Introduction
- Write down your ideal husband/wife. What will they do, what will they look like.
Lesson
- Read 1 Corinthians 7:1-3. Paul just tells everyone that you shouldn’t get married. Actually, Paul starts a new stage in his letter to the Corinthians, and it is focusing on answering some questions that the Corinthians had asked him. This question is obviously about marriage. He notes that there is nothing wrong with marriage, but to be very careful about it.
- 1 Corinthians 7:4-9. Some of the Corinthians had messed up views of what marriage was supposed to be. They knew how they acted before Christ entered their life, but now they don’t know what to do. They were abstaining from some things that married people do, and Paul was telling them that this was bad. Why? Because other temptations are sure to creep in.
- Read 1 Corinthians 7:10-16. Like today, Corinth was a place that was steeped in divorce and remarriage. Now all of a sudden a new Gospel is being preached and they are faced with the question of whether they should do what is acceptable in culture or commanded by God. What was acceptable grounds for divorce for Paul?
- 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. Paul uses slavery and circumcision to illustrate the fact that when you become a Christian you stay in the state you are in; when you are converted you do not leave your unconverted wife or husband. You try to bring them along with you in your spiritual journey.
- 1 Corinthians 7:25-31. Paul notes that he would prefer if the Corinthians would remain in their present state due to a crisis. There was a great food shortage in this time.
- Read 1 Corinthians 7:32-40. Does Paul say that you cannot be married and serve God? No, in the present case, he is simply giving advice to the people as they are faced with this food shortage and with being a Christian. The underlying theme in this passage is that God comes first! Paul’s advice is good here when talking about rushing into marriage. Do not rush into it, simply allow it to happen and make sure that you are the right fit.
Tug O’ War
- What is the worldly view of marriage?
- What does Paul say here about marriage?
- Where do you think the church as a whole is in the tug o’ war? Where are you?
Introduction
- There was a woman who gave her life to Christ. She was happy, and so was her husband. However two weeks later she came to the office of her church in tears. She said that her marriage was about to be over. Her husband was not happy with her and she said it was all because she became a Christian. The preacher asked the woman, “Why is he mad at you” and she answered, “Because I won’t, well you know.” The preacher was confused and remarked, “No, I don’t know.” She replied, “I won’t you know, do anything with him. Since I’m a Christian now I know that I’m not supposed to and he doesn’t understand that.” The preacher realized quickly what she was talking about and informed here that, well you know, isn’t wrong and was actually created by God. It is meant to be apart of a marriage and a vital part of that marriage. She left with a skip in her step, and 20 years later, they are still married and going strong.
- We have a wrong view of sex in our churches that says that it is a bad thing, but in fact, it is not. It’s important, it’s a gift from God. However, the ability to contain it and understand it’s uses can get us in trouble. The Corinthian church faced a similar problem and it is what kicks off our new series “Blurred Lines: When the world and the Word don’t match up”.
Lesson
- Read 1 Corinthians 7:1-7. Verses 1-3, Paul just tells everyone that you shouldn’t get married. Actually, Paul starts a new stage in his letter to the Corinthians, and it is focusing on answering some questions that the Corinthians had asked him. This question is obviously about marriage. He notes that there is nothing wrong with marriage, but to be very careful about it. Verses 4-9, Some of the people in Corinth thought like the lady in our opening story. Paul tells them that this is not right, and that sex is to be enjoyed inside the bonds of marriage. He says that no one has the right to demand sex, and no one has a right to withhold it. However, if they do abstain from sex, they need to be careful, because sinful temptations my arrive and compromise the marriage.
- Read 1 Corinthians 7:10-16. Like today, Corinth was a place that was steeped in divorce and remarriage. Now all of a sudden a new Gospel is being preached and they are faced with the question of whether they should do what is acceptable in culture or commanded by God. What was acceptable grounds for divorce for Paul?
- Read 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. Paul uses slavery and circumcision to illustrate the fact that when you become a Christian you stay in the state you are in; when you are converted you do not leave your unconverted wife or husband. You try to bring them along with you in your spiritual journey.
- Read 1 Corinthians 7:25-31. Paul notes that he would prefer if the Corinthians would remain in their present state due to a crisis and the coming of Christ. There was a great food shortage in this time.
- Read 1 Corinthians 7:32-40. Does Paul say that you cannot be married and serve God? No, in the present case, he is simply giving advice to the people as they are faced with this food shortage and with being a Christian. The underlying theme in this passage is that God comes first! Paul’s advice is good here when talking about rushing into marriage. Do not rush into it, simply allow it to happen and make sure that you are the right fit.
Blurred Lines
- Where does Paul’s commands and guidance here in 1 Corinthians stand in contrast to what the world says?
Read 1 Corinthians 5:1-5
- Seems kind of harsh to me. What right does Paul have to judge this person?
- Shouldn’t a church help those who fall out of the way?
- In Christianity today, have we become unable to tell the difference between Christian freedom and scandalous behavior?
Read 1 Corinthians 5:6-13
- Verses 6-8: “The whole Christian life, from this point of view, becomes one long Passover-celebration!” – Tom Wright.
- Verses 9-13: Paul says that we should associate with non-believers and those who are not following the same practices as us. Why? Because we would have to form a space colony to make sure that we were free from their influence. However, what does he say about the immoral believer?
Read 1 Corinthians 6:1-8
- Verses 1-6: Think about if you had a car and took it to a mechanic shop. You like that mechanic shop and you think they do a good job. But one day you are on the other side of town and happen to peer into another mechanic shop. There you see your mechanic getting his car fixed in someone else’s business. Would you trust your mechanic shop if the workers themselves go somewhere else to get their cars fixed? Paul’s point here is that we should settle Christian disputes within the Christian community. Why go to someone who does not have the same morals and convictions and allow them to judge based upon man’s law? How would this mindset help the church today?
- Verses 7-8: In a Christian community there should be civilized ways to settle disputes and Christian love should win over selfish gain.
Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
- Does this mean that we simply give up on people who are living this lifestyle? No, it actually should motivate us to work on them and bring them into the body of Christ.
Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
- How does this stand in opposition to the mindset of many Christians today: I’m saved, so it doesn’t matter what I do, I’m forgiven?
- You can take some of this and almost make the statement that if we are having sex outside of marriage, if we are participating in sexual immorality, then we in fact are committing adultery against not only our future mate, but our present God.
- Paul notes that sexual sins hurt yourself. Murder hurts someone else, and their families, stealing hurts the one being stole from, but sexual impurity actually hurts the one participating in the actions.
Road Block
- While the first two road blocks we talked about; loyalty and intellect, seem not to be a big deal and rather manageable, this road block is a big one. It has deterred many steady Christians. People who were on top of the world and were living righteously fall in a matter of seconds. Sexual immorality is far and wide. It comes in many forms: homosexual behavior, sex outside the bonds of marriage, looking at pornography, lusting after girls or boys at school or in movies.
- Anyone can find their ways around filters, anyone can get their hands on porn. You can find ways to be alone with him or her. We are sexual beings. The fact that you feel that way towards the opposite sex is natural and is a gift from God. However, it is to be used only with your future wife or husband and to bring glory to God.
