1 Corinthians 7

Saturday, 26 July 2014

Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. 1 Corinthians 7:20

This verse is a repeat of the thought given in the second half of verse 17, which said, “as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk.” He has been speaking about circumcision and has said that “circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing.” And this came after his words that those who were circumcised when they were called should stay that way and those who were uncircumcised when they were called should likewise stay that way.

His thought now in verse 20, is given as a confirmation of this. Whatever was our calling when we were called is where we are expected to remain. In order to show that this is not limited to circumcision, but that it is an overall precept to show that we are acceptable to Christ in the station in which we were called, he will give a new example in the coming verses, that of slavery.

Shouldn’t it be obvious that if Jesus accepted us in a certain condition, that we thus must be acceptable to Him? And yet, many then spend the rest of their walk with Christ trying to please the One who already found them acceptable. In this, they forget that grace is grace and so they attempt to find justification in their own personal works and not in the work of Christ. It is a sad cycle which can lead to neurotic believers who waffle in their convictions and are always worried about “losing” the eternal salvation they have been granted.

It should again be noted that remaining in the calling in which one is called does not refer to the abusive and forbidden lifestyles referred to in Scripture. One cannot say, “I was called as a homosexual and therefore I can remain a practicing homosexual.” This is what we are called from, not to. A person is not called from circumcision. This is a thing that they already possessed which is not contrary to New Testament doctrine. Freedom in Christ never means freedom to sin.

Life application: If Christ is the end of the law, then let the law be ended! Don’t reinsert precepts which will only bring you into bondage and mental confusion.

Oh God, some days I arise and I am as tired as when I went to bed. The day ahead of me seems long and filled with toil. Often I have stress between myself and someone else. These things can seem so hard to overcome. But at such times, I would ask that You would grant me sufficient peace in my mind to be able to go to Your word and read enough to settle my soul. I know that if I have this, the rest of the day will fall into place. You have all things under control and Your precious word is there to remind me of this. Thank You for being with me each step of the way. Amen.

Friday, 25 July 2014

Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. 1 Corinthians 7:19

The confusion that reigns over this verse in the minds of some is immense. Paul could not be clearer in the first half of the thought – “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing.” For the believer in Christ, it makes absolutely no difference whether one is circumcised or not. As seen in a previous verse, almost the entire book of Galatians deals with this one subject which is used as the premier example of the Law of Moses, circumcision. It was given by God to Abraham as a sign to the covenant people and the mandate is repeated in Exodus and Leviticus. However, it served its purpose and was fulfilled in Christ.

Now whether one is a Jew who is circumcised, or a Gentile who is not, there is no difference between the two. The circumcision has no bearing at all on their status before God because a believer in Christ is circumcised in the heart (Romans 2:29). The external rite is fulfilled and thus set aside in Christ. However, cults, aberrant teachers, and those who run ahead without knowledge still mandate this rite and thus promote a false gospel. As noted, it could not be clearer, and yet the waters get muddied.

And this leads to the second half of the verse which can likewise become muddied, both by those who mandate circumcision, or even by those who understand circumcision is no longer required. Paul says that “keeping the commandments of God is what matters.” The obvious connection of “the commandments of God” to “circumcision” should be made. When was circumcision mandated? Under the Law of Moses! Is circumcision still required? No! Therefore, “keeping the commandments of God” cannot be speaking of the Law of Moses or any part of it!

This is the force and intent of Paul’s words now and is (as noted above) the meaning and purpose behind his words in Galatians. If circumcision is used as a benchmark of the law, and circumcision is set aside in Christ, then all of the precepts of the Law of Moses are set aside in Christ. This is stated explicitly in Hebrews 7, 8, and 10, and both explicitly and implicitly elsewhere. It is:

1) Annulled (Hebrews 7:18)
2) Obsolete (Hebrews 8:13)
3) Taken away (Hebrews 10:9)
4) Wiped out, taken out of the way, and nailed to the cross (Colossian 2:14)
5) Etc. elsewhere in multiple statements, explicitly and implicitly

So what are “the commandments of God” which Paul is speaking of? They are found in Jesus’ words which are directed to believers after the cross, not those directed to Israel under the law. The are also found in the prescriptive verses of the book of Acts which make up a very small portion of the book, possibly no more than five percent of it. And finally, they are found in the New Testament epistles. These, in particular, are doctrine for the church based on the fulfillment of the Law of Moses by Christ.

To reinsert the law, or to pick and choose portions of the law – such as mandating circumcision, no eating pork, or observing a Sabbath, etc, is to set aside the grace of Christ and is “another gospel” and thus heresy. We must trust that Christ is the fulfillment of the law and that His work is sufficient to save us, wholly and entirely. And yet, we must also understand that His work in salvation does not give us license to sin by ignoring prescriptive elements of the New Testament. For example, women who preach violate New Testament law based on Paul’s words to those in Corinth and also his words to Timothy. This is an example of what Paul is referring to here. It is a willful disobedience of what God has shown He expects of New Testament believers.

Life application: If you allow yourself to be circumcised in an attempt to meet the standards of the law, the Bible says that you have “set aside” the grace of Christ and have become a debtor to the whole law. As no one can fulfill the law, it is a self-condemning act. This is true with any precept of the law fulfilled by Christ. Don’t be led astray by a false teacher who boasts in works of the flesh and negates the glorious work of Jesus Christ!

Glorious God Almighty! The power and the marvel that You display in the heavens is beyond imagination. Pulsars and quasars put out more energy in a moment than we could mentally comprehend in a lifetime. The forces of gravity are consistent and they hold the universe together in a way which allows all things to continue as they should. And yet, despite the unimaginable power of these things, You tend to our hearts and needs as if we were the sole apple of Your eye. How great is Your love. How wondrous is Your glory! Amen.

Thursday, 24 July 2014

Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. 1 Corinthians 7:18

In the previous verse, this was noted: “But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk.” In addition to the verses which preceded this thought and which pertained to marriage, Paul now gives other real-life examples of what he means, beginning with circumcision.

To the Jews, circumcision was the sign of the covenant and a sign of being the covenant people. It was first given to Abraham and it was noted at that time that “…the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.” Genesis 17:14

Throughout the history of Israel, circumcision continued to be used as a standard by which the faithful were measured. To those Jews or proselytes to Judaism who came to Christ and who were already circumcised, Paul directs, “Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised.”

It might be that some converts to Christ may have been anxious to do away with the badge of their previous life in Judaism and go to a surgeon in an attempt to change what had been previously been marked upon them in this way. Paul says that this shouldn’t be considered. Rather, he is asked to remember that as the Lord called him while circumcised, so let him walk in that circumcision.

And the reciprocal is true as well. He next states, “Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.” For those gentiles who were coming into the faith, Paul now gives the amazing words of release from this ancient rite by stating that their condition, at the time of their calling, was of higher importance than that of the rite of circumcision.

To understand this, it needs to be remembered that we are saved by grace through faith. To attempt to earn God’s favor through circumcision would be to set aside the grace of God in an attempt to be justified by the works of human hands. Paul spends much of the book of Galatians explaining this and calls such attempts out as heresy. And to those who require such things, he notes them as heretics who proclaim “a different gospel, which is not another” (Galatians 1:6, 7). Rather it is something which is accursed.

Life application: Let us again consider Paul’s words “as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk.” Did you have a tattoo when you came to Christ? If so, don’t let someone bully you into thinking that you must have it removed. Did you eat pork before you came to Christ? Don’t let anyone tell you that you must now stop. There are things which should be changed, but they are explained in Scripture. Those things which are not mandated to be changed are things which we are at liberty to keep just as they are.

Heavenly Father, I love the freedom I have in Christ. I was accepted by You by mere faith in His work and His ability to save. I will cling fast to that freedom and always remember that I was saved by grace through faith, and that it was all from You. Help me to continuously remember that I cannot “earn” your favor through any works, nor can I add to it in any way. Instead, I am saved, remain saved, and will never lose that precious salvation – all because of the work of Another, my Lord Jesus! Hallelujah and Amen.

Wednesday, 23 July 2014

But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches. 1 Corinthians 7:17

The words now issued by Paul reach back to cover the preceding 6 verses (10-16) and at the same time they are an introduction to other concepts which Paul will comment on. In verses 10 and 11 came the Lord’s command concerning marriage; that it should not be terminated through divorce. Then in 12 and 13, he noted that the believing spouse was not to depart from an unbelieving spouse and he gave the reason for it in verse 14. After this, he qualified the marriage arrangement by saying that the unbeliever, if he or she wishes to depart from the marriage, should be allowed to depart.

These are the thoughts which are included in the all-encompassing “But God has distributed to each one…” In other words, the position that one is found in when they became a believer was so chosen by God for that time in their lives; it was not unknown to Him and He understands the details and complexities of the situation. Because of this, what He has allowed should remain. Thus, “as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk.”

This phrase means that we are to remain in whatever state we were in when we were “called.” We cannot say, “Because I am now a Christian, God would want me to leave my unbelieving spouse.” Nor can we find any other excuse to be disobedient to His word because we are now “in Christ.” Rather, He selected the path we are on and we are to walk it, regardless of the weight of the load upon our shoulders, because it really is no true weight which we bear alone. Instead it is one which Christ shares with us. From this stepping stone, Paul will continue with this line of reasoning in the verses ahead.

For now though, he shows that what he is telling the Corinthians is not arbitrary or suddenly enacted by him. Rather, the instructions he is giving are consistently applied elsewhere as well. As he says, “And so I ordain in all the churches.” Since the writing of the epistle, and because it is included in the canon of Scripture, it is set and fixed. It is a part of God’s word and thus we are to be obedient to it, just as obedience was expected on these matters from those in Corinth.

Life application: As believers, we can’t use the past as an excuse to get out of our present situation. God has directed our steps which lead to the moment we called on Christ and He did so knowing the baggage that we brought along with us. In His wisdom, He has placed us where we are for His reasons. Let us accept our state with gratitude and work within it as faithful servants of Christ.

I will love You, O Lord, my might
The Lord is my rock and my fortress too
He is my deliverer, through day and night
My God, my strength, Him I will trust all my days through

My shield and the horn of my salvation
My stronghold, it is He
I will call upon the Lord with elation
He is worthy to be praised now and for all eternity

Lord God, I remember the day that my heartstrings were pulled and I met Your Son. It was a moment that I will never forget and it was a time of immense joy and yet sadness. The feelings of sorrow for having walked apart from Him for so long, and in a way which was contrary to You. But the joy was, and still is, exceedingly far greater. All the past was forgiven and the future became certain and clear. Thank You for the day I met my Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, 22 July 2014

For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? 1 Corinthians 7:16

In this verse, Paul certainly returns to the thoughts given in verses 12 and 13 which read –

“But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.”

The reason for a believer not being allowed to depart from a non-believer has especially been given in verse 14 when considering the state of the children. Paul was very careful to note that the children are considered “holy” because of the marriage bond which exists, even if one is an unbeliever. Along with that most important of reasons, Paul gives another reason for the believer to remain with the non-believer, and he does it in the form of two questions:

“For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?”

It very well may be that the non-believing husband or wife may come to salvation through the marriage by observing the conduct and witness of the believer. Our happiness or unhappiness in a marriage is of far less value than the salvation of even one person that we may no longer be in love with. Our lives are called to be witnesses to Christ, even in a marriage which is unsatisfactory.

The verse also confirms that the “sanctified” status of the non-believer which Paul spoke of in verse 14 had nothing to do with salvation, but was rather directed solely to the setting apart of the children as “holy.” Also, Paul is not saying that the husband or wife could actually “save” the non-believer. Only Jesus can do this. He is implying that their actions would lead to Jesus saving them. This should be obvious, but still is worth stating.

Having noted this about the connection to verses 12 and 13, it is also likely that the thought of verse15 is considered in this verse as well. That verse said –

“But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.”

Taking that verse and tying it to verse 16 (our verse being analyzed now), Paul may also be saying that allowing the non-believing spouse to depart is acceptable because there is no way that they could know the outcome of the marriage. If they refused to allow the non-believer to depart as they wished because they were thinking they could “save” the non-believer, it could inevitably lead to strife which is in opposition to the statement that “God has called us to peace.”

So, in all situations, the onus is on the believer to 1) never voluntarily depart from the marriage; 2) to allow the non-believer to stay if they wish; and 3) to allow the non-believer to go if they wish. The free-will choice of the non-believer takes precedence, just as the free-will choice of an individual to accept or reject Jesus as Savior takes precedence. This free-will choice of the non- believer pictures the freedom God has given us in our marriage relationship to Him and shows implicitly that the doctrine of being “regenerated in order to believe” is false. Free-will is granted to humans concerning our relationship with Christ and free-will is granted to the non-believer to stay in the marriage or to depart from it.

Life application: God, through His word, asks us to be willing to sacrifice our own happiness for the sake of our marriage. Our choices, when self-centered, will inevitably turn out bad. But when we are obedient to God’s word, there is a chance that things will turn out for both our happiness and an increase in the kingdom through the conversion of others. Let us adhere to God’s word even if it is contrary to our happiness.

Glorious and wonderful God! How good it is to rise early and hear the light breeze on the leaves. It is marvelous to hear the birds coming to their morning activity, flitting about and singing the songs You have taught them. And the smells of the dawning day are vibrant and alive – flowers opening, coffee brewing, the dew on the grass. The morning is a special time where I can sit back and enjoy being in Your presence in a special way. Thank You for the morning time, O God. Amen.