Episode 185 - "Marriage and Sex" - 1 Corinthians 7:1-5

1Cor. 7:1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

In the first sixteen verses of chapter 7, Paul provides advice on being single or married and one’s dedication to the Lord regardless of which state each is in. Given the recent warnings against sexual immorality, it appears that Paul feels the need to offer counsel on how that might be accomplished.

Notice the church had sent Paul a letter (v. 1). The English Standard Version translators interpret “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman” as a statement or question for which they desired Paul’s response. It’s difficult to say whether Paul or the Corinthian believers are saying this. However it came about, the response is what is important. In verse 2, Paul explains that marriage is the appropriate relationship in which sex should occur. Later, Paul will explain the benefit of being single. But a sexual relationship between a husband and wife is not immoral and is the appropriate, God-ordained relationship to mitigate the temptation of sexual immorality. He states in verse 3 that neither partner should avoid sexual intercourse with their spouse because, in God’s design of marriage, your bodies are co-owned with your partner. That argument reflects back to the “two shall become one flesh” argument from Genesis 2.

Paul then adds there is an appropriate occasion to avoid sexual relations for a limited time. The reason is to “devote yourselves to prayer.” (v. 5) We often think of fasting as a spiritual discipline in which we abstain from food or drink for the purpose of directing our thoughts and energy to the Lord and not indulging in pleasing the flesh. Paul suggests that the same principle applies to sex as well. He cautions that this should be for a limited time to avoid being tempted “because of your lack of self-control.”

What are the priorities evident in Paul’s counsel? I would summarize them this way. First, understand the power of sexual temptations. The believer should consider finding a spouse with whom a sexual relationship is mutually understood and expressed. Second, the two people within a marriage are not strictly two individuals anymore. Each member belongs to the other. This is a principle that I believe more marriage relationships would benefit by the spouses mutually understanding this principle. The spiritual life of each person in a marriage is a priority, and the sexual union can be put temporarily on hold for a time of prayer and focus on the Lord.

Paul’s counsel perhaps evokes as many questions as it answers. However, I think that reveals the liberty couples have concerning this. There is no mandate on the frequency of sexual relations or the amount of time for abstinence. Neither is there allowance for making demands upon one’s partner. I don’t believe Paul’s instruction is intended to be used as manipulation and putting a guilt trip on one’s spouse. That does not meet the spirit of this advice.

Thought for reflection: How might taking to heart these principles affect our marriages in our churches today?

Episode 184 - "Glorify God in Your Body" - 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

12 All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

In this text, we receive a theology of why sexual immorality is wrong. In other words, it’s not just the what; it’s the why. Notice that Paul says twice, “All things are lawful for me.” (v. 12) Are we to take that literally? Is Paul throwing out the Ten Commandments? You might argue, “Dave, you’re always making the point that repetition reinforces the importance of what is being repeated. Paul must be making a point that nothing is unlawful anymore.” My response would be, “I’m also always saying that we need to interpret the Scriptures in their context.” If you look at the context, Paul is actually arguing that sexual immorality is contrary to God’s law of what is right and wrong.

So, why does Paul say, “All things are lawful for me”? He’s actually quoting what some Gentiles might have been thinking or even saying. Perhaps the man sleeping with his father’s wife argued, “We’re not under the Law. All things are lawful for me.” Paul is echoing this mindset to expose its flaws. Even if all things were lawful, Paul argues, “not all things are helpful.” In fact, doing what is “lawful” might even be harmful. If there were no stop signs at an intersection, it would be lawful to drive through without even slowing down. But you might get hit and be injured or killed.

Paul continues by saying that even if something is lawful, it can control and dominate us. We see this in our society. People can legally drink alcoholic beverages, gamble, eat whatever they want, and so forth. But if we let any of those things dominate us, it will destroy us. Paul then builds an argument to counter the way they are thinking. This is important for us today. Namely, we can’t do whatever we want in our bodies because they belong to Christ, and the way we live needs to honor him.

Food and the stomach work together, don’t they? Food is useless to nourish the body if there’s no stomach to break it down for the body, and the stomach is pointless if there’s no food for it to process for the sake of the body. We cannot employ that argument to justify sexual immorality. Paul says, “the body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” (v. 13) Notice the sequence of facts Paul gives.

God raised the Lord (from death) and will raise us. (v. 14)

Our bodies are members of Christ (As such, we should not be joined with a prostitute.) v. 15 Paul explains this from Genesis 2:24, describing God’s creation of marriage and the sexual relationship ordained within that union as the two becoming one flesh. (v. 16) Notice that this isn’t Paul’s ideas or bias. His theology is based upon what God has revealed and has been understood and accepted by the community of faith.

There is a spiritual union that occurs between the believer and Christ when the believer has accepted the gospel. (v. 17)

The conclusion then is that the believer must “flee from sexual immorality” (v. 18) because we are sinning against our own body (v. 18) that belongs to Christ.

Paul rephrases or reinforces the justification for not using personal liberty as an excuse to sin. He says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” (vv. 19-20)

Look at that. Your body is indwelt by the Holy Spirit that God gave to you, and you are joined with Christ as a member of his body, and he paid the price of that privilege with his body on the cross. The Holy Trinity has a vested interest in how we use our bodies.

Paul concludes with, “So glorify God in your body.” (v. 20)

It’s so easy for us to talk about how our bodies are “under the curse” and are dying, and we’re looking forward to the resurrection. Those are all true. But, it doesn’t give us an excuse to do anything we want in or to our bodies. Our walk of faith should be one that says, “I want to honor the Lord in this body today. It is a tangible expression of our faith and love for Jesus Christ.”

Prayer: Lord - Help me honor you through my physical body and not just my words or thoughts.

Episode 181 - "Get the leaven out!" - 1 Corinthians 5:6-13

1Cor. 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1Cor. 5:9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

This episode picks up where we left off last week. Paul is addressing in this letter with the Christians at Corinth that he has received a report that there is known sexual immorality by someone in their church, and they are not doing anything about it. Specifically, Paul says, “a man has his father’s wife.” Paul points out that even this kind of immorality is “not tolerated among the pagans.” (1 Cor 5:1) Paul counsels them to remove him from the fellowship of the church. While this seems a bit harsh on the surface. Paul’s suggestion that they “hand him over to Satan” (1 Cor 5:5) has the intent that this man, living as he wants, not in the Spirit-dwelt church, will experience the consequences of his rebellion, that his “flesh” will be destroyed, but his “spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” (1 Cor 5:5) Paul does not want judgment to come upon this person. He wants him to be saved. Furthermore, Paul wants the church to testify to and exemplify God’s holiness, grace, love, and unity. They cannot do that while they are manifesting arrogance and disregarding egregious sin among them.

Paul uses a simple but powerful illustration of bread. He says, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.” (1 Cor 5:6) I get this. I love to bake, and I love to bake bread. If I’m baking a normal loaf of white bread, it doesn’t take much yeast mixed in with the ingredients in order for the lump of dough to expand quickly and significantly. Paul suggests that’s how sin works in a community where only a little is allowed to remain. It doesn’t take long before it has an effect on the whole community.

So, what does Paul mean in verse 7 by saying, “clean out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed?” What does Christ being our Passover lamb have to do with leaven or being unleavened and this situation at Corinth? The answer lies in the Hebrew Scriptures. Look at Exodus 12:14-15

“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day, you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.”

The Israelites had been in bondage in Egypt, and the LORD was preparing to deliver them from that bondage. In the final plague upon the land the LORD would bring to cause this, the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a perfect lamb, apply some of its blood on the outside door frame and enter into their homes and consume the roasted meat of this lamb if they wanted to be spared the loss of their firstborn. Furthermore, the Israelites were instructed to commemorate God’s deliverance every year. Paul is informing them the principle within this commandment to the Israelites has application within the church. Leaven is a picture of sin. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross liberated us from the power of that sin. Therefore, having experienced that liberty and not wanting to mock that great sacrifice, we should earnestly desire not to have any of that “old leaven” anywhere in our house. The man’s defiant immorality is mocking the sacrifice of Christ, and the arrogance of the church is condoning it by not removing the old leaven.

Our worship requires “sincerity and truth.” Like with the Israelites, removing every atom of leaven is impossible. Returning to my personal experience making sourdough bread in which I add no yeast whatsoever. The bread is leavened through the fermentation of the starter. This was likely what the Israelites had when they did make leavened bread. They didn’t have packs of yeast to carry around with them. Over time the microscopic spores from this fermentation are around the house. You can’t see them. So, you can’t perfectly get rid of it all. But, one can sincerely pursue the cleansing. This is what the church is supposed to do. Paul is saying to the Corinthians, you need to sincerely strive to not let sin remain in the house.

Paul makes an important qualification about this beginning in verse 9. Notice that Paul had written a letter to them before. Yet we call this letter 1 Corinthians. Obviously, this isn’t Paul’s first letter to them. It is the first that has been preserved and considered by the church as valuable and even God-inspired. The point of verses 9-13 is that the church cannot hold the world accountable to the standards God has for them. They cannot avoid speaking with and interacting with unbelievers outside the church. We could not fulfill the Great Commission if we did entirely avoid unbelievers.

God is the true judge of all humanity. The church must hold itself accountable for sincerely pursuing a life in keeping with God’s truth. The church needs to stand out as “different” from the culture around it and be a light in a dark world.

Lord - Give us a heart to pursue righteousness and humility before you and others.

Episode 180 - What to do about sexual immorality in the church - 1 Corinthians 5:1-5

1 Cor.5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

1Cor. 5:3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

I would recommend reading 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 this week to better understand what is going on and what Paul is and is not saying. To begin with, he says there is “sexual immorality” among the believers at Corinth. Scripture like this is not well received in a culture like ours today, where sex and sexuality are marketed. It’s treated like a commodity. The primary marketing slogan of a dentistry chain is “We make sexy teeth.” Really? Pornography is a huge market in western society, and smut romance books are right there with it. People want to do what they want to do. They want their “rights” to live, think, and act any way they want. But, sexual immorality and idolatry are two big “hot points” with the early Christian leaders for new Christians. (See Acts 15:29)

Paul doesn’t just tell them there’s immorality among them. He says what is happening is that it is the kind “not tolerated even among pagans.” Wow! Can you hear the incredulity in his voice? “Someone among these believers is living and acting worse than the unbelievers. Then he calls it out, “a man has his father’s wife.” Wow! But Paul isn’t finished calling out the sin in their camp. Not only is this man in a relationship that he should not be as a Christian, but the church also isn’t doing anything about it. They are arrogant. Their arrogant pride has not only created divisions among them but has also calloused them against correcting their “brother” in Christ. Paul asks them rhetorically, “Ought you not rather to mourn?” The obvious answer is yes. They should be grieved that one of their own is living in a manner that is in contrast with Scripture, but even against the moral code of society.

So, what should they do? Paul says that he should be removed from the fellowship of the church. Now, this may seem at first a bit harsh. But I don’t think Paul is recommending an action contrary to Jesus’ teaching. In Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus taught, “If a brother sins, talk to him about it. Hopefully, he’ll listen. If he doesn’t, take one or two others and try to make sure that everyone is clear on the facts, and he’ll repent. If he still doesn’t, take it to the church, and if the brother won’t listen to the whole church, he is acting like an outsider to the church and should be treated as such. He shouldn’t participate in the benefits of church fellowship when he is making a mockery of it through his decisions.” (My paraphrase) This is not mean or vindictive. It’s seeking to correct the brother and create a harmonious fellowship and collective testimony within the church that should stand out as something different and hopefully attractive to those who are oppressed by the culture around them.

This man has not failed. He is failing and choosing to continue with his lifestyle choice. Paul’s instruction to the Corinthians is not “forget what Jesus said.” It is “If this person is insistent upon sleeping with his father’s wife, he is mocking God and the church and should not participate in church.” Why? Because if they ignore what he’s doing, they, as a group, are condoning his lifestyle choice that is in opposition to God’s specific will.

Are you ready for the next hard part? Paul instructs them that when they all meet together, they must act as though he is there with them. I think what he advises is what we might consider today as a “vote by proxy.” They are to confront this person and probably say, “Paul has said . . . and we concur that if you do not stop this relationship, you cannot be a part of our fellowship.” Paul says they are to “deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.” What?! Does Paul wish this man go to Hell? No. Quite the opposite. Paul believes that this man who defiantly rebels against God, as does Satan, will experience the consequences of that and come to his senses. That’s the explanation he follows with, “so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”

If someone wants to become a citizen of our country, they must pledge an oath to our country and obey its laws. People who don’t want to do that can still live and work here under certain conditions. We don’t hunt them down and throw them in prison for not wanting to be a citizen of our country. But it is reasonable that they are not allowed the privileges afforded to those who are loyal citizens. How much more true would this be in God’s kingdom where, we believe, the Law Giver is perfect in every way?

Paul’s instruction to confront and, ideally, correct this man is consistent with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18. Christian discipline is always intended to correct the actions and restore that person to good standing within the community of faith. Many churches have gained a reputation for “shooting their wounded.” That should not happen. On the other hand, the church must not compromise on the holiness of God and strive to be an example of that. We will look at this more in the next episode as we work through verse 13 next week.

Prayer: Lord - Help us to live in a way that is honoring to you. Help us mourn the sin of our family in Christ and lovingly strive to correct and restore them in our fellowship.