Daily Scripture Reading 1Corinthians 6:9 - 7:9
Suppose a man has sex with a prostitute? Does God consider him married to the prostitute? Suppose a man has a one night stand with a female without money changing hands. Does God consider them to be married?
There is a verse in today’s passage that seems to indicate they are married, but verses elsewhere in the Bible seem to define marriage differently. This highlights the fact that when we try to articulate God’s definition of marriage, there are some gray areas. Having said that, there are situations in which people clearly are married and in which they clearly are not married.
Unfortunately, today many Christians and so-called Christians live in these ambiguous zones where it is not clear if God considers them married or not. Today’s passage reminds us that Christians should strive to live in the unambiguous zones, so that there is no debate as to whether or not we are married.
In yesterday’s passage, we began reading Paul’s statements to the Corinthians regarding sexual immorality. Christians are to be a positive example for the world, but the church in Corinth tolerated sin that was worse than the sin of the Gentiles. Paul went on to condemn greed, idolatry, reviling, drunkenness, and swindling.
1Cor. 6:9 ¶ Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
1Cor. 6:10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
Note that Paul did not say everyone who ever committed sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, etcetera will not inherit the kingdom. Instead, he said idolaters, adulterers, etcetera will not inherit it. In other words, those who habitually practice these sins will not inherit the kingdom.
1Cor. 6:11 And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
1Cor. 6:12 ¶ 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.
1Cor. 6:13 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.
1Cor. 6:14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.
1Cor. 6:15 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!
1Cor. 6:16 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.”
Suppose a man has sex with a prostitute? Does God consider him married to the prostitute? This verse seems to indicate he is because it uses the terms “one body” and “one flesh”. Suppose a man has a one night stand with a female without money changing hands. Does God consider them to be married?
One argument against the idea that God considers them to be married is that Gen 2:24 indicates marriage happens when a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife. When a man has sex with a prostitute or another female but does not live with her, then he has not left his father and mother and cleaved to his wife.
In modern culture, our government has legal procedures for getting married; therefore, most Christians think marriage only happens when the government says it has happened. However, we should remember first and foremost that God created marriage and He gets to define when a male and female are married and when they are not.
The Bible leaves some unanswered questions regarding the moment at which a man and woman become married in God’s eyes. There are some gray areas. Unfortunately, there are way too many people in our churches today who live in the gray areas and it is debatable whether or not God considers them to be married.
However, there are some areas that are not gray. If a man never lives with a female to whom he is not related and never has sex, then he is not married. If a man goes through a marriage ceremony with a female and then lives with her and has sex with her, then he is married to her. Those situations are clear and unambiguous. This passage reminds us that Christians should always be in one of those two situations.
1Cor. 6:17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
1Cor. 6:18 Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral man sins against his own body.
Sometimes the world criticizes Christians for being too obsessed with sexual ethics. However, this verse makes it clear that sexual sin is very serious and we should be clear, adamant, and intentional about it.
1Cor. 6:19 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?
1Cor. 6:20 For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
1Cor. 7:1 ¶ Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
1Cor. 7:2 But because of sexual immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.
1Cor. 7:3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
A common complaint by many who are married is that their spouse does not have sex often enough. This verse makes it clear that a married person is obligated to fill the sexual desires of their spouse. Paul used an imperative, meaning it is a command to fulfill your duty to your spouse.
1Cor. 7:4 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.
1Cor. 7:5 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.
The words “stop depriving” are also in the imperative form, meaning this is a command, not a suggestion.
1Cor. 7:6 But this I say as a concession, not as a command.
Verse 7 is the concession, not verse 5. Verse 5 is a command while verse 7 is a suggestion.
1Cor. 7:7 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.
1Cor. 7:8 ¶ But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I.
1Cor. 7:9 But if they do not have self-control, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
The Bible leaves some unanswered questions regarding the moment at which a man and woman become married in God’s eyes. There are some gray areas. However, there are some areas that are not gray. If a man never lives with a female to whom he is not related and never has sex, then he is not married. If a man goes through a marriage ceremony with a female and then lives with her and has sex with her, then he is married to her. Those situations are clear and unambiguous. This passage reminds us that Christians should always be in one of those two situations.
To what extent are you living, and have always lived, a lifestyle where it is clear whether or not God considers you to be married?
What changes should you make in your lifestyle in light of the commands in today’s passage regarding sexual ethics both inside and outside of marriage?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”