1 Corinthians 7 – 11

Answers

2009

Chapter 7 – Instruction On Marriage

Up to this point, Paul had been dealing with the sins reported to be known in the Corinthian church.  Now He takes up the questions about which they had written to him:  marriage (7:1,25), food offered to idols (8:1), spiritual gifts (12:1), the resurrection of the dead (15:1), and the missionary offering for the Jews (16:1).  Chapter 7, while answering many questions about marriage, does not in itself contain all of the “theology of marriage.”  Paul mostly refers to what Jesus Himself taught about marriage (Matt.5: 31-32); 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12; Luke 16:18).  There are issues that Jesus never taught on and what Paul wrote he claimed was equal in authority to what Christ taught.  He writes to three different groups of believers.

Christians Married To Christians – (7:1-11)

One of the questions addressed to Paul was, “Is celibacy (remaining unmarried) more spiritual than marriage?”  How does Paul reply?

1.      It is good for a man or a woman to have the gift of celibacy, but the celibate state is not better than marriage, nor is it the best state for everybody.

2.      But being single carries with it tremendous temptations to impurity.  What does he suggest?  (A) V.2 - “each man should have his own wife and each woman have her own husband.”  This means monogamous marriage, the principle God established from the beginning.

3.      What do vv.3-5 tell you about the role of sex in marriage?  (A) Neither the husband nor the wife should deprive the other from sexual intimacy as the Lord gives authority over her body to her husband and her husband likewise gives authority over his body to his wife.

4.      What is one reason given that the partners might deprive one another of sex?  (A) Husbands and wives may abstain temporarily from sexual activity, but only when they mutually agree to do so for a time so as to devote themselves to prayer.  He tells them to come back together again so that Satan will not tempt them because of the lack of self-control.

5.      How can marriage hinder your Christian life?  How can it contribute to it?  Discuss among yourselves.

6.      The Corinthians not only asked about marriage, but they also asked about divorce.  What is Paul’s advice?  (A) He gives the same answer as Jesus gave (Matt.5: 31, 32), that husbands and wives should not divorce, and if divorce does occur, the believer should remain unmarried or seek reconciliation.  Apparently, some Corinthians thought that they should divorce their unsaved spouses and live in celibacy or marry a believer.

Christians Married To Non-Christians (7:12-24)

Some members of the church were saved after they had been married, but their spouses had not yet been converted.  Some were having problems at home because of it; and they asked Paul, “Must we remain married to unsaved partners?  Doesn’t our conversion change things?”

1.      His reply?  (A) They were to remain with their partner so long as their mates were willing to live with them (12).  Salvation does not alter the marriage; if anything, it ought to enhance the marriage relationship.

2.      V.14 say that the “Christian husband or wife brings holiness to their marriage.  Otherwise, your children would not have a godly influence, but now they are set apart for Him.”  How so?  (A) “Set apart” is the definition for the word “sanctified,” but this does not refer to being “set apart for holiness.”  It does not teach that the unsaved partner is saved because of the believing mate, since each person must individually decide for Christ.  Rather it means that the believer exerts a spiritual influence in the home that can help lead to the salvation of the partner.  The same holds true for the children, the emphasis being on the spiritual influence of the godly partner. Someday they may be saved if the Christian mate is faithful.

3.      Vv.14-24 - This was all a different way of thinking for these new Christians.  The church was probably the only assembly in the Roman Empire where slaves and the free, men and women, rich and poor, could fellowship on an equal basis.  But with this new outlook on life, problems arose.  Paul laid down a principle to counter this: Even though Christians are all one in Christ, each believer should remain in the same calling he was in before the Lord saved him.  Elaborate.  (A) Jewish believers should not try to become Gentiles (by changing the physical mark of the covenant).  Slaves should not demand freedom from their Christian masters, just because of their equality in Christ.  Instead, use your circumstances to glorify the Lord!  The same principle applies to Christians married to unbelievers.

4.      But what if the unsaved partner leaves the home?  (A) V.15 – the Christian partner is not obligated to keep the home together.  If the unsaved mate separates from his or her partner, there is little the Christian can do except to pray and continue faithful to the Lord.  Forgiveness and restoration is always encouraged.

Unmarried Christians (7:25-40)

Paul now addresses another pressing question, “Must a Christian get married?  What about the unmarried women in the church who are not getting any younger?”  Paul may have been addressing this section primarily to parents of marriageable girls. 

1.      Why would he bother?  Young women have always gotten married.  (A) He addresses it because of the present, difficult times they were in, a time of distress as the society they knew was undergoing change.  Paul says in v, 29 that “the time that remains is short.”  There were certainly financial, social, and political challenges for the Christians in that day.

2.      His advise in v. 26 is to “remain just as you are.”  Does this mean that nobody should get married?  (A) No, it simply means that those who do marry must be ready to accept the trials that will accompany it.  The circumstances are different, but the problems married couples face today are just as difficult as they were in Paul’s day.

3.      Paul’s closing arguments in this section talk to us about dealing with the things of this world, in light of how brief the human life is.  In v.30, 31, he is saying that mature Christians should not be so caught up in the emotion of this life, so as to lose motivation, hope, and purpose.  Believers are not to be swept up in earthly doings so that heavenly matters become secondary.  The Message says it this way, “There is no time to waste, so don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily.  Keep it simple – in marriage, grief, and joy, whatever.  Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world trust upon you.  The world is on its way out.”

Chapter 8 - Food Sacrificed to Idols

The Greeks and Romans were polytheistic (worshipping many gods) and polydemonistic (believing in many evil spirits).  They believed that evil spirits would try to invade human beings by attaching themselves to food before it was eaten, and that the spirits could be removed only by the food being offered to a god.  This decontaminated meat was then offered to the gods as a sacrifice.  Some of the meat was used at pagan feast and what was left was sold on the market.  After conversion, believers resented eating such food bought out of idol markets, because it reminded them of their past lives as pagans and their demonic worship.

1.      How did the problem manifest itself in the church?  (A) Paul and the Corinthian believers all knew that food offered to idols did not change it in any way.  This knowledge, while making one feel important, does not build up the church but love does!  The question really should be, “While it’s OK for me, what is best for others?”

2.      So, should we eat meat offered to idols?  (A) Paul makes it clear that an idol is not a real god with power, knowledge and love.  There is no God but One: Father God the Creator and His Son Jesus Christ, the Lord.

3.      Not all believers, especially the new converts, realize the freedom they have in Christ Jesus.  Why would this be a problem?  (A) Having come from backgrounds of idolatry and being used to idols, they think they are committing idolatry when they eat meat that has been offered to an idol.  They think that the idol is a reality and therefore their conscience, being weak, is corrupted.  Actually, as long as he thinks it is wrong to eat meat offered to an idol, he would sin if he went ahead and did it.

4.      As believers, we have tremendous freedom in our Christian lives.  As far as types of food, God gives us complete freedom whether or not we eat them, although there might be much to lose by doing so if I am causing a weak Christian to stumble.  This is where the principle of love comes in.  How?  A Christian has liberty to eat meat that has previously been offered to idols, but it would be utterly wrong for him to eat it if in so doing he offends a weak brother or sister.

5.      What is the danger to flaunting our Christian liberty?  (A) V. 9 – it may cause a brother or sister to stumble and fall back into old sins.

6.      He gives the example of a weak believer seeing another brother eating at a temple of an idol.  The “stronger” believer may think nothing of it, but it may cause the weaker believer to “be destroyed” (v. 11).  Does this mean a loss of salvation?  (A) No!  It means that the weak believers testimony would be hurt and his life affected as far as his usefulness to the Lord is concerned.  Christ loved this weak believer and gave His life for him.  It would be sin against Christ if we were to willfully cause our brother or sister to fall.

Chapter 9 – Paul Gives Up His Rights

In chapter 8, Paul set out the limits of Christian liberty and continues to do so in chapter 10.  Paul seems to interrupt his discussion of liberty in chapter 9, but it really is an illustration of the very principles he teaches in the prior chapter.  He used himself as an illustration of the mature use of liberty: he was free to receive financial support from the Corinthian church, yet he set aside that right in order to achieve a higher goal.

First, he defends his stand as an apostle of Jesus and the Corinthians as his work.  As an apostle who worked so hard to bring these people to Christ, he claims that he has certain rights: to eat and drink and to take along a wife, as do other apostles.  He sites OT scripture, comparing the right of working oxen to eat with his own right to be fed and cared for as the fruits of his labor.

But Paul did not use this right, even though his role as an apostle mirrored in many ways, the Levites and their work in the Temple.  They were fed and cared for because of their work for the Lord.  Paul had the right to receive material support, but being a mature Christian, gave up right to be a living example of the very principles he was writing about.  Shouldn’t the stronger believer be able to set aside their rights for the sake of the weaker saints?  Was eating meat more important than building up the church?  He gives three reasons why he had refused support from the Corinthian church.

1.      For the Gospel’s sake (vv.15-18).  Paul wanted the message of the Gospel to be free from any obstacle or hindrances in the mind of lost sinners.  It wasn’t about Paul or his preaching –he was called by God to do it (v.16).  What he was doing wasn’t of his own free will, other wise he would deserve payment (v.17).  What was his reward?  The joy of preaching the Gospel without charge.  No man could accuse him of underhanded motives or methods as he shared the Good News of Jesus Christ.

2.      For the sinner’s Sake (vv.19-23).  He refused their support so that he was not bound to anyone, but free to be a servant of everyone.  In v.22, he tells them that he tries to find common ground with everyone (I am all things to all men) so that he might bring them to Christ.  How?  When with the Jews he followed Jewish law, the covenants, and tradition.  When with the Gentiles, he tried to fit in as best as possible.  When preaching to Gentiles he always started out with the God of Creation rather than with the Law.  His overriding purpose was to win people to Christ.

3.      For His Own Sake (vv.24-27).  Paul often used the imagery of an athlete and the discipline it took to win the prize.  Discipline means giving up the good and the better for the best.  We discipline ourselves to win an eternal prize, one that will never fade away.  How?  By “running straight toward the goal with purpose in every step (v.26).”  He concludes by saying that that he trains his body, disciplining it to do what it should, so that he might not be disqualified (v.27).  Does he mean he might lose his salvation?  No, the athlete didn’t lose his citizenship when he lost a race or was disqualified, he merely lost his reward.  For a Christian this means so much more.  We receive an incorruptible crown when we stand for our rewards before the Judgment Seat of Christ.  This crown is for those who discipline themselves for the sake of serving Christ and winning lost souls.  The question: how are you running your race?

Chapter 10 – Warnings Against Idolatry

In chapter 9, Paul has been thinking about the necessity of self-control and the example of the people of Israel.  The 40- year journey is a startling illustration of the misuse of freedom and the dangers of overconfidence.  In spite of God’s continual presence, the Israelites misused their newfound freedom and fell into idolatry, immorality and rebelliousness, which caused the Lord to remove His blessing.

1.      V. 2 says that, “As followers of Moses, they were all baptized in the cloud and in the sea.”  What does that mean?  (A) God’s presence was in the cloud by day and in the column of fire at night (Ex. 13:21).  The sea was the Red Sea, which opened for Israel to pass through and closed down on the Egyptian army (Ex. 14:26-31).  Better versions say that they were “baptized into Moses, not into the cloud and sea.  Either way, it symbolizes the oneness, or solidarity, with Moses as their leader.

2.      How did they “all drink from the miraculous Rock that traveled with them and that Rock was Christ (v.4)?”  (A) Christ did provide water for them all throughout their journey.  It was real water, but it was “spiritual water” in the sense that it was typical of spiritual refreshment, and was miraculously provided by the Lord God.  The Rock signifies the river that flowed from it and followed the Israelites.  That Rock was Christ in the sense that He was the One who provided it and the One it represents, providing living water to His people.

3.      How do the four types of sin committed by the Israelites (vv.7-10) serve as a specific warning to the Corinthians?  (A) V. 6, 7- It was a warning to us, that we should not desire anything evil or (1) worship idols as the Israelites had.  We should not (2) engage in sexual immorality.  (3) Must not put Christ to the test; (4) must not grumble.  These were exactly the same issues the Corinthians had fallen into.  The same warnings are meant for us “who live at the time when this age is drawing to a close (v.11).

4.      Paul issues a strong warning to all who are self-confident – “be careful, for you too may fall into the same sin (v.12)”

5.      The warning was given, but Paul follows with words of encouragement for those who are tempted.  (A) He teaches that the testings, trials, and temptations we face are common to us all.  However, God is faithful and will not allow us to be tested beyond what we are able and will show us the way out of it when we are tempted.

6.      The section from 10:14 through 11:1 turns back to the issue of meat offered to idols.  What is Paul’s simple command whether or not believers should eat the meat involved with pagan worship?  (A) He makes it very simple –“flee from the worship of idols (v.14).  They were not to study it, to become better acquainted with it, or mess with it in any way.  They should run in the opposite direction.

7.      Paul talks about the communion service and the fact that we all share in the benefits of the blood and the body when we partake (v.16).  He compares our communion fellowship with that of the fellowship of the Israelites who ate of the sacrifices at the altar of Jehovah.  This is the peace offering a third of which is set apart for the one who is sacrificing and for his family and friends.

8.      Paul warns them about participating with the worship of idols, even in a superficial way.  He tells them that they “cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too (v.21).”  “You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons too (v.22)” What is “the cup of the Lord” and “The Lord’s Table”?  (A) The Cup of the Lord is a figurative expression used to describe the benefits that come to us through Christ.  The Table of the Lord is not the Lord’s Supper.  This refers to the sum total of the blessings that we enjoy through Christ.  Is it physically possible to do both?  Yes, but what Paul means is that it would be morally inconsistent to do so.  It would be the grossest hypocrisy to express love and fellowship with the Lord and then to go and have fellowship with those who sacrifice to idols.

9.      Paul turns from idol worship to general principles.  One such principle is that of Christian freedom.  In what ways is a Christian free (vv.23-24)?  (A)  1) Everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful.  2) Everything is permissible, but not everything id beneficial.  3) Don’t think only of yourself, but of other Christians and what is best for them.

10.  Paul sums up the whole of Christian liberty in vv. 31-33, “Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”  Try not to simply please yourself or just do what you like or what is best for me, but rather do for others so that they might be saved.

Chapter 11 – Instructions for Public Worship

Verses 2-16 of this chapter are devoted to the subject of women’s head-coverings.  The remaining verses deal with abuses in connection with the Lord’s supper (vv.17-34).

1.      It shouldn’t be, but this set of verses is often controversial, some insisting on complying totally to what is laid out and others completely ignoring it.  What are your first impressions of this passage in vv. 2-16?

2.      In these verses, what restrictions does Paul place upon the woman?  On the man?  Do any of these Corinthian principles apply to you?  (A) A man is not to cover his head while praying or prophesying (v.4).  It dishonors Christ and according to local custom, his covered head was a sign of his authority over women.  Again, according to local custom, a woman dishonors her husband if she prays or prophesies without her head covered.  Her covered head was a sign of her subordinate relationship with her husband.  Some may ask if this is hard and fast rule for all time.  It is not but is declaring that the symbols of the God-established male and female roles are to be genuinely honored in every time and in every culture.

3.      Is there something spiritual about wearing or not wearing head cover?  (A) No – but it showed a rebellion to God’s order as He laid it out.

4.      Let’s look at the “order” of man as God laid out.  (A) V.7 – Though man and women were both created in God’s image, it is the man who is God’s glory according to the role assigned him.  The woman is the glory of man.  She has authority given to her by God through her husband.  Man came from God; woman came from man.  After the fall, all men came from women.

5.      Paraphrase vv.11, 12.  (A) All believers, male and female, are equal in the Lord and compliment one another in the Lord’s work.  Their roles are different in function and relationships, not in spirituality or importance.

Paul changes direction by addressing the problem of divisions among them as they gathered together as a church.  He uses a bit of sarcasm when he says, “But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that those of you who are right will be recognized!”  He turns to the real problem of abuses concerning the Lord’s Supper.  In the early days of the church, Christians celebrated the “agape,” or love feast along with the Lord’s Supper.  This was something like a common meal, shared in the spirit of love and fellowship.  After the end of the love feast, the Christians often had the Lord’s Supper with the bread and the wine.  Over time, this feast was abused.

1.      What was a result of certain believers abusing the feast (v.21)?  (A) The love feast lost its real meaning.  Not only did the Christians not wait for one another, but the rich ones shamed their poorer brothers by having huge, fancy meals and not sharing them.  Some went away hungry and others were drunk.  They would actually take the Lord’s supper while being drunk.

2.      V.27 talks about eating the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner, making that person guilty of sinning against the body and blood of Christ.  What does he mean?  (A) To come to the Lord’s supper while still holding on to unconfessed sin dishonors the gracious sacrifice of Jesus for us.

3.      What was the result for some?  (A) When we come to the Lord’s Supper willingly refusing to confess our sins and get right with God, He is forced to chastise us.  Some among them He caused their death and other were weak and sick.

4.      So, come to the Lord’s Supper properly, with a self-examination of your heart; He is worthy of our best.  After all, Communion symbolizes the forgiveness of sins that are our own.