Today’s passage: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7
Helpful thoughts:
- Verses 1-24 in this chapter are written to answer the question sent from the church to Paul concerning this statement, “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”
- This is not a statement Paul is making. It is a statement the church is debating. Paul provides the definitive response (God’s Word on the matter).
- Concerning sexual relations, Paul lays out two gifts from the Lord:
- Marital intimacy – “Each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.”
- Singleness – Paul will later share how he appreciates the freedom to focus himself on the work of the Lord.
- Paul’s preference was that everyone remain single, but he knew that was not God’s design. God does not gift every believer in the same way for a reason.
Questions to consider:
- What important truths do we learn about marital intimacy in these verses? Do we find words like “take” or words like “give?”
- With what we read in this passage, what kinds of intimacy would be considered impure or the result of a lack of self-control? When is intimacy pure and good, to be enjoyed?
- If singleness is a gift from God, how should the church interact with single people among the church? Why is it wrong to treat single people like they have something wrong with them? In what way are they especially equipped to serve the Lord in ways married people can not?