(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see how)
Focus Question:
Why celibacy and singleness?
Intro:
Hey, how about a whole chapter on marriage and stuff related to marriage? Well, I’m glad you asked! We’re just going to read this today because I’m going to just let God’s word stand on its own. I’d suggest, though, that you remember two things:
Corinth was the Sin City of the Roman empire. So if we back out away from Paul calling out the incest situation and all that, there’s a theme that we were reminded of at the end of yesterday’s chapter — we are not our own. Which kinda flies in the face of our contemporary western culture’s view of identity.
Sex is beautiful, but it’s as profound as the believer’s union with Christ. So I’ll just ask…are you feeling that intimate with Jesus? And like you want to be faithful to Him and Him alone? Because that’s the vision here — not just in terms of sex and marriage, but also in terms of Godly honor in all relationships or whatever your marital status.
Finally, today’s focus question…What does Paul describe as the benefit of celibacy and singleness?
New Testament segment:
Passage: 1 Corinthians 7
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 40
Words: ~848
So, why celibacy and singleness? Because Paul recognizes that you’d have more time to do the Lord’s work. Especially during that honeymoon week in some remote treehouse overlooking a beach, right?
As DA Carson comments,
(3) The word rendered “crisis” simply means “necessity” or “compulsion.” What Paul is referring to is neither the return of Christ nor persecution, but the present “necessity,” the present “compulsion,” of living with the End in view. Unlike pagans and secularists, we cannot make our chief joy turn on marriage, prosperity, or any other temporal thing. They all fall under the formula “as if not”: live “as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away” (7:31, emphasis added). There are responsible ways for Christians to enjoy these things, or mourn, or be happy—but never as if these things are ultimate.(1)
Now our time in the OT is shorter today and, in short, despite the fact that God said He was going to use Cyrus, king of Persia (Babylon), that doesn’t mean that Babylon isn’t going to earn their just rewards for their own junk.
Old Testament segment:
Passage: Isaiah 45:14-47:15
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 40
Words: ~1091
Wisdom segment:
Passage: Proverbs 14:16-22
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 6
Words: ~96
The bottom line:
If you think about it, whatever the length of your life here, an eternity in heaven is going to utterly dwarf your 60 or 80 or 100 years here. When you look at it this way, it kinda puts it all in perspective, especially when you think about how much time we spend pursuing earthly things like our sexual desires. Sex in the right context — marriage — is a beautiful thing, but even then we should be seeing that as an expression of worship. And on that warm note, I’ll catch you tomorrow.
Love you!
Roger
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
(1) D. A. Carson, For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word., vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998), 271.