Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: 1 CORINTHIANS #7 - 7:1-24)
D. 7:1-7 RULES OF MARRIAGE: TO AVOID FORNICATION AND DEFRAUDING
a. 7:1 Now concerning whereof you wrote: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
PeRI de hon eGRApsa-te [1125]: kaLON anTHROpogu-naiKOS [1135]me HAPtes-thai [680].
b. 7:2 PAUL'S SOLUTION FOR FORNICATION
diA de tas porNEIas [4202], HEkas-tos ten he-auTOU guNAIka eCHEto,
But, because of fornications, let each have his own :wife,
kai heKASteton Idi-on ANdra [435]eCHEto.
and let each have her:own husband.
c. 7:3 Let the husband render to the wife her:due: and likewise also the wife to the husband.
tegu-naiKI ho aNER ten o-pheiLEN [3784]a-po-diDOto[591]: hoMOIos de kai heguNEtoanDRI [436].
d. 7:4 THE REASON FOR SUCH OBLIGATIONS
heguNEtou iDIou SOma-tos [4983]ouk e-xou-siAzei [1850], alLA ho aNER:
The wife has not power over her own :body, but the husband:
hoMOIos de kai ho aNER tou iDIou SOma-tos ouk e-xou-siAzei, alLA heguNE.
and likewise also the husband has not power over hisown :body, but the wife.
e. 7:5 WISE EXCEPTIONS
mea-po-steREIte [650]alLElous, ei MEti an ek sumPHOnou [4859pros kaiRON [2540],
Defraud not one the other, except it be by consent for a season,
HIna schoLAse-te [4980]tepro-seuCHE[3521], kai PAlin ePI to auTO Ete,
that you may give yourselves to :prayer, and be together again,
HIna mepeiRAze[3985]huMAS ho Sa-taNAS diA ten a-kraSIan [192]huMON.
that :Satan tempt you not because of your incontinency.
f. 7:6 But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.
TOUto de LEgokaTA sunGNOmen [4774], ou kat' e-pi-taGEN [2003].
g. 7:7a Yet I would all men were even as I myself.
THElo[2309]de PANtas anTHROpous EInai hos kai e-mauTON.
h. 7:7b But each has his:own gift from God, one this wise, and another thus wise.
alLA HEkas-tos Idi-on Echei CHAris-ma [5486]ek TheOU, ho men HOUtos, ho de HOUtos.
E. 7:8-24 LAWS OF SEPARATION AND PROPRIETY
1. 7:8-16 LAWS OF MARITAL SEPARATION
a. 7:8 But I say to the unmarried and the widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
LEgode tois aGAmois [22]kai tais CHErais [5503], kaLON auTOIS eAN MEIno-sin [3306]hos ka' 'GO.
b. 7:9 But if they have not continency, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
ei de ouk eg-kraTEUon-tai [1467], ga-meSAtosan [1060]: KREITton GAR es-tin gaMEIN e puROUSthai [4408].
c. 7:10-11 THE LORD'S VERY CLEAR COUNSEL
tois de ge-ga-meKOsin [1060] pa-ragGELlo [3853], ouk eGO, alLA ho KUri-os,
But to the married I give charge, not I, but the Lord,
guNAIka aPO anDROS me cho-risTHEnai [5563], (eAN de kai cho-risTHE [5563], meNEto Aga-mos [22],
That a wife depart not from a husband, 11 (but and if she depart, let her remain unmarried,
etoanDRI ka-tal-laGEto[2644]); kai ANdra guNAIka mea-phiEnai [863].
or be reconciled to the husband); and that a husband leave not hiswife.
d. 7:12 PAUL'S COUNSEL: BY PERMISSION
Tois de loiPOIS LEgoeGO, ouch ho KUri-os: ei tis a-delPHOS guNAIka Echei Apis-ton [571],
But to the rest say I, not the Lord: if any brother has an unbelieving wife,
kai HAUtesu-neu-doKEI [4909]oiKEIN [3611] met' auTOU, mea-phiEto[863] auTEN.
and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her.
e. 7:13 COUNSEL FOR THE WIFE
kai guNE HEtis Echei ANdra Apis-ton,
And a woman that has an unbelieving husband,
kai HOUtos su-neu-doKEI oiKEIN met' auTES, me a-phiEto ton ANdra.
and he is content to dwell with her, let her not leave the husband.
f. 7:14 SANCTIFICATION FROM THE LORD IN MIXED MARRIAGES
heGIas-tai [37] gar ho aNER ho Apis-tos en te gu-naiKI,
For the unbelieving :husband is sanctified in the wife,
kai heGIas-tai he guNE he Apis-tos en to a-delPHO:
and the unbelieving :wife is sanctified in the brother:
ePEI Ara ta TEKna [5043]huMON aKAtharTA [169]es-tin; nun de HAgiA [40]es-tin.
else were your :children unclean; but now are they holy.
g. 7:15 A CLEAR WORD OF PERMISSION
ei de ho Apis-tos choRIze-tai [5563], choriZEStho:
Yet if the unbelieving departs, let him depart:
ou deDOUlo-tai ho a-delPHOS e he a-delPHE en tois toiOUtois: en de eiREne KEkle-ken huMAS ho TheOS.
the brother or the sister is not under bondage in :such cases:but God has called you in peace.
h. 7:16 YET - A HOPEFUL POSSIBILITY
ti gar OIdas, GUnai, ei ton ANdra SOseis [4983]?
For how do you know, O wife, whether you shall save the husband?
eti OIdas, Aner, ei ten guNAIka SOseis?
or how do you know, Ohusband, whether you shall save the wife?
2. 7: 17-24 PRINCIPLE IN MARRIAGE: DON'T UNTANGLE THE PAST
a. 7:17a UNDERSTAND THE LORD'S DISTRIBUTIONS AND WALK IN THEM
Ei me, heKAStohos meMEri-ken [3307]ho KUri-os,
Only, as the Lord has distributed to each,
HEkas-ton hos KEkle-ken [2563]ho TheOS, HOUtos pe-ri-paTEIto[4043].
as :God has called each, thus let him walk.
b. 7:17b And thus I ordain in all the churches.
kai HOUtos en tais ek-kleSIais [1577]PAsais di-aTASso-mai [1299].
c. 7:18a Was any called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised.
pe-ri-tet-meMEnos [4059]tis eKLEthe? me e-pisPAStho[4059].
d. 7:18b Has any been called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
en a-kro-busTIa [203]KEkleTAI tis? mepe-ri-temNEStho.
e. 7:19 THE TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF CIRCUMCISION
hepe-ri-toME [4061]ouDEN es-tin, kai hea-kro-busTIa ouDEN es-tin;
:Circumcision is nothing, and :uncircumcisionis nothing;
alLA TEre-sis [5084]en-toLON [1785]TheOU.
but keeping of God's commandments.
f. 7:20 Let each abide in the calling in which he was called.
HEkas-tos en te KLEsei [2821]he e-KLEthe[2563]en TAUte meNEto[3306].
g. 7:21 THE RULE FOR SERVITUDE
DOUlos e-KLEthes? me soi meLEto[3199]:
Were you called as a bondman? care not for it:
all', ei kai DUna-sai eLEUthe-ros [1658]geNESthai, MALlon CHREsai [5530].
no, even if you can become free, use itrather.
h. 7:22 SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING BEHIND THIS RULE
ho gar en KuRIokleTHEIS DOUlos [1401], a-peLEUthe-ros [558] KuRIou esTIN:
For who was called in theLord beinga bondman, is theLord's freedman:
hoMOIos ho eLEUthe-ros kleTHEIS, DOU-LOS [1401]es-tin ChrisTOU.
likewise who was called free, is Christ's bondman.
i. 7:23 You were bought with a price; become not bondmen of men.
tiMES [5092]he-goRASthe-te [59]; me GInes-the DOUloi anTHROpon.
j. 7:24 Brethren, let each, in which he was called, in there abide with God.
Ekas-tos en ho eKLEthe, a-delPHOI, en TOUtoMEne-to [3306]paRA TheO.
NOTE: Imagine! The Lord through the Holy Spirit through Paul, lays out in a whole chapter answers to questions from the church of Corinth concerning difficult problems involved in marriage responsibilities, separation, divorce, state of children when one of the spouses is an unbeliever!
But, beyond the wise handling of difficult problems, perhaps the most significant enlightenment that shines through in this chapter is the relationship of the Lord Himself and His servant and apostle in the mutual handling of these problems. The majority of the answers are from the Lord Jesus Himself. The few answers that Paul gives by permission, apart from the commandment of the Lord, are striking! He believes he has the mind of the Lord in these few answers, as a trustworthy servant and writer of 13 other letters to city churches and individuals. He can therefore no doubt be trusted by usin these few points.
But the outstanding point that emerges from this, and one which I believe God Himself set up, is that everything else in all other 13 letters, is the commandment of the Lord, and is not the thinking of Paul. This should be a shockerto those who glibly set aside the writings of Paul in areas they disagree with. The fact is - it is notthe apostle Paul they are rejecting, but God and the Lord Jesus Himself! Consider again 1 Corinthians 14:37 (14:37-40) - “If any thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledgeof what thingsI write you, that it is the Lord's commandment.” This includes not just the 14 letters of the apostle Paul, but the entireNew Testament, plus the entire Old Testament. See Peter's word in 2 Peter 1:21 (1:12-21) - “For no prophecy was ever borne by man's will; but men spoke from God, being borne onby the Holy Spirit.”
One of the most awesome renderings of Paul in Hebrews is the following, set forth accurately by Dr. David Stern of Israel in his translation of the New Testament. Hebrews 8:6 (8:1-13) - But now has he ( Jesus) obtained a ministry the more superior (than Moses), by so much as heis also mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted (or better, constituted as Torah) upon better promises.”
God here is saying to the One New Man - Jew and Gentile alike in the church - that all 66 books of the Bible are Torah, Teaching, commandments to be followed. Jesus' words then become the infallible guide to interpret the entire Old Testament in the light of the Sermon on the Mount, and all His teachings through His apostles in the New Testament - especially the apostle Paul!
Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:37 abundantly makes clear that he, like all other Bible writers, both Old and New Testament - are faithfully recording the true thoughts of God Himself through our Lord Jesus!
The whole Bible, all 66 books, is not the book of man - but the “Book of God.” What is recorded here about the church, salvation, sex sins, abortion, etc., etc., etc. - is all God's religious thinking on these matters - not man, religious thinkers, politicians, etc., etc., etc.
The Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 (28:16-20) - Jesus said - “All authority has been given me in heaven and on :earth. 19Go therefore, and discipleall the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to keep ALL things whatever I commanded you: 20and lo, I am with you all the days till the consummation of the age.” God's thinking on church members! They are to be disciples, keeping all the commands and words of Jesus, not mere converts from seeker-friendly churches. We are not to let the bars of the church down and receive into it the world, the unconverted, and the unredeemed.
Thiswas one of the main points and tenets of George Muller that he shared with leaders in 42 countries over a 17 year missionary tour period starting with his 70thyear. Don's use as leaders in the church anywho are not true disciples, committed to the fullness of the Bible, God's Word - not man's!
There are some in the American government who are seeking to prohibit the declaration of God's Word and thinking on Sex sins - abortion - exposure of sins of politicians: for instance - whyis it that our President refuses to bring forth a legitimate birth certificate certifying that he has a legal right to be our President, and is not unqualified?
Why is it that our government behind the scenes is seeking to shut down conservative “Talk-Show hosts” who expose the shenanigans of our liberal leaders, media and courts?
Remember what Peter and John said in answer to the Jewish Sanhedrin who sought to shut down the 12 apostles of Jesus following His Resurrection: Acts 4:19-20- (4:13-31) - “But :Peter and John answered andsaid unto them, Whether it is right in thesight of :God to listen to yourather than :God, you judge: 20for WE cannotbut speakwhat things we saw and heard.” They were jailed and beaten for obeying God rather than religious government and leaders. Have we in America come to similar days? Do we have freedom to stand for Godagainst sinners and leaders who reject and despise God and His Word, the Bible? What has our nation descended to? How far have we departed from the guidelines of our Founding Fathers? - J.A.W.