Saturday, September 12, 2026

#1678 1 Corinthians 7 Part 2 In This Manner Let Him Walk

 





12 But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. For otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. 15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave. The brother or the sister is not enslaved in such cases, but God has called us to peace. 16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

17 Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches. 18 Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God. 20 Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called.

21 Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it. But if you are able also to become free, rather do that. 22 For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who was called while free, is Christ’s slave. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. 24 Brothers, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.

25 Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. 26 I think then that this is good because of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you. 29 But this I say, brothers, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; 30 and those who cry, as though they did not cry; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; 31 and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it. For the form of this world is passing away.

32 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. 33 But one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34 and his interests have been divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit. But one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35 Now this I say for your own benefit, not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote propriety and undistracted devotion to the Lord.

36 But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no compulsion, but has authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well. 38 So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

39 A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband has fallen asleep, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 40 But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 7: 12-40 LSB

1 Corinthians 7: 12-40

Vs. 12-16 To the rest I say, not the Lord - This is an interesting distinction, Paul does not roll through this leaving the impression that this is a direct revelation, and so I have heard some write off these places merely as opinion. I have chosen to cover a much larger section here because of this and mostly because of the context, everything here intersects. In verse 40 Paul explains the depth of his opinion, stating, "And I think that I also have the Spirit of God." He is deriving these opinions or doctrines from what has been clearly taught in Scripture, and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is, as previously discussed, an answer to the Corinthians' questions to Paul concerning such matters. In verse 10 of the previous section of chapter 7 he says, "To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.' V. 11 continues, 'But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else become reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife." Note, the "not I, but the Lord", and this is a solid foundation to build the rest of our understanding from.


In verses 12 and 13 we see Paul teach that we are not to leave our unbelieving spouses. V. 14, because the unbelieving is sanctified by the believing, but don't confuse this with saved, as Paul clarifies this in v. 16, "how do you know whether you will save your unbelieving wife?" V. 15 tells us to let the unbelieving one leave if they want to, and in so far as your relationship to them you are free, but not to your children, for the Scriptures are clear about those who do not take care of their family.

MacArthur - This does not refer to salvation; otherwise the spouse would not be spoken of as unbelieving. The sanctification is matrimonial and familial, not personal or spiritual, and means that the unsaved partner is set apart for temporal blessing because the other belongs to God. One Christian in a marriage brings grace that spills over on the spouse—even possibly leading them to salvation. (Study Bible) - Precept Austin

MacArthur on otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy - The Christian need not separate from an unbeliever because of fear that the unbelieving spouse may defile the children. God promises the opposite. They would be unclean if both parents were unsaved, but the presence of one believing parent exposes the children to blessing and brings them protection. The presence of even one Christian parent will protect children from undue spiritual harm and they will receive many blessings, and often that includes salvation.

ILLUSTRATION - A young woman came up to me after the service one Sunday morning and told me that when she was growing up her grandmother was the only Christian in the family. The grandmother used to speak of her love for Christ and witnessed to the family in what she said and by what she did. Eventually, three of the four grandchildren came to know the Lord, and each one declared that their grandmother had the greatest influence on their decision for Christ. (John MacArthur) - PA

…15Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. 16“For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith. 17You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and in them He delights,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”… Malachi 2: 15-17


…3Then some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?” 4 Jesus answered, “ Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5and 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’?…
…6So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” 7“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart; but it was not this way from the beginning.… Matthew 19: 3-8


…7Give these instructions to the believers, so that they will be above reproach. 8 If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 9A widow should be enrolled if she is at least sixty years old, the wife of one man,… 1 Timothy 5: 7-9

Vs. 17-24 And so I direct in all the churches - This was not a geographical thing, a thing of the time, this was a universal statement. We don't become saved and then say, I am out of here to our spouse, or even if a slave, our greater interest lies not in social justice but in serving God where we are at. In verse 21 he says, "if you are able also to become free, do that," because you are now the slave of Christ. People often think that slavery was always against someone's will, but often people sold themselves to indenturement, and people do similar today with heaping monstrous debts upon themselves, for the Bible tells us that the borrower is servant to the lender. Also he gives instruction not to come under the bondage of the ceremonial laws, the shadows that were fulfilled in Christ. Don't be detracted by Judaizers who come in and say that you have to be circumcised, that is not the case. The dietary restrictions had been lifted, as those were to keep the Jewish people separate from the world physically, but now that separation has entered the heart, so that we are in the world but not of it. We no longer make sacrifices because those were a mere shadow of what was to be fulfilled in the ultimate sacrifice, which was Christ. All those spotless lambs pointed to Jesus. He tells us, "don't become slaves of men", and that is both literal and physical, but also in ideology, don't bound yourself to what God is not saying. 

…15Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death. 16Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession. 17Anyone who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death.… Exodus 21: 15-17


8So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper, 9 I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well. 10I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.…
…11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. 12 I am sending back to you him who is my very heart. 13I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.…
…14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will. 15For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good— 16no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.…
…17So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. 19I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.…
…20Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. 21Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask. 22In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.… Philemon 1: 8-22

Vs. 25-35 Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife - Again Paul recognizes the freedom here, that you are not constrained to provide for a wife if you don't have one, and you may be solely focused upon the things of the Lord, the ministry, but again, in context, we know that this is a gift that not everyone has. Many people have looked upon the state itself as a sign of holiness and removed themselves from the world to live a monastic life, which is an invention of the religious deceived. The idea in this passage is first that one has the gift of celibacy, does not have the need or desire to marry, but will remain pure in this, as it is ungodly to pursue sexual relations outside of marriage. Secondly, it is not to go live in a monastery and chant all day, it is not to dress a certain way, or to be a part of some separate sisterhood or brotherhood that lives off the charity of others so you may be fully devoted to what you call godliness. Whether married or unmarried the priority should be the Lord within those context, but marriage is a transient thing, subject to time and space, and not the final state of eternity. One cannot throw off their obligations to God siting that they are married, no, you have to love your wife as Christ loved the Church and raise up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Pastors are most often married, and marriage, family is but an additional responsibility. He still must study, teach and guide the flock to the correct pastures, yet his family must also not be deprived. 

Arnold - Paul is not saying marriage automatically brings trouble into one’s life, although many can testify to the fact that while marriage lifted some major pressures, it added many more cares: education, food, clothing, housing, bills, in-laws, etc. It may be more fun to live with someone else but it is certainly much more complicated. However, Paul is thinking about trouble in times of crisis due to persecution. It is one thing for a man to face persecution and even martyrdom, but it is quite another to bring this upon his wife and children. A man might be brave but turn coward at the sight of his wife and children being persecuted because of his personal faith in Christ. Paul’s point is that in times of crisis, single life has advantages. Singles can be more flexible, can adapt more readily to certain cataclysmic conditions, can pick up and move if necessary, and can act without handling the affairs of others for whom they are responsible. Paul is not putting down marriage but is suggesting that for some singlehood might be the better course to take because marriage increases responsibilities. - PA

36A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; 38and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.… Matthew 10: 36-38


1“I have told you these things so that you will not fall away. 2They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. 3They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me.… John 16: 1-3


…20For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. 22You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.… Matthew 10: 20-22


Horatius Bonar - IF WE WOULD AIM AT a holy and useful life, let us learn to redeem time. "I am large about redeeming time," says Richard Baxter in the preface to his Christian Directory, "because therein the sum of a holy, obedient life is included." Yes; "let us redeem the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5). A wasted life is the result of unredeemed time. Desultory working, impulsive giving, fitful planning, irregular reading, ill-assorted hours, perfunctory or unpunctual execution of business, hurry and bustle, loitering and unreadiness - these, and such like, are the things that take the power from life, hinder holiness, and eat like a canker into our moral being. Misuse of time makes success and progress an impossibility, either in things temporal or spiritual.

There needs not to be routine, but there must be regularity; there ought not to be mechanical stiffness, but there must be order; there may not be haste, but there must be no trifling with our own time or that of others; "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10). If the thing is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well; and, in little things as well as great, we must show that we are in earnest. There must be no idling, but a girding up of the loins; a running the race with patience; the warring of a good warfare. The call is to be "steadfast and. . .always abounding in the work of the Lord."

The flowers are constant in their growing, the stars are constant in their courses; the rivers are constant in the flowing - they lose not time. So must our life be, not one of fits, or starts, or random impulses, not one of levity or inconstancy, or fickle scheming, but steady and resolute. We must be resolute men and women, those who know their earthly mission and have their eye upon the heavenly goal. - PA

Vs. 36-38 If she is past her youth - No longer a child. The father does no wrong in letting his daughter marry if that is her wish, but I think this passage is also important because it should not be our goal and aim to be match making, pushing our children towards marriage, highlighting that some have the gift of singleness. Some fathers in that time probably felt compelled to marry them off because who will take care of her when I die? Giving your daughter in marriage you do well, but keeping her you do better. Notice, he keeps her, he doesn't send her off to a monastery to live with a bunch of other women or to be bothered by creepy "priests". We need to remember that some, not many, will have that gift and we shouldn't try to pressure them away from it. We should also be praying that when our children do want to marry that they find those to which they can honor God with by being equally yoked. 

13As a fair exchange, I ask you as my children: Open wide your hearts also. 14Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?… 2 Corinthians 6: 13-15

Vs. 39-40 A wife is bound as long as her husband lives -  After this she is free to remarry or to remain single. Paul states that she will probably be happier at this point remaining single, because she will no longer have the responsibilities that come with marriage nor being under the headship of a husband. She can serve the Lord now outside of the prior arrangement. 

Jon Courson - Throughout the centuries, people have read I Corinthians 7 and concluded that, because he speaks so highly of the single state, Paul has a problem with marriage. But that is because they fail to take into account Paul’s full counsel—for in his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul elevates marriage to a place of utmost glory when he uses it as an illustration for no less a relationship than that of Christ and the Church.

The way a husband lays down his life for his wife and the way a wife submits to her husband is a powerful illustration which can be seen on every street in every neighborhood. Bunches of people aren’t into church, so the Lord brings the Church to them through the illustration of marriage wherein people see how much He loves the Church and how the Church submits to Him. It’s an awesome responsibility for all who are married. That is not to say people need to see perfection—just something remarkably different than what they see in society.

And yet, as seen here in I Corinthians 7, Paul says singleness has its own unique beauty, its own important role to play in the Body. The single state is not to be looked down upon, dreaded, or merely endured. Those who are called to a single life or who find themselves in a single state fulfill a very real function—to serve the Lord with spontaneity and without distraction.

Marriage is a picture, but, in a sense, singleness can be the reality—for it is the single person uniquely who can say, ‘I am married to You, Lord. You are my Husband, my Love, my best Friend. And I will be devoted to you single-heartedly for as long as You have me in this state.’

Whether single or married, widowed or divorced—be content wherever God has you. And whatever your position, make Jesus your passion. (A Day's Journey)






























































































Friday, September 11, 2026

#1677 1 Corinthians 7 Part 1 Going To The Chapel

 




Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 But because of sexual immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. 3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 But this I say as a concession, not as a command. 7 Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one this way, and another that.

8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. 9 But if they do not have self-control, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband 11 (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife. 1 Corinthians 7: 1-11 LSB

1 Corinthians 7: 1-11

Vs. 1-3 Now concerning the things about which you wrote - Given what we have read about the Corinthians thus far, I can only imagine the questions they asked. When things get difficult, as marriage can often be, or in our culture, if you have seen something else you like now, then the questions about separation and divorce arise. Jesus dealt with a Jewish culture that had some sects who taught that it was okay for you to put away your wife for not properly preparing your meal. In our modern culture the marriage vows are really in contrast to what people actually believe, which begs the question, why do some of you all spend so much money on a single day that doesn't really represent the life long commitment that you talk about? The ceremony is just that, a show, a display, and the for better or for worse is just sounds. Paul states that it is better for a man not to touch a woman, in other words, remain single, but in verse 2 he goes on to show that there is a place for this, and it is called marriage. This is where one avoids "sexual immoralities", by having his own wife, and each woman her own husband, not multiples to either, but their "own". Fulfilling ones duty in this context is coming to the marriage bed.

…23And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken.” 24For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25And the man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed.… Genesis 2: 23-25


V. 4 Authority - Just as your body is not your own when you become a Christian, as it belongs to Christ and it is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so when you enter into marriage you are no longer 2 separate individuals, but you become one. My life is no longer about myself or for myself, and my body belongs to my wife, and it is not something that I withhold from her or give to another in the sense of coitus, but also I use my body and my mind to her benefit and the families as a provider. We were designed to work and as representatives of Christ we should go out and do so joyfully, thanking him for the ability rather than begrudging our labor. 

…3Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them. 4 Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. 5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”… Hebrews 13: 3-5

The wife does not (present tense - continually) have authority (exousiazo) over her own body, but the husband does - Amplified = "For the wife does not have [exclusive] authority and control over her own body, but the husband [has his rights];" If Paul had stopped here, this would be the tagline for the practice misogyny, the hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women or girls. Praise God, Paul under inspiration gives us the "other half of the coin."

And likewise also the husband does not (present tense - continually) have authority (exousiazo) over his own body, but the wife does - This is radical teaching in the patriarchal society that existed in Paul's day! Notice the tenses indicate that both husband and wife are to have authority ovr their spouse's body all of their married life.

This subjection of one spouse to another is essentially what Paul is describing in Ephesians 5:21 writing that Spirit filled believers (Eph 5:18 = only way to fulfill this instruction!) are to "be (present tense - continually) subject to one another in the fear of Christ." There it is - a "mutual admiration society" so to speak! Husbands, not demanding, and wives not withholding (or vice versa)! In short, mutual subjection will yield much fulfillment in marital intimacy. Each one is laying down their "rights" for the benefit of the other person.

MacArthur - Spouses' mutual authority over each other's bodies is continuous (present tense); it lasts throughout marriage. In the normal realms of life, a Christian's body is his own, to take care of and to use as a gift from God. And in the deepest spiritual sense, of course, it belongs entirely to God (Ro 12:1). But in the marital realm, it also belongs to the marriage partner. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – 1 Corinthians)

V. 5 Except by agreement for a time - There are times when we need to be alone, or when husbands went away to war, or to the mission field, and it is still our responsibility to guard our relationships even when apart. There is no, "what happens on the road stays on the road", God is everywhere including your thoughts. 

Vs. 6-7 I wish that all men were as I myself am - Even Christ mentions this, but in the context that it is clearly only for some, and it is a gift, an ability that most do not have. Paul, being single, could dedicate himself totally to the ministry, and did not have the same cares or concerns of the married. There is an advantage, and there is much sorrow and the temptation of anxiety when we watch our wives get sick, or have children and lose some to miscarriage, or even worse, to the world and to an eternity apart from God. Paul has the gift of celibacy. He doesn't have that pull or calling toward a marriage relationship. Jesus' own disciples were not thrilled with His views and commands concerning marriage. They obviously preferred the follow your heart method of the culture, or putting her away because she didn't get the oil temperature right when frying your fish. 

…7“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart; but it was not this way from the beginning. 9Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery.”…
…10His disciples said to Him, “If this is the case between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11“Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given. 12For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”…
Matthew 19: 7-12


Vs. 8-9 It is better to marry than to burn with passion - If only the Roman Catholic Church had understood this regarding their priest; if only they had understood that there is no such thing as the papacy, that we are all a royal priesthood in Christ. 

…2influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. 3They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,… 1 Timothy 4: 2-4

Vs. 10-11 Not I, but the Lord - He echoes the words of Jesus, and remember, this is an answer to their questions. Many probably thought that here is a great justification, I want to follow Christ and my husband does not, so can I leave? I want to go into the mission field but my wife doesn't want to go, nor does she think that I should, so sounds like it's time to find someone more fitting for me, right Paul? We are always looking for ways to justify things, and even spiritualize our justifications. I have told the story of a so called pastor and self proclaimed "prophet" who said that God showed him that he was to leave his wife because she was no longer  up for the job sexually, and just how great is this guy's god, he also showed the man who the woman was that he should be with. He brought both of them to this Pentecostal church meeting that night, and though it defied the teachings of Christ and his Apostle Paul, the crowd ate it up without any objection. I confronted him about it and the head minister there for not, but they told me not to speak against the cloth, and that the man was a prophet.  

1If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, 2and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” 3you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.…
…4You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him. 5Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way in which the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. So you must purge the evil from among you. 6If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor your fathers have known,… Deuteronomy 13: 1-5


…19I know your deeds—your love, your faith, your service, your perseverance—and your latter deeds are greater than your first. 20But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21Even though I have given her time to repent of her immorality, she is unwilling.…
…22Behold, I will cast her onto a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds. 23Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned the so-called deep things of Satan: I will place no further burden upon you.… Revelation 2: 19-24

















































































































Thursday, September 10, 2026

#1676 1 Corinthians 6 Part 2 Your Body Is A Sanctuary

 



12 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” 17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6: 12-20

1 Corinthians 6: 12-20

We left off with verse 11 in the last post saying, "and such were some of you." This followed a long list of  sins which also included Christians who sue one another. It is interesting that he says, "such were", for the list starts with "wrong doers", to which all would belong, and we know that Christ didn't come to save the righteous, but to call sinners to repentance. The Bible is also clear that all have sinned, and that there are none righteous. Taking the whole counsel of God it becomes clear that some were still these things and not washed, sanctified or justified. There will always be tares amongst the wheat, not everyone who goes to worship on Sunday is a true believer, but true believers will also be tempted as well. If you are being sanctified there will be grief over sin, and the culture will have less hold upon you. There is a lot going on at this church, and it is more influenced by the world than it is an influence upon the world. It's the same in our day, we want to "meet the moment, embrace the culture, resonate with the worldly", but Christ calls us to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, be a light in a dark place. We want to fit in, be liked, make light of sin, but He is saying, not possible, for you have been washed, made a sacred thing, sanctified, and this starts at the time you were justified, but it is evidenced and worked out through your life. Justification is your permanent standing before God in Christ, your position, but sanctification, though known from eternity and there perfected, starts with being a babe in Christ. It is shown by the fruit produced in those who believe, by what they no longer practice and by what they now practice. Such were some of you, let that now be true in your own walk, reflecting your position in Christ. 

The unrighteous: This man who wronged his brother sets himself in bad company – in with fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, revilers, and extortioners; and none of those who live characterized by these sins will inherit the kingdom of God.

i. No doubt the man figured, “Sure, what I’m doing to my brother isn’t good but it isn’t that bad.” Paul wants him to know just how bad it was.

ii. We shouldn’t think that a Christian who has committed an act of fornication or homosexuality (or any of the other listed sins) is automatically excluded from the kingdom of God. Instead, since Paul describes these people by their sins, he means those whose lives are dominated and characterized by these sins. So, is an occasional act of fornication or homosexuality no big deal to God? Of course it is a significant matter, because it goes against everything we have been given in Jesus, and because a lifestyle of sin begins with single acts of sin.

iii. The man who cheated his brother had to see that if his life was dominated and characterized by this sin, just as much as any of the other people Paul described, he should also be just as concerned for his salvation as any of those other people.

d. Nor homosexuals: Since this is such a clear condemnation of homosexuality, those who would like to justify the practice say Paul speaks of homosexual prostitution, not a “loving, caring homosexual relationship.” But taken in context, there is no doubt God is speaking of homosexual acts of all kinds with the words malakoi (homosexuals, which literally refers to male prostitutes) and arsenokoitai (sodomites, a generic term for all homosexual practice).

i. Paul did not write in or of a “homophobic” culture. Homosexuality was rampant in the ancient world; 14 out of the first 15 Roman emperors were bisexual or homosexual. At the very time Paul wrote, Nero was emperor. Nero castrated a boy named Sporus and then married him (with a full ceremony), brought him to the palace with a great procession, and made the boy his “wife.” Later, the emperor lived with another man, and Nero was declared to be the other man’s “wife.”

ii. In this list of sins, homosexuality (not some “special” version of homosexuality) is described, but it is described right along with other sins. Some who so strongly denounce homosexuals are guilty of other sins on this list. Can fornicators or adulterers or the covetous or drunkards rightly condemn homosexuals? Of course not.

iii. Christians err when they excuse homosexuality, and deny that it is sin, but they also err just as badly when they single it out as a sin God is uniquely angry with. - Enduring Word

…31Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” 33Then they said to Him, “John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees frequently fast and pray, but Yours keep on eating and drinking.”… Luke 5: 31-33


9What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin. 10As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. 11There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.… Romans 3: 9-11


…22And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.… Romans 3: 22-24


32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come. 33 Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.… Matthew 12: 32-34


Vs. 12-13 I will not be mastered by anything - Though we have Christian Liberty, and we are no longer under the ceremonial or food laws of the Old Testament, yet we are not to be ruled by our stomachs. It's okay for a Christian to eat pork, but it is not even of a secondary concern when it comes to the conscience of someone else. We just say what the Bible says when asked about these things, but if someone does not want to eat certain things then it is okay for them not to, and I would even accommodate them in preparing a meal for them at my house or going to lunch somewhere. Paul does not want to be mastered by the desire of his stomach though, which could lead to gluttony, which is not freedom but slavery. He also addresses Sabbath days in another letter where the Colossian church was being bothered by legalist who wanted force their will and preference.  

b. All things are lawful for me: This was probably a phrase Paul had used in teaching the Corinthian Christians about Christian liberty. We can almost hear Paul telling the Corinthians exactly what he told the Colossians in Colossians 2:16-17: “When it comes to what we eat or drink or on what day we worship the Lord, all things are lawful for me. I am at liberty, and I should not let anyone put me under bondage, as legalists are prone to do.”

c. But all things are not helpful: The Corinthian Christians took the idea all things are lawful and applied it to areas Paul, or the Lord, never intended. They used their “liberty” as a license to sin. - E Word

16Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. 17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ. 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.… Colossians 2: 16-18

Vs. 13b -15 The body is not for sexual immorality - We were bought with a price, and this includes our present tabernacles. This goes back to previous talks about our losing sight and understanding of the sacred in our fallen nature. The Roman/Greek culture of that day had reduced sex to a function like drinking water or going to the drive through window for fast food. Sex in its proper context, the cojoining of a man and a woman in a committed, lifelong union called marriage, was a beautiful thing that led to the procreation of  more little men and women to be taught about their Creator. There have been some movements over time that have looked down on the body, seen it only as a cage, regarded the material as evil. Some have gone so far in the treatment of sex as to teach and develop a priesthood that requires its members to not marry, as if that were more holy, and some have gone so far as to remove their own genitals. The Apostle Peter had a wife, Paul could have had one, but had the rare gift of singleness. Here we see that the body itself, like the temple, was not evil, but what was done in it is what could and did desecrate it. God looks at our hearts, and our very thoughts condemn us. Jesus uses the hyperbole that if your eye offends you then cut it out. It would be better to be blind. In other words, don't blame it on your eye, don't blame it on your natural urges, you may eat, but don't be a pig. You can have sex, but in the context and framework of marriage, between a man and a woman who are equally yoked. In verse 14 we can see that the end goal is not to be without a body, but that God will also raise us up as He did Christ, with a glorified body, free of sin, and therefore free of death.

…4Have we no right to food and to drink? 5Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?… 1 Corinthians 9: 4-6

…15By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.… 1 Thessalonians 4: 15-17

1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.… 2 Corinthians 5: 1-3

V. 16 The two shall become one flesh - This is beautiful in marriage and frightening when done out of that context. It is the same to take what God has called sacred and throw it into the dung heap. There is nothing simple about this, far from shaking hands or eating lunch, there is a spiritual element to this that does not find a comparison in other bodily functions like eating or drinking. You become one with that person, and that can only be repaired and severed by Christ. There is another shame in this in that you bring someone along with you in this sin as well. You profane the temple that belongs to God, and you take something set apart and make it an unholy thing. What a sad union, and that they and we, in our day, have done this with unbelievers, as if it say, "God has not spoken on such things, or I don't hold what God says to be of much value when it comes to my wants." Do not be led about by your feelings, start the fight at the thought level. 

i. A person pursuing a casual sexual encounter may not want to become one flesh with their partner but in some spiritual sense, they do. Part of their self is given to that person, and it means there is less to give to the Lord and to the partner God intends for them. In the Biblical understanding of sex, there is no such thing as “casual sex.”

ii. Since we belong to Jesus – body, soul, and spirit – we have no right to give any part of our self away to an “unauthorized” person. “By being joined to her [a prostitute] in porneia the believer constitutes someone else, outside of Christ, as the unlawful lord over one’s own body.” (Fee)

iii. “Sex outside of marriage is like a man robbing a bank: he gets something, but it is not his and he will one day pay for it. Sex within marriage can be like a person putting money into a bank: there is safety, security, and he will collect dividends.” (Wiersbe) - E Word

Vs. 17-18 Flee sexual immorality - This is what Joseph did when Potiphar's wife chased him relentlessly. He ran in order to avoid doing something that would offend God, the woman's view of the Hebrew servant of Yahweh, and another man. We are not powerless in these moments of temptation, the problem is that we throw stumbling blocks before ourselves, trying to trip ourselves up. We have a thought come to our mind, we see an image, hear a joke, and we ponder it, we nurture it until it grows strong and finally bears unholy fruit. We need to stop, repent, ask God for forgiveness, strength and the ability to see sin like He sees it. We need to look at what God says about these things and put His words above the culture and our feelings. 

…9No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?” 10Although Potiphar’s wife spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be near her. 11One day, however, Joseph went into the house to attend to his work, and not a single household servant was inside.…
13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14she called her household servants. “Look,” she said, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, but I screamed as loud as I could.… Genesis 39: 9-14

…12So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall. 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it. 14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.… 1 Corinthians 10: 12-14

Vs. 19-20 Your body is the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit - It's no longer "yours", Christ paid for it on the Cross. It was the sanctuary belonging to death because you were the slave of sin, but Jesus came in the flesh since it was man who sinned against a Holy God, and He lived the life of perfect obedience to the Father, the life we should lead but have not, for all have sinned. The wages of sin was death, and the sinless Savior went to the Cross to pay that in our stead.