I. The Word: 1 Corinthians 7:36-40 (NIV)
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.
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.
II. Reflection Questions:
1. Do I love and serve God with all of my strength, whatever my situation: married or single?
By Jason Schezer
The Apostle Paul wrote most of the letters (epistles) in the New Testament. There were many churches that he praised or otherwise gave out complimentary words. Corinth was not one of them, as the church was extremely divided, often spiritually immature, and there were members of the church who were tolerant of outright sin. In chapter 7 of 1st Corinthians, we see Paul’s detailed explanation of the merits of singleness and the merits of the married state, and the spiritual factors that ought to be prayerfully considered when a believer seeks God’s guidance on these big life decisions.
Although there was almost nothing to praise about the church in Corinth, Paul is writing to believers who are ‘saints’. In the language of the New Testament, “saint” does not imply a revered historical figure who is well known, e.g., St. Paul or St. Luke, but rather it means a sanctified person that is set apart for God. The basic idea of sanctified is that relation to God equals sanctified, rather than moral uprightness equals sanctified. Moral uprightness is, of course, important, but it does not cause an individual to be sanctified or be a saint. Relation to God causes it, which will produce moral uprightness.
As we look at verse 36, we see that marriage is not to be despised or looked down upon; it is not more ‘spiritual’ for believers in Christ to remain celibate. There are some complicated interpretations of verse 36, in which “man” means the guardian (father) of the virgin, who is culturally expected to provide for her marriage. This would undoubtedly entail financial provision as well as physical protection until she is given away in marriage to a young man who is known to have good character. However, the most natural understanding of this verse is that the man is a young man who chooses to marry the virgin. Paul’s purpose is not to describe how a father should give away his daughter in marriage, but rather explain that it is not sinning for the unmarried man and unmarried woman to marry.
There is obviously in verse 36 the aspect of sexual passions, which should factor into the decision of whether to marry. Paul’s view, quite plainly, is that if sexual passion is too strong, such that remaining unmarried would present such temptation to stumble into sin, then it is better than the individual ought to marry. This is not to give license for a person to reason that sexual passion is an excuse for sinning when marriage is not immediately accessible. Each person must control his/her temple (body) in a way that is honoring to God. Yet marriage must not be made inaccessible to those who are eligible to be married.
IV. Application:
V. Prayer:
Lord God, my Father, my perfect heavenly Father, who loves to hear my prayers when I pray from a pure heart, thank You for Your glorious plan in my life, which is unique to me. Shine the light of your glory in every area of my passions, my desires, my dreams, and hopes. Create a pure heart in me, and keep me away from every kind of sexual sin, so that I can be useful to You and grow in the grace of Christ.
City Life Starter 
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