty includes the sexual relations. That’s the
obligation to the married couple.
“The wife does not have
authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the
husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do
not deprive each other except perhaps 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. I say this as a
concession, not as a command.” (1 Corinthians 7:4-6)
Once married, both husband and
wife must yield to the partner. No one is in authority over his/her own body in
marriage. Marriage is a decision to give himself/herself to the other whether
in bed or out. Paul uses a strong language to say that not having sex in marriage
is deceitful. But the couple can mutually agree for a time to devote themselves
to prayer, abstaining from sex. But only for a time and then come together
again. The devil is cunning and crafty in tempting the flesh because of their
lack of self-control. Sexual drive is too strong to handle. These periods of
abstinence is not commanded and mandated but only advised if both agree.
“I wish that all of you were as
I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another
has that.” (1 Corinthians 7:7)
Not everyone is gifted in
celibacy nor in marriage. Both life is from God. Singleness is perfectly
permitted by the divine wisdom of God. There is no ground to think differently
about them. It is an acceptable and holy life before God, so they shall be
given knowledge and power from heaven to handle the sexual urges. But not
everyone is for celibacy any more than for marriage.
“Now to the unmarried and the
widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. But if they
cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to
burn with passion.” (1 Corinthians 7:8-9)
Single life is simpler in many
ways. We’ll see more in this chapter. Paul says that it is good for the
unmarried and the widows to stay unmarried. But if they cannot handle the
sexual desires they should marry. Marriage is designed to embrace sexual urges.
So, it is better to marry than to burn with the passion of sexual desires.
“To the married I give this
command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if
she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a
husband must not divorce his wife.” (1 Corinthians 7:10-11)
God hates divorce, Prophet
Malachi says. “The man who hates and divorces his wife," says the LORD,
the God of Israel, "does violence to the one he should protect," says
the LORD Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.” (Malachi
2:16) So, husband and wife shall not separate. A wife must not separate from
her husband and a husband must not divorce his wife. But if a wife separates
from her husband, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her
husband. What God sees marriage is one inseparable body despite of differences
physically and psychologically between the two. Thus, it cannot be separated.
“Haven’t you read,” he replied,
“that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and
said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to
his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but
one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."
(Matthew 19:6)
Paul did not mention here one
condition that the marriage can be separated—infidelity. He omitted it here
because our Lord Jesus had already told. “I tell you that anyone who divorces
his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits
adultery." (Matthew 19:9) God allows divorce only in case of adultery. What
about the law that Moses allowed a man to give his wife a certificate of
divorce? Jesus answered, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because
your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.” (Matthew
19:8) Divorce and separation manifest the hidden pride and stubbornness in man’s
heart.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for teaching
us truths that both celibacy and marriage come from you as gifts. May we not
jump into conclusions by outward differences like celibacy. May we also give
thanks to God who blesses our life in full regardless of what life we may
choose. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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