1 Corinthians 7:1-24 Lesson 321

1 Corinthians 7:1-24
Lesson 321

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

A treatise on marriage (7:1-16).
Live as God called you (7:17-24).

Beginning with this lesson and running through
verse 11:1 (lesson 327), marriage and what is expected of Christians.

What is -

Circumcision -
Circumcision is the cutting away of the foreskin from the male genitals. To Jews, it represents their relationship with God. Circumcision began as an Old Testament rite to serve as "a token of the covenant" between God and the Jewish people (Genesis 17:11). God promised Abraham that He would protect Jews, bless them with many descendants (Genesis 15:5), and give them the land known as Palestine (Genesis 15:18). In return, Abraham vowed to obey God and sealed this commitment with a promise to circumcise every boy child at eight days old (Genesis 17:1-14; Leviticus 12:3). Circumcision shows that a Jewish man belongs to God (Genesis 17:9-14). Circumcision "without hands" is spiritual and not physical. It refers to the cutting away of sin from one's heart (Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; Romans 2:28-29). The Judaizers were early Jewish converts to Christianity who erroneously believed that faith in Christ was not enough. They taught that salvation came through faith in Jesus Christ and the Mosaic Law (Acts 15:5). They thought that Gentile men needed to become Jews, be circumcised, and practice all the rites and ceremonies of Judaism before becoming Christians. This created unnecessary hurdles for non-Jews to follow Christ. In this segment, Paul tells the Corinthians that circumcision is not a part of Christian salvation (Romans 4:9-11; Galatians 5:2-6; 6:15; Colossians 2:11).

The way to salvation:

First, know that we have all sinned
and that the penalty for sin is death.
Second, acknowledge that you cannot save yourself.
Third, believe that Jesus died for our sins.
Fourth, confess that Jesus is Lord.

Forgiveness of sins and salvation comes through Jesus, the Son of God.

The First Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Corinthians

The King James Bible

1 Corinthians 7:1-24
Christian marriage

1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.

7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.

9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.

22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.

23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

Margin notes:

"Concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me." (7:1) - Paul is referring to a letter from Corinth asking about sex and marriage. See "Today's Question" below.

"It is good for a man not to touch a woman." (7:1) - "It is good for a man to be celibate." Paul lived a life of celibacy.   Some in the Corinthian church considered this to be the highest goal of the truly spiritual man. Paul recommended his lifestyle but recognized that it wasn't for everyone (Genesis 2:18; 7:7).

"To avoid fornication." (7:2) - To avoid fornication is not the only reason to marry, but it's a good one. Marriage is the source of love, stability, and of course, children.

"Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence." (7:3) - "Let a husband give his wife affection."

"The wife hath not power of her own body...likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body." (7:4) - Which means, that once married, men and women become as one (Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:7-8), and their bodies belong to each other.

"Defraud ye not one the other." (7:5) - "Don't deny yourself to the other."

"That Satan tempt you not for your incontinency." (7:5) - "So that Satan can't tempt you in your weakness."

"Every man hath his proper gift of God." (7:7) - Married or single, both are gifts from God. To each according to their purpose.

"It is good for them if they abide even as I." (7:8) - This means that it is alright to live single. Paul is not saying that single life is better than married life, only that it is equally good.

"Better to marry than to burn." (7:9) - Burn with lust.

"Let not the wife depart from her husband." (7:10) - "Let not the wife leave her husband (Malachi 2:14, Matthew 5:32)."

"Let not the husband put away his wife." (7:11) - See Matthew 5:32, 19:9, Mark 10:11, and Luke 16:18.

"Sanctified." (7:14)- To be sanctified is to be blessed or made holy. In this passage, we learn that an unbeliever is blessed by living with a saved family member and being exposed to the Gospel.

"A brother or a sister." (7:15) - A fellow Christian.

"Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing." (7:19) - Circumcision counts for nothing; what matters is faith (Galatians 5:6).

"Servant." (7:21) - Translated from the Greek word "doulos," which more accurately means slave.

"Christ's servant." (7:22) - Once you are no longer a servant (slave) to sin, you serve God (Romans 6:22).

"Ye are bought with a price." (7:23) - Bought with the blood of Jesus.

To read more on what the Bible says about marriage see Matthew 5:27-32; 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12; Luke 16:18 and Ephesians 5:21-33.

New Living Translation

1 Corinthians 7:1-24
Instruction on Marriage

1 Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life.

2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

3 The husband should fulfill his wife's sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband's needs.

4 The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.

5 Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

6 I say this as a concession, not as a command.

7 But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. But God gives to some the gift of marriage, and to others the gift of singleness.

8 So I say to those who aren't married and to widows-it's better to stay unmarried, just as I am.

9 But if they can't control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It's better to marry than to burn with lust.

10 But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband.

11 But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.

12 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her.

13 And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him.

14 For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.

15 (But if the husband or wife who isn't a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.)

16 Don't you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don't you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?

17 Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.

18 For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now.

19 For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God's commandments.

20 Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you.

21 Are you a slave? Don't let that worry you-but if you get a chance to be free, take it.

22 And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ.

23 God paid a high price for you, so don't be enslaved by the world.

24 Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's Question:

1. Why did the Corinthians write Paul? (7:1)

Strengthen your relationship with God. Study the Bible every day.

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. The Christians of Corinth wrote Paul about everyday issues that confused them. As new believers, they were unsure what was expected of them and how they should conduct themselves. Foremost was the issue of sex and marriage. The people of Corinth were surrounded by so much sexual immorality that even the pagan population was shocked. So the church leaders wrote Paul asking whether or not they should marry, how husbands and wives should treat each other sexually, and should they divorce a spouse who didn't follow Jesus Christ.

Application thought for the day:

"As God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called everyone, so let him walk." (7:17)

Consider this; you may be in the exact place God wants you; being prepared for a purpose known only to Him. (7:20)

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2022 evolke

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