1 Corinthians 7:1-16 The Gift of Marriage

Mar 22, 2021

I hope that over the past five weeks you have enjoyed learning and singing Do You Decree, O Earthly Gods (Psalm 58).
This is certainly one of the more unusual texts in the psalter, in which David details the corruption of earthly rulers
who “go astray from birth, speaking lies” (vs. 3), have venom like serpents (vs. 4), and “deal out violence on the earth”
(vs. 2). He then pleads with the Lord to defend him from these wicked foes in explicit terms: “break their teeth,” “tear
out the fangs” (vs. 6), “dissolve into slime” (vs. 8), “sweep them away” (vs. 9). Perhaps the most disturbing image is
found in verse 10, where he looks forward to the righteous bathing in the blood of the wicked. Clearly, this is a bit
different from a typical hymn text. But our standard for worship is not the sensibilities of our age, but the inspired
Word of God. All Scripture is profitable for training in righteousness and is needed to equip the saints for every good
work. Passages like this allow us to grapple with the darker human emotions. Sometimes, we need to be reminded that
wickedness awaits a terrible end, and that even the powerful must one day stand before a God who judges.
—Henry C. Haffner
Key Words: Body, Gift, Wife, Husband, Married, Unmarried, Unbelieving, Believing, Authority
Keystone Verse: I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one
of another. (1 Corinthians 7:7)

1 Corinthians 7:1-16
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. ⁶ Now as a concession, not a
command, I say this. ⁷ I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind
and one of another. ⁸ To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I
am. ⁹ But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with
passion. ¹⁰ To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her
husband ¹¹ (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the
husband should not divorce his wife. ¹² To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is
an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. ¹³ If any woman has a husband
who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving
husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her
husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbelieving
partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to
peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband,
whether you will save your wife?