Wearing The World Lightly
1 Corinthians 7
We come now to one of the more turgidly
written passages in the New Testament. It seems to oscillate
between two extremes. Perhaps the extremes are not important;
the oscillation is.
(1 Cor 7 NIV) Now for the matters you wrote
about: It is good for a man not to marry. {2} But since there is
so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each
woman her own husband. {3} The husband should fulfill his
marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
{4} The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her
husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to
him alone but also to his wife. {5} Do not deprive each other
except 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
men were as I am. But each man has his 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
am. {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 him do so. A believing man or
woman 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? {17} Nevertheless, each one should retain the
place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has
called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.
{18} Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should
not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was
called? He should not be circumcised. {19} Circumcision is
nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is
what counts. {20} Each one should remain in the situation which
he was in when God called him. {21} Were you a slave when you
were called? Don't let it trouble you--although if you can gain
your freedom, do so. {22} For he who was a slave when he was
called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was
a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. {23} You were
bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. {24} Brothers,
each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation
God called him to. {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 you to remain as you are. {27} Are you
married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? 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, is that the time is short.
From now on those who have wives should live as if they had
none; {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 thinks he is acting
improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is
getting along in years 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 even better. {39} A
woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her
husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he
must belong to the Lord. {40} In my judgment, she is happier if
she stays as she is--and I think that I too have the Spirit of
God.
The problem of cheap advice
Two thousand or so years after Paul wrote,
things have not much changed. As a teacher, the most frequent
questions received are still about the same topic: marriage. The
difficulty in the answers is still the same: cheap advice.
Here’s the temptation. Suppose a woman comes
to you, complaining of her husband’s evil temper and behavior.
She’s had enough, she tells you, and wants rid of the man. There
is a very strong temptation to answer in one of two ways:
·
One answer is in human
sympathy. You feel sorry for her – she usually has a
genuine problem – and out of sympathy you tell her to do
what she feels like. This usually produces disaster. She
goes away vindicated in her feelings, thinking herself
righteous, and proceeds to produce more anger, more
strife, and eventually a bitter divorce.
·
The other answer is in
self-righteous piety. You think of your own marriage; of
the sweet submission of your own wife, and decide that
the lady must be the problem. You call her to the high,
holy road of Christ. She goes away bitter – and feeling
very guilty. She will come back some day – to show you
that your advice was wrong.
If you want the right answers, you must ask
the right questions. The usual question is, “What should I do?”
Paul here answers, “what may I do?”
·
As always, he places the
cause of Christ first. In each answer given, he
encourages the individual to take up the high calling of
Christ and to live sacrificially.
·
But – please note – he
recognizes that this is a gift from God. Some of us
don’t have it. If we can live so sacrificially, our Lord
will reward it. But if we can’t, there are certain
things which are permitted.
Here are some of his specific answers. See
how the general principles above are applied in them.
“I can’t stand the man”
Why? Well, suppose her husband is beating
her. It happens, even in Christian homes. Is she called to be a
punching bag for his anger? No – she is permitted to separate
from him. Note- not divorce, separate. She must remain alone.
(Paul doesn’t mention it here, but she should also take this
matter before the church. Regrettably, the church has not been
swift to deal with this.)
“He’s an unbeliever”
Often, in Paul’s time, this came about
because the wife (or husband) became a Christian after marriage.
Christians are strongly counseled to marry Christians. But hear
Paul’s advice here:
·
Is he willing to stay in the
marriage? Then you should be too. Marriage is God’s
institution, it is holy. If the unbeliever will keep to
that, you should honor God by doing likewise.
·
Marriage is holy; so is the
Christian. By remaining in the marriage you sanctify
your children. Should they suffer so that you can be
free?
·
Marriage is holy; in so
suffering you may bring your spouse to Christ. Is that
not a cause worth suffering for?
If, however, the unbeliever leaves – let him.
You are not bound. But note that the action must be taken by the
unbeliever. The child of God is called to remain in peace in
marriage. Only the non-believer should furnish grounds for
divorce or separation.
Objectives
In all these, we see the objectives of the
Christian:
·
The salvation of the
unbeliever.
·
The sanctification of the
children
·
That God’s grace might be
extended to all.
Principles
There are certain principles in this passage
which are clearly stated elsewhere.
Put the things of God first – but other
things are permissible
We see this in the matter of sexual
abstinence regarding prayer. This passage has been much used to
justify priestly celibacy, but that’s not his point at all.
·
Permissible things – like
sex – are used to “lead us not into temptation.” We have
sexual desire. If we cannot overcome it and devote all
our passion to Christ, this is not a sin. But it is
foolish to try abstinence to the point of giving Satan
an opportunity for temptation.
·
This also stresses that such
things are not intrinsically moral evils – as is
sometimes claimed by ascetics. The key is to find their
proper use. They should not serve as a roadblock to
devotion to God, either by being overused or neglected.
As much as possible, live at peace
We are not in charge of circumstances. There
will come instances where peace is not possible. But so far as
we have control over it, we should live at peace with all. Does
your non-believing husband wish to remain in the marriage? Be at
peace; remain in the marriage. Does he wish to leave? You cannot
control that; you are to let him depart. The decision does not
belong to you – now. You gave up that decision when you came to
Christ. Just make it clear that – as far as you can – you will
live in Christ’s commands. Our God is the God of peace.
God does not overburden us
Are you one of those strong-willed,
self-disciplined souls who can fast for forty days and nights.
Good! I’m not. God has blessed you with a gift he has not given
me. But that same wise God therefore will not burden me with a
forty day fast – though he will burden you. If you will accept
his burdens, in his strength, you will find that “his yoke is
easy, and his burden is light.”
An' I spoke to God of our Contract, an' He says to my prayer:
"I never puts on My ministers no more than they can bear.
So back you go to the cattle-boats an' preach My Gospel
there.
(Kipling, Mulholland’s Contract)
Some of us are disappointed that God sends us
back to our own cattle boats. We see others who are great in the
kingdom, and we ask, “Why not me?” God’s answer is that he would
not burden you with that which you cannot bear.
Human desire is the enemy of contentment
We seek things of this world which we think
will give us pleasure. When we get those things, we seek more.
When we examine ourselves, we say we are not content because we
do not have. Perhaps we are not content because we desire so
much.
Wearing the world lightly
What, then, is the secret of this
contentment? It is to wear the world lightly, for the world is
passing away. Consider two of the subjects Paul covers here:
·
Marriage is the primary
example, for most of us are subject to it. He argument
is that marriage is for this life only. For all such
things, we should use this life to bring us reward for
eternal life. Therefore, we should focus our marriage on
Christ. If there are troubles in that marriage, we
should use them to bring glory to God. Christ first;
then our troubles in marriage.
·
Another example is slavery.
Interestingly, the modern translators have (in verse 23)
rewritten what Paul was trying to say. The ancients
understood it quite well. He’s telling the slave that
obtaining his freedom is not important – rather, that he
is free in Christ and he should use that freedom to
honor God. Chyrsostom interprets the Greek to mean
here (as Paul tells us elsewhere) that the slave should
serve devotedly – as a free man should.
Even “religion” should be worn lightly
Many of us were raised in Christian homes.
That is a great blessing – but it can be pressed too far. How
often have you heard the grumbles about the new style of hymns?
(“If Old Rugged Cross was good enough for St. Paul….”) The
matter is not one of hymns, or video screens, or guitars – but
of true worship of the Lord. These other matters are things
which are permitted, not required. In Paul’s time the issue was
circumcision (from the Old Testament teachings). But the
principle remains the same.
Your place, your ministry
Many of us seek to improve ourselves by
changing our position; few of us seek to improve ourselves by
remaining. Hear the words of an older generation:
Some persons have the foolish notion that the only way in
which they can live for God is by becoming ministers,
missionaries, or Bible women. Alas! how many would be shut out
from any opportunity of magnifying the Most High if this were
the case. Beloved, it is not office, it is earnestness; it is
not position, it is grace which will enable us to glorify God.
God is most surely glorified in that cobbler's stall, where the
godly worker, as he plies the awl, sings of the Saviour's love,
ay, glorified far more than in many a prebendal stall where
official religiousness performs its scanty duties. The name of
Jesus is glorified by the poor unlearned carter as he drives his
horse, and blesses his God, or speaks to his fellow labourer by
the roadside, as much as by the popular divine who, throughout
the country, like Boanerges, is thundering out the gospel. God
is glorified by our serving Him in our proper vocations. Take
care, dear reader, that you do not forsake the path of duty by
leaving your occupation, and take care you do not dishonour your
profession while in it. Think little of yourselves, but do not
think too little of your callings. Every lawful trade may be
sanctified by the gospel to noblest ends. Turn to the Bible, and
you will find the most menial forms of labour connected either
with most daring deeds of faith, or with persons whose lives
have been illustrious for holiness. Therefore be not
discontented with your calling. Whatever God has made your
position, or your work, abide in that, unless you are quite sure
that he calls you to something else. Let your first care be to
glorify God to the utmost of your power where you are. Fill your
present sphere to His praise, and if He needs you in another He
will show it you. This evening lay aside vexatious ambition, and
embrace peaceful content.
(C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening
Devotions, June 27)
Let us learn contentment from our Master – so
that we may honor him in the situation in which he has placed
us.
