1 Corinthians 9:19-27
Other Resources:
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Monday, April 14, 2025
1 Corinthians 7:25-40 = April 10
The Unmarried and the Widowed
1 Corinthians 7:25-35
OPEN:
OPEN:
- Whom do you know who has chosen to remain single?
DIG:
- Why will those who marry "face many troubles" in life (1 Corinthians 7:28)?
- What concerns do those who are married have that singles do not?
- How does Paul's advice to the married (1 Corinthians 7:29) relate to his teaching in Ephesians 5:21-32?
- Paul presents singleness as an option some should consider. What reasons does he give?
- Whether people marry or not, what is the overriding issue here?
REFLECT:
- How can an unmarried person find emotional fulfillment and intimacy if they have chosen to remain single in order to be more fully devoted to the Lord?
- A close look at the Epistles reveals meaningful and touching relationships among believers. Do we expect marriage to bring the kind of intimacy and fulfillment that God intended the church to bring?
- Is singleness more of a calling or a choice? What role does God play? How do you feel about your role?
Other Resources:
Keeping God's Commandments - 1 Corinthians 7
Series: God-Honoring Relationships: Encouragement from 1 Corinthians
Title: Not Your Own – Focused
Singleness
Bookmark: Click Here
Opening Thoughts:
v Rarely have sermons on “being
single”
o Not second-class citizens.
Text: 1
Corinthians 7:8, 25-38
8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to
stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But
if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to
marry than to burn with passion.
25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the
Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is
trustworthy. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is
good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you
pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a
commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you
do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not
sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to
spare you this.
29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is
that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if
they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not;
those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it
were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of
the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is
passing away.
32 I would like you to be free from
concern. An unmarried man
is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is
concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An
unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to
be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is
concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not
to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in
undivided devotion to the Lord.
36 If anyone is worried that he might
not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions
are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants.
He is not sinning. They should get married. 37 But the man who has settled
the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his
own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also
does the right thing. 38 So then, he who marries the
virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.
Summarize the main theme/story: Describe the events of the story
in your own words.
·
Review and retell
the story.
Reflections for applications:
v 1 Corinthians 7:8, 25-31
o Your calling is not to find
your soul mate and settle down; it is to find God and pursue Him.
v 1 Corinthians 7:32-35
o You can honor God in marriage, but
you don’t need to be married to honor God.
v 1 Corinthians 7:36-38
o Myth #1 – “I need marriage to be
complete”
o Myth #2 – “My current relational situation
is my status.”
o Be faithful to God wherever you
are.
Digging Questions:
·
How
are your relationships?
·
What do these biblical texts tell you about God and His nature?
·
What is God calling us to do?
Take Away Challenges
·
What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will
you apply it to your life this week?
·
Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
·
What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What
beliefs, thoughts or actions need to be addressed or changed?
Hashtags #Singles #Unmarried #Widows
Sunday sermon link https://youtu.be/oOQzj4Lpgq0
Comments about some details:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+7%3A8%2C+25-38&version=NIV
Friday, April 11, 2025
1 Corinthians 7:1-24 = April 7
1 Corinthians 7:1-24
https://youtu.be/iN7KpE1Va-I
Other Resources:
1 Corinthians 7:1-24
OPEN:
- Are you more like Garfield ("I hate getting up") or Odie ("Life is fun, fun, fun!")?
- If married, tell your "love story." How did you meet? What attracted you? If single, share what you know about your parents' love story.
DIG:
- What do verses 3-5 tell you about the role of sex in marriage? Did God create sex to be merely a physical act or a time of mutual edification? 2. What do verses 5 and 9 say about the human body and sexuality?
- What obligation does a believing spouse have to an unbelieving mate? What are the limits to this obligation?
- What does it mean for an unbeliever to be "sanctified" by their believing spouse (1 Corinthians 7:12-14; see Romans 15:15-16)?
- How do verses 12-14 encourage someone who is married to an unbeliever regarding his or her spouse's salvation and that of their children?
- In verses 17-24, Paul is saying that Christians should not use their new life in Christ to climb the social ladder or be someone they are not. Have you ever been tempted to do this? What does someone stand to lose by doing this?
- Is Paul saying in these verses that a person should not set goals for him or herself?
REFLECT:
- Some Corinthian Christians considered sex with their marital partners impure or unspiritual. How have your ideas of sex been skewed? How do you need God's help?
- What questions do you have about these verses? Where do you feel a special need for God's wisdom and power as you seek to "live in peace" (1 Corinthians 7:15)?
1 CORINTHIANS 7
Paul talks about marriage.
I. Marriage—Some General Instructions (7:1–2, 7–9, 17–24, 29–35)
A. The argument (7:1–2, 7–9, 32–35): Is it better to be married than not to be married?
1. The advantages of marriage (7:2, 7, 9)
a. It helps prevent immoral actions and attitudes (7:2, 9).
b. It is God’s will for many people to marry (7:7).
2. The advantages of remaining single (7:1, 8, 32–35): For the most part, a single person is free to devote all his or her attention to the work of the Lord, having no need to share time with a spouse or children.
B. The answer (7:17–24, 29–31): Which course is the best? It depends totally on God’s perfect plan for each believer.
1. God’s will must govern any decisions concerning marriage (7:17).
2. Pleasing God is the supreme objective (7:18–19).
3. We are not our own but have been bought and paid for by Christ (7:20–24).
4. Even if married, Christ must occupy first place in our life (7:29–31).
II. Marriage—Some Specific Individuals: (7:3–6, 10–16, 25–28, 36–40): Paul now addresses four groups.
A. Saved couples (7:3–6, 10–11)
1. Both are to submit their bodies to each other (7:3–4).
2. Both must agree if physical intimacy is set aside for a while to facilitate prayer and fasting (7:5–6).
3. Both must strive to stay together and not divorce (7:10–11).
B. Spiritually mixed couples (7:12–16)
1. The saved spouse should continue living with the unsaved spouse if possible (7:12–13).
2. This action may result in the salvation of the unsaved spouse (7:14).
3. The saved spouse should allow the unsaved spouse to depart if he or she insists on it (7:15–16).
C. Virgins (7:25–28, 36–38): Paul advises the unmarried not to rush into marriage.
D. A widow (7:39–40): She is free to marry another believer.
https://youtu.be/iN7KpE1Va-I
Other Resources:
Keeping God's Commandments 1 Corinthians 7
Series: God-Honoring Relationships: Encouragement from 1 Corinthians
Title: Not Your Own – Faithful Marriage
Bookmark: Click Here
Opening Thoughts:
- All about discipleship
- Ways of doing “Unity” Candles, butterflies, sand (in an hourglass)
- “As long as our love will last”
- Superficial ways to invigorate our marriage.
- Usually, everything we do to revitalize our marriage is based on making ME happy.
Text: 1 Corinthians 7:1-16
7 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 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. 5 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. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 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.
8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the story in your own words.
- Review and retell the story.
Reflections for applications:
- 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 (Submission)
- o They evidently thought that abstaining from sex – even in marriage– showed new depths of personal holiness.
- o Wives, you don’t have authority over your body.
- o Husbands, you don’t have authority over your body.
- o Ephesians 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
- o Mutual submission is foundational to a faithful marriage.
- 1 Corinthians 7:10-16
- o Marriage is a life-long commitment.
- o Matthew 19:4-6 4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 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’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
- o Every husband and wife should relentlessly pursue oneness and permanence in marriage.
- o Everything Paul says about marriage is about giving, not receiving.
- Application points:
- o Happiness is the foundational part of marriage.
- Pour into your marriage.
- o What are you contributing to your marriage right now?
Digging Questions:
How are your relationships?
What do these biblical texts tell you about God and His nature?
What is God calling us to do?
Take Away Challenges
What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts or actions need to be addressed or changed?
Hashtags #marriage
Sunday sermon link https://youtu.be/iN7KpE1Va-I
Comments about some details:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+7%3A1-24&version=NIV
1 Corinthians Chapter 7
TITLE
Scripture Text
PICTURE
Reminder: Pray to God to set your heart right as you engage His word. The text you are about to study was not written to you but is written for you. So, before applying, we must ask the following questions:
- What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
READ THE SCRIPTURE (Multiple times & translations, and notice the words that stand out)
PRAYER: In the Name of Jesus.
Biblegateway (NIV, CSB, NLT) (My choice of all-round site. It is a great app, better on computers or on a smartphone)
Biblia.com (New Century Version) (Great on a computer, especially if you have a Logos account)
Summarize the main story: Describe the events and context of the chapter in your own words.
Review and retell the story.
Themes
Topics
Hashtags:
#HashtagsPotential Sermon Titles: ??
Intro Questions to get us thinking:
OBSERVATIONS (Reflect on the topic and build the concept the writer is trying to communicate to the original audience)
Pericopes and links to deeper study
Outline for Chapter
1
CORINTHIANS 7
Paul
talks about marriage.
I. Marriage—Some
General
Instructions
(7:1–2, 7–9, 17–24, 29–35)
A. The
argument
(7:1–2, 7–9, 32–35): Is it better to be married than not to be
married?
1. The
advantages of marriage
(7:2, 7, 9)
a. It
helps prevent immoral actions and attitudes (7:2, 9).
b. It
is God’s will for many people to marry (7:7).
2. The
advantages of remaining single
(7:1, 8, 32–35): For the most part, a single person is free to
devote all his or her attention to the work of the Lord, having no
need to share time with a spouse or children.
B. The
answer
(7:17–24, 29–31): Which course is the best? It depends totally on
God’s perfect plan for each believer.
1. God’s
will must govern any decisions concerning marriage
(7:17).
2. Pleasing
God is the supreme objective
(7:18–19).
3. We
are not our own but have been bought and paid for by Christ
(7:20–24).
4. Even
if married, Christ must occupy first place in our life
(7:29–31).
II. Marriage—Some Specific Individuals: (7:3–6, 10–16, 25–28, 36–40): Paul now addresses four groups.
A. Saved
couples
(7:3–6, 10–11)
1. Both
are to submit their bodies to each other
(7:3–4).
2. Both
must agree if physical intimacy is set aside for a while to
facilitate prayer and fasting
(7:5–6).
3. Both
must strive to stay together and not divorce
(7:10–11).
B. Spiritually
mixed couples
(7:12–16)
1. The
saved spouse should continue living with the unsaved spouse if
possible
(7:12–13).
2. This
action may result in the salvation of the unsaved spouse
(7:14).
3. The
saved spouse should allow the unsaved spouse to depart if he or she
insists on it
(7:15–16).
C. Virgins
(7:25–28, 36–38): Paul advises the unmarried not to rush into
marriage.
D. A
widow
(7:39–40): She is free to marry another believer.
ebible (NLT) (Best for having Bible sections divided by "pericope" or sections by thought)
Bible Project (NLT) (Helpful videos and instructions for the bigger picture)
Thematic Bible (Books and Chapters Structure)
Bible Hub = Outline, Themes, Topics, People, Locations, and Questions
Aria
STUDY RESOURCES (This takes some work, and here are more resources than you can go through completely)
Rhys N. Thomas @ Thomas Theology Hub has written on 1 Corinthians.
Going Deeper: Go to the "Pericope" for more specific study.
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
APPLICATION (God wants us all to arrive at action, life-changing faith)
ESV (English Standard Version) Good translation with some helpful resources.
Biblegateway (CSB, NLT, The Message, ERV, CEV) has some application resources.
Heartlight (Great for practical application of scripture)
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- What transformative move needs to be made?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
Take Away Challenges
What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts, or actions need to be addressed or changed?
Other Resources:
- Other YouTube Videos
- Audio Recordings
- Listener's Commentary
1 Corinthians 7 - https://app.throughtheword.org/
Articles
- Devotions
MARRIAGE MORALITY
1 Corinthians 7
“But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband” (1 Cor. 7:2).
Marriage is intended to be a joy—and a lifelong commitment.
Background
Confusion in Corinth. Paul didn’t spell out the background when he discussed problems in Corinth. He didn’t need to. He and the Corinthians knew the situation well. We, however, have to re-create the situation from clues in Paul’s advice.
Most scholars draw this picture. Corinth was proverbial for sexual looseness. Paul taught a strict morality, but after he left, the church became confused about how to apply his teachings. Some opted for celibate marriage, assuming sex even in marriage was sinful. Some believed Christians shouldn’t marry. Some thought they should divorce unconverted spouses. Others, who had been deserted by pagan spouses, wondered if they were somehow guilty of violating Christ’s command, and if they were still bound in a now-empty relationship. In this brief chapter Paul clarified all these vital issues, and answered questions many ask today.
Overview
Husbands and wives are to meet each other’s sexual needs (7:1–7). The unmarried with overpowering needs should wed (vv. 8–9). Christians should not seek a divorce, even from unbelieving spouses (vv. 10–14). But if one’s partner leaves, the believing spouse is not bound (vv. 15–16). Paul advised retaining the place held when converted (vv. 17–24). He advised celibacy, but didn’t restrict the virgin or the widow who wished to marry (vv. 25–40).
Understanding the Text
“It is good for a man not to marry” 1 Cor. 7:1–7. Paul frequently began by quoting what folks in Corinth had been saying. He did this here. And Paul agreed with the quote, insofar as it expressed his personal opinion. He did not agree that it expressed his official teaching (cf. v. 7).
We need to be as careful as Paul in making this distinction. It’s one thing to tell someone, “Here’s what I think best.” It’s another entirely to say, “Here’s what all Christians must think or feel or do.”
We shouldn’t impose our personal preferences on others. And we shouldn’t let others con us into believing their preferences are binding on us.
“The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband” 1 Cor. 7:2–5. The Bible identifies three functions of sex in marriage. Sex is a means of procreation of children, and the seal of marital intimacy (Gen. 2). And sex meets a legitimate human need.
It isn’t “spiritual” to dislike sex. It isn’t “spiritual” to have celibate marriages. What’s spiritual is to realize that as a husband you are privileged not only to love your wife, but also to be God’s gift to meet her sexual as well as other needs. What is spiritual is to realize that as a wife you are privileged not only to love your husband, but are also privileged to be God’s gift to meet his sexual as well as other needs.
If you want a spiritually intimate marriage, giving your body gladly and lovingly to your partner plays an important part.
“It is better to marry than to burn with passion” 1 Cor. 7:6–9. Paul was not a supporter of the “anti-sex” clique in Corinth. While he himself had gladly chosen the celibate life, he realized that “each man has his own gift from God.”
Today we recognize that hormones play a key role in the sexual drive of both men and women. Some, in Paul’s terms, “burn.” And some do not. Don’t make the mistake of viewing one condition as better, or more spiritual, than the other. Paul didn’t. The structure of our bodies, including the heat our hormones generate, is part of our gift from God. So don’t look down on those whose physical nature is different from your own.
And don’t envy them, either.
“I give this command (not I, but the Lord)” 1 Cor. 7:10–11. Paul spoke very bluntly when he shifted from giving personal advice to passing on Christ’s command. Those folks who thought of sex as dirty and wrong, and were proceeding to divorce their spouses for “spiritual” reasons, must stop!
Immediately after stating a wife “must not,” Paul added an “if she does” condition. Why? Quite likely because some in Corinth, in their eagerness to do what they thought God wanted, had already obtained divorces! Now Paul told them to remain single or be reunited with their spouses, and live together as man and wife.
There are valid reasons for divorce and separation (cf. Matt. 19:9). But there are no frivolous reasons for divorce. God’s goal is a real marriage, that lasts a lifetime.
“The unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife” 1 Cor. 7:12–15. The next question the Corinthians were sure to ask was, “What about those of us married to non-Christians? How can we have a ‘spiritual’ relationship with an unbeliever?”
Paul’s answer was surprising. When just one partner is a believer, the family is “set apart” to God through His relationship with the believing person. This is no guarantee that spouse or children will be converted. It is a guarantee that God’s power flows from the believer, rather than Satan’s power flowing from the unbeliever. The Christian radiates Christ, and all within the circle of his or her influence are affected by the divine magnetism. Rather than break contact by divorce, the Christian who already has an unsaved spouse who is willing to stay married to him or her should seek to deepen the relationship, not break it.
Let Christ touch your spouse and your children through you.
“If the unbeliever leaves” 1 Cor. 7:15–16. Sometimes a person can’t help a divorce. Are we still bound to a relationship our spouse has abandoned? Paul’s reassuring answer was, “A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances” (v. 15).
I’ve just contributed to an InterVarsity Press book that presents four views on divorce. There may be no more hotly argued question in many churches. There certainly is no issue that causes greater pain and anguish for anyone personally affected. It seems to me that Paul here takes a stand with grace. When a marriage simply cannot be maintained, and the relationship has in effect ended, let it go. The believer is “not bound” in such circumstances. He or she is unmarried in fact, and thus free.
In debates of this kind, where strong arguments exist for various interpretations of the biblical text, it’s generally best to find yourself on the side of grace. That’s where God usually is.
“Retain the place in life that the Lord assigned” 1 Cor. 7:17–24. Paul summed up his teaching with a general principle that is applicable to many different situations. Did God call you as a married person? Then stay married. Were you a slave? Then don’t feel you have to be free, though you can take the opportunity for freedom if it comes.
A tremendously exciting concept underlies this principle. God can use us wherever, and whomever, we may be! You don’t have to be free to be spiritually significant. You don’t have to be married. Or celibate. The chances are that God can and will use you just where you are.
So don’t fall into that awful “if only” trap. If only I were a college grad, we think, God could use me. If only I had a million dollars. If only I’d gone on to seminary. If only I didn’t have a wife and 11 kids.
The devil loves to have us play “if only.” It keeps our eyes on fantasy, and off reality. If we open our eyes to what’s around us, we might be used by God where we are.
“What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short” 1 Cor. 7:25–35. Paul applied his “retain place” principle to marrieds and singles. But he also made an important point. It’s so easy to get caught up by concern for the welfare of a spouse. It’s so easy that we may become “engrossed in” the things of this world, in our attempt to make a better life for him or her.
We should love our husband or wife. But we Christians most of all should put God first—together.
DEVOTIONAL
Undivided Devotion
(1 Cor. 7:25–40)
“June! Can you come over tonight? We’ve just met the nicest young man!” Ever notice the matchmaking that goes on in a church? Or how we pressure people to marry? A single person starts coming to church, and within a month everyone’s busy trying to arrange a meeting with this or that prospect. It’s the same with widows and widowers. “Would you like to come over this evening. We’ve met the nicest woman, and she’s just your age!”
Well, it’s not fair. Especially to those with a gift that Paul values highly: the gift of celibacy. We can make it really hard for men and women who, for their own reasons, choose not to marry. Instead of respecting their choice, we assume that there must be something wrong with them—and we mount campaigns to correct it!
Paul made it clear that virgins and widows are free to marry if they wish. But he wanted us to give brothers and sisters the freedom not to marry if they wish—and not to be harassed about their choice.
It may help us back off if we consider Paul’s reasons. He said (and every married person knows it’s true) that “those who marry will face many troubles in this life” (v. 28). The married become responsible for spouse and children, and thus have a powerful motive to be “engrossed in” the things of the world (v. 31). After all, we’ve got to provide a house to live in. And with the costs of a college education these days, we need to work harder and save more money than ever before!
Now, it’s right to be concerned with “pleasing” our spouse. But the responsibilities that come with marriage mean we have less time, less money, and less energy to devote to pleasing God. Our choices are, rightly, shaped by considering the welfare of our families.
The unmarried, however, are free from all such restrictions, able to give “undivided devotion to the Lord.” And this, the gift of undivided devotion, is something that God is certainly pleased to receive.
So the next time a single person comes into your fellowship, welcome him or her gladly. And forego the matchmaking. You may have one of those special people who has decided to follow Paul’s advice, and live a life of undivided devotion to the Lord.
Personal Application
Welcome and honor singles in your church family.
Quotable
“This is self-renunciation—to unlock the chains of this earthly life which passeth away and to set oneself free from the business of men, and thus to make ourselves fitter to enter on that path that leads to God and to free our spirit to gain and use those things which are far more precious than gold or precious stones.”—Basil the Great1
1 Richards, L. (1990). The 365 Day Devotional Commentary (pp. 920–922). Victor Books.
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