Lesson #11

1 CORINTHIANS 7:17-40
Lesson #11
DON’T TRY TO UNSCRAMBLE EGGS

• Memory verse: 1Cor 7:23

• We have discussed marriage, divorce, and a little about re-marriage in our previous lesson. Remember that Paul is answering questions from the Corinthian Church.
• Some Christians were divorcing their unsaved wives to marry believers.
• Therefore, Paul continues in Chapter 7 giving the Corinthian church a general principle.
• Read 1Cor 7:17-24 “You can’t unscramble eggs!”
• This general principle is so important that Paul repeats it twice and gives us three examples:

• “But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk.”

(17)

• “let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.”

(24)

• What does Paul mean?
• Paul is saying that when a person becomes a Christian, there are certain things in a person’s life that he should not attempt to change or judge others concerning them. Paul gives several examples:
• Marriage and Divorce:

If the believer is married, he should not divorce because of his new relationship with Christ. If he is single, he should not suddenly get married because of his new faith.

• We have already seen where Paul said that being married and being single are both gifts from God. (7)
• Circumcision or Un-circumcision:

A man should not change his status of circumcision on becoming a Christian.

• This reference to circumcision in verses 18 and 19 refers to circumcised Jews who became Christians and uncircumcised Gentiles who became Christians.
• Paul says that neither circumcision nor un-circumcision is important. This was a physical external mark. The important circumcision is that of the heart that occurs spiritually when a person is born again. (Rom 2:28-29)
• Master or Servant

: A servant can come to Christ in the same way as his master. Both are equally accepted into the body of Christ. The servant should not feel that he first must be free before he is acceptable to God.

• When the master, who is free, accepts Christ in his heart, he becomes a servant of Christ.
• When the servant, who is not free, accepts Christ in his heart, he is free in Jesus Christ.
• Notice that these examples are social positions in life that are not sinful in themselves.
• What Paul does not mean:
• When a person comes to Christ, there are many sinful habits and lifestyles that are a part of his life. These sinful aspects of his life should change when he has Christ in his life, because the Holy Spirit living in him is not compatible with sin. For example:
• Lifestyles of fornication should change to a lifestyle of holiness. (Eph 4:22-24)
• What is the principle in this passage for entering into serving God?
• The believer should begin serving Christ in whatever social position he finds himself when he first comes to Christ, because he now belongs to Christ and that is where God found him. (24)
• Read 1Cor 7:25-40
• What is Paul’s counsel concerning the single life?
• Paul spoke previously about the single life earlier in chapter 7. However, we did not discuss the single life in that passage because Paul covers it again in verses 25-35.
• When Paul gave his counsel about marriage, he was restating what Jesus Christ had taught. However, Jesus never taught about the single life because no one asked him that question. Therefore, Paul says that he is not quoting Jesus but that he is guided by the Holy Spirit.
• The Single Life is a gift from God.

(7)

• In the same way that marriage is a gift from God, so is the single life.
• Some people should never marry. Why?
• Read Mat 19:10-12
• God has determined that some people should remain single so as to serve God better.
• According to Paul, the believer’s life belongs to Jesus Christ, who bought it with his blood on Calvary. (1Cor 6:20) Therefore, the believer is to serve Christ through his life, whether single or married.
• Sometimes God calls a person to a ministry that is best served if the person is not married.
• In this aspect, Paul is the example. Paul traveled extensively and endured much persecution and hardship as a result of his ministry.
• Those Christians, who find themselves single, should consider their situation a gift from God. Why?
• The single life presents unique opportunities to serve Christ in ways that married people cannot fulfill.
• The single life has God as the primary and unique focus without distractions of family and spouse.
• Those Christians who decide to remain single should be faithful to abstain from sex. (25, 37)
• If that is not possible, then they should marry.
• The single life is “good for the present distress.” (26)
• The “present distress” to which Paul referred could refer to either or all of the following:
• the persecution of Christians
• a current famine
• the immorality of Greek culture.
• Paul says that it is good to be single at times like this. However, the believer should be guided by the Holy Spirit whether to marry or not. (29-32)
• Whatever the current situation, the believer should not permit the cares of the day to distract him from his walk with the Lord. Why?
• The coming of the Lord is soon and there is much to do for the kingdom of God.
• Personal comfort and desires must have a low priority in the Christian life.
• What are some possible distractions in life that prevent people from serving Christ fully?
• Marriage, family, and the daily routine of every day life can distract us from our relationship with the Lord.
• While these things may be good and gifts from God, they are not to replace God in our lives.
• Often these things bring troubles in themselves that distract us from the Lord.
• Sorrow can distract us from serving God, for many people blame God for the bad things that happen to them in life.
• Things that we buy can distract us from our purpose here on earth, because materialism can be modern-day idolatry.
• What is our purpose from which we must not be distracted?
• The believer’s purpose on this earth is to glorify God and the Lord Jesus Christ through our lifestyle and through our testimony.
• The believer’s purpose on this earth is to mature to become more like Christ.
• In his counsel about the single life, Paul refers to people in the following categories.
• =1= Virgins: young women who have never been married. (25)

=2= He that is unmarried: men who have never been married. (32-34)

• =3= Widows and widowers: those people whose spouses have died. (39-40)
• =4= Divorced people: In his discussion about the single life, Paul does not specifically refer to people who are divorced.
• Summary:
• Paul has covered many aspects of single life, marriage, divorce, and remarriage.
• We have considered Paul’s counsel in the context of the church in Corinth, the context of the Jewish culture, in the context of Greek culture, and in the context of Roman culture.
• We have considered Moses’ counsel regarding marriage and divorce in a time of Law, and we have considered Jesus’ counsel regarding marriage and divorce in a time of grace.
• The basic points regarding marriage and the single life are these:
• If you are married, you should stay married and serve God in your home and in your family whether you are married to a believer or a non-believer.
• If you are single, you should stay single so as to concentrate more fully on serving the Lord.
• If you are single and wish to marry, you should not marry a non-believer.
• If you are divorced, realize that the past is forgiven, and you should continue in the second marriage or in the single state in which you now find yourself.
• In other words, when you come to Christ, do not try to “unscramble the eggs”. Let God use you where you are now and move forward with Him at the center of your life.
• A Pertinent Addition: Divorce and Remarriage:

• The topic of divorce and remarriage has been debated by denominations, theologians, and church councils all through Christian history. There are still differing opinions today throughout Christianity.
• Because of the high divorce rates among Christians, it is my purpose to give you the truth from scripture regarding this issue. (Based on the book Divorce and Remarriage by Guy Duty.)
• The Issue:

Should a divorced Christian be allowed to remarry or should he or she remain single until the original spouse dies?

• Under the Law of Moses:

• We have already seen that a Jewish man could divorce a wife in Lesson #10. The question is, could the husband or the wife remarry?
• Read Deu 24:1-4
• This scripture specifically indicates that the divorce dissolved the marriage and she was free to remarry and have legitimate children.
• Under Jesus Christ:

• Read Joh 4:15-18
• Read Mat 5:31-32
• Jesus, in ministering to the woman at the well, tells her she has had 5 husbands and was now living with a man to whom she was not married.
• In other words, if her first marriage was still in force, even though she was separated from that first husband, Jesus would not have said that she had been married 5 times. If it was unlawful for her to remarry, he would have said that she had 1 husband and lived in adultery with 4 others and was continuing to live in adultery with her current partner.
• Because Jesus said she had 5 husbands, each divorce dissolved the marriage, and she was free to remarry each time.
• The man she currently lived with was the unlawful relationship.
• Therefore, if a marriage was properly dissolved by divorce for the sin of fornication, she was free to remarry. However, if the divorce was for any other reason, she was not free to remarry according to Mat 5:32.
• The Bill of Divorcement:

(Mat 5:31)

• The bill of divorcement to which Jesus referred in Mat 5:31 was a legal document with precise wording and unchanged from the time of Moses to the time of Jesus. It specifically said that the marriage was dissolved and that the person was free to remarry.

HOMEWORK
1CORINTHIANS 8
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of 1Cor 7
• Do you permit the cares of daily life to distract you and keep you from making Christ the center of your life?
• If your answer is yes, you need to look for ways in which you can serve Christ through your daily life. In prayer, ask Him to help you do that this week.

• Preparation for 1Cor 8
• Read 1Cor 8:1-13
• What is the freedom in Christ that Paul explains?
• What is the principle that should guide your decisions in life?

Memory Verse: 1Cor 13:13