Sunday 30th March
Read Psalm 102
If you don’t have a bible at home you can find the readings on a website such as www.biblegateway.com or an app such as YouVersion
As we start to read this Psalm we see a man in deep distress pleading to the Lord for help; “in my distress I groan aloud”. There are times when this experience can seem to crush us and leave us with no hope but as the Psalm shows there IS hope and it lies in the resurrecting power of Christ. There is an Eastern Orthodox icon that shows Christ rising from the dead with Adam in one hand and Eve in the other, a picture of what the resurrection is about. God “will respond to the prayer of the destitute, he will not despise their plea” (v17) says the Psalmist, and he adds, “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD”. Hear the words of scripture for your own life today.
READINGS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
As you read the Bible Stop; Read; Ponder; and Pray.
Monday 1 Corinthians 7:1-7
Having dealt with the sexual immorality of the incestuous man who was sleeping with his step mother – and which they didn’t ask about! – he now turns to some issues that they were asking about. The subject is about sexual relations in general in their current environment. Paul says that for a man to be celibate and not have sexual relations with women is good in the sense of there being nothing wrong about it however, because of the rampant sexuality that was par for the course in Corinth and the ancient world in general, each person – man or woman – should have their own sexual partner in their husband or wife. Sex is a powerful and dangerous thing if not under control and we can understand that in whatever age we live in.
Having a husband or wife comes with obligations though and Paul says that sexual intimacy ought to be had by both partners, each being responsible for the sexual needs of the other. The equality of this relationship is seen clearly in v4 where Paul speaks of each having authority over the other’s body. He warns them against using sex as a weapon in the relationship by telling them not to deprive each other of sex unless by mutual consent when they agree to abstain from sex for a special time of prayer. It is of note that he tells them that even though they do this they should come together again because Satan could tempt them through lack of self-control. He says that he is telling them this as a concession and not as a command saying that he could wish that they had his position, being well in control of his sexual feelings.
By saying this he says that different people have different gifts in this area. Some might feel easy about sexual matters whilst others might feel a great troubling in the sexual area of their lives. Each has to live under God looking to the ‘gifts’ that he has given. The guidance of scripture always giving the boundaries in which sexual activity belongs such as the Genesis creation ordinances or Leviticus 18 or the teachings of Jesus.
Tuesday 1 Corinthians 7:8-16
In vs 8 &9 he speaks to those who aren’t married and says it is good to stay unmarried, there is nothing weird or odd about not being married. I remember a senior minister once saying that if if it were we would have to say, “Poor Jesus!”. However if the pressures were such that they couldn’t control themselves they should marry and adds, in a saying that has been mocked, “it is better to marry than to burn”. Paul isn’t one to set up celibacy as the top mark of holiness. The Reformers saw this when they moved away from that in Church orders. Celibacy is fine but it is not for all.
#in the next verses he speaks to those who are married but in a variety of situations. In v10 he repeats what Jesus has given that marriage is a permanent thing not to be discarded on a whim however if such a separation has occurred – and he doesn’t say under what circumstances – the separated wife must give reconciliation a chance and not jump into another marriage. The situation with the man is that he should not divorce his wife. He says this teaching on marriage is the Lord’s, not his, before he moves into giving his own apostolic guidance on marriage.
Because the early church would have believers who were part of a married partnership with unbelievers his counsel is that the believing partner should not divorce the unbelieving partner but if the unbelieving partner leaves they are to let them go in peace. The unbelieving members of the family, partners and children, were sanctified through their bond with the believer. Mystery lies in this but it is the Word of God that the believing person has an effect on those bonded with them.
Wednesday 1 Corinthians 7:17-24
Paul’s message about the social situations that a believer found themselves in when they were converted is to stay put – at least as far as marriage or circumcision is concerned, slavery too although if freedom can be had to do so. I often used to counsel people who were recently bereaved not to make any great life changes suddenly such as selling house, moving away, changing jobs but to allow things to settle after such an emotional upheaval. It is not quite the same as Paul’s counsel here but a similar word about accepting a situation as it is.
As far as slavery is concerned he wants to remind them that being called to faith in Christ means a freedom from this world but a slave of Christ. We remember that we are bought with his blood and therefore belong to him; Paul often refers to himself in his letters as a bond slave of Christ. It’s a worthwhile thought to meditate on.
Thursday 1 Corinthians 7:25-35
In turning his attention to virgins, i.e. those who haven’t married or have no history of married connections, he tells them that although he has no command from the Lord his judgement is that they should remain as they because of “the present crisis” (v26). What was he meaning by this? The situation in which they lived was becoming increasing fraught for the believing community. Claudius had been poisoned by his wife and Nero became Emperor with increasing hostility against Christians who were already being persecuted. When the great fire of Roma came about Nero blamed the Christians but on top of this he had reminded the early believers that Jesus had warned that persecutions would follow the Church until he came again. The situation was not good for the raising of families and so he counselled against embarking on that road however if some were engaged or some did marry they were not sinning but he would rather spare them troubles that would come.
Because they all looked to a second coming as being soon they ought to fix their eyes there and not focus all their attention on earthly things. He says that what he is saying is for their own good and not to restrict them though above all else he wants them to live in undivided devotion to the Lord.
Friday 1 Corinthians 7:36-40
He concludes his words on sex and marriage by looking once again at the different feelings and desires people might have sexually. If man who has had an attraction and engagement to a girl feels that his libido is so strong and his physical actions are straying beyond what would be considered good he ought to marry, he won’t be sinning in clinching the engagement. However if a man has settled in his mind not to marry and, most importantly, has self-control over his emotions he should stay as he is. The apostle feels the first man hasn’t sinned though he feels, especially under the difficult current circumstances, that the second man may be in a better position.
He repeats a similar counsel to a woman who is widowed that in his opinion, though she wouldn’t be sinning if she remarried, it would be better to stay as she is. See verses 8, 9 again. His one addendum to her remarriage is that if she does, it ought to be to a fellow believer. There would be many marriages in the early Church between new believers and their partners who might not have believed but any starting from scratch should only marriage fellow believers and, Paul adds, “I think too I have the Spirit of God”. The Bible does say quite a bit about sexual relations, but we note it is always between a man and a woman; the present idea that gender doesn’t matter is nowhere countenanced.
Saturday 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
The apostle is now going to move to another subject about which the Corinthians needed guidance but his opening verses speak of knowledge as opposed to love. Knowledge “puffs up” whilst love “builds up” he says which we might say is like clever theology can result in pride whereas love builds up not only the lover but the beloved. He is going to speak about the subject of food which had come from sacrificial worship of false gods and whether one should eat such food. He knows which side he falls on and will explain it but at the same time he is conscious of the feelings and consciences of those who think otherwise and so he will tread a theologically correct path but do so in love.
He begins by saying the truth that there are no multiple gods only the one God from whom everything came and through whom we live. However this knowledge is not held universally by everyone and some in the Church though they are being taught the truth and will be on the way to full acceptance might get tripped up if the strong person is seen eating food offered to idols and is copied by the weaker brother who becomes tempted into accepting the existence of these false gods. Because of this Paul says that the truth is it doesn’t matter where the meat has been offered but if it cause the scruples of some who are not quite so strong in their faith to fall then I would steer clear of doing this because of my love for my brother.
