1 Corinthians Commentary Chapter 7

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1 Corinthians Commentary Chapter 7 

Another big problem of the Corinthian church is that they do not know the true meaning of freedom. There is freedom from sin and freedom in the truth.

Freedom in the truth is that the flesh must be judged and submitted to Christ for that freedom to have real effect. However, the Corinthian church is a church that does not know the Christ who dwells in them, and therefore cannot obtain or enjoy freedom in this truth.

From 7:1 to 7, it is about the relationship between a couple.

Verse 5: “Defraud you not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and  prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”

To avoid one's duties (Aprosterate) is to avoid one's duties for some reason.

Verse 1 “Now concerning the things whereof you wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.”

Physical touch actually causes considerable damage to spiritual vitality.

If the other person is under death, you can see that the spiritual discharge is very great.

However, because of the cause of fornication in verse 2, each person is told to have a husband and wife.

A husband must learn to unite with his wife with a prayerful heart and provide her with the energy of spiritual life with love, just as the sky sends rain.

Both men and women measure their height in an instant without even realizing it, so if men want to play the role of head properly, they must always raise their holy hands and pray to avoid being caught by their wife's height measurement. This is the reason why the sky sends sunlight and rain to the earth.

The husband must not deviate from the role of the priest in order to receive the respect and love of his wife.

Verse 3 And each is urged to fulfill his or her duty to his or her spouse.

“Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto her husband.”

The reason is in verse 4, the wife’s body is subject to her husband, and the husband’s body to his or her wife.

“The wife has not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband has not power of his own body, but the wife.”

That is probably why the ancestors called the husband “ju-in (master)” and the wife "imja(owner)". However, I think it took a long time for them to learn the biblical study of husbands. Growing up in a patriarchal family and doing what their fathers did, it took a long time for them to learn the biblical study of husbands.

Verse 5 says, “Defraud you not one the other.” 

This is because we must not allow Satan to attack us when we are not in control.

However, it says that after reaching an agreement, a period of time for prayer is permitted.

Verse 6 “But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.”

It is not necessarily a command, but rather an exhortation, or advice, and Paul says it is his own opinion.

The reason is that each person has a different gift from God. Verse 7 “For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man has his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.”

Verse 8 and below are words for unmarried people. There are those who have the gift of singleness. However, if you cannot control yourself, you must get married.

Verse 10 and below are words for married people.

Paul’s advice is that those who are already married should not separate.

Verse 12 “But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: if any brother has a wife that believes not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.”

However, he says that this is not the Lord’s command.

It means that it is not absolute.

Verse 14 “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife sanctified by the husband:else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.”

It says that an unbelieving husband can be sanctified by a believing wife, and an unbelieving wife can be sanctified by a believing husband.

And their children become sanctified. Children receive the blessing of holiness through the faith of their parents. In the family, parents must be the first, second, and third examples. In particular, the influence of a pure mother is very great.

Therefore, parents must make their lives an object of respect for their children.

This issue cannot but be a very difficult one.

However, there is no other way but to resolve it according to the Bible that Paul wrote.

The education of children should be exemplary, not commanding.

However, the religious rituals of the church are not connected to life.

The words of truth obtained there should be applied to oneself, and the fruits of that practice should be revealed in the field of life, the family. In particular, the influence of a godly mother is great.

She has a decisive influence on her children and husband, leading them to holiness in the truth. 

That is why there are many historical stories of women, that is, excellent mothers, influencing families, society, and nations.

Verse 15: If the unbeliever separates, let him separate, for there is no bondage.

“But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God has called us in peace.”

However, God says that He has called us to peace.

So how do we know in verse 16? Because no one can know whether a wife will save her husband or a husband will save his wife.

However, the unbelieving husband in verse 14 is someone who acknowledges without participating.

The unbelieving husband in verse 15 is someone who neither participates nor agrees.

Verse 17 “But as God has distributed to every man, as the Lord has called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

This means that you should not stand out because you have been called. It means that you should not act strangely.

What this means is that once you receive the Holy Spirit, don’t make a fuss about going to seminary and becoming a missionary.

There are so many people who encourage this... There are many who do strange things like laying hands on others and giving prophecies. You should be careful.

The mission that Christians have received is to first be in the place where they should be, and while doing the work they should do in that place, they should serve the people who should be in that place.

Verse 19: This is a word about the fakes who emphasize the ritual of circumcision.

“Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God.”

For example, a wedding is very important.

However, the question is whether loving each other is more important in marriage or the wedding ceremony is more important.

In the end, keeping the commandments of God is the key to solving the problem.

Whether it is an individual, a family, or society, the book of Christ is the best book.

Verse 20 It is good for each person to remain in the state in which he was called.

It means not to be greedy for empty glory.

For example, there was a time when you had great dreams of owning a house.

However, once you have a house, you find yourself in the position of guarding the house, even though you initially wanted to buy a nice house and live comfortably.

You end up being tied to the house you bought to live well. Everything under the sun is like this.

Therefore, you should not do great things just because you received great grace once, but remain in the state in which you were first called.

Then God will lead you to the next step.

Verse 21 “Are you called being a servant? care not for it: but if you may be free, use it rather.”

If you can remain free through the Spirit of Christ, then just remain a servant.

Because in verse 22, even though you are a servant in body, your spirit can be free through Christ.

This kind of person is not a servant of men, but a servant of Christ.

Verse 23 "You are bought with a price; be not you the servants of men."

Since God gave Christ and bought us as servants, he tells us not to become servants of men.

Verse 24 "Let every man, wherein he is called, therin abide with God.

The conclusion is that do not think of freedom lightly, but think of the value of your own existence.

These days, young women tend to avoid marriage in order to enjoy the freedom of the flesh, but this is not good. This freedom can eventually become a trap for them.

Verse 23 "You are bought with a price; be not you the servants of men."

Since God gave Christ and bought us as servants, he tells us not to become servants of men.

Verse 24 "Let every man, wherein he is called, therin abide with God.

The conclusion is that do not think of freedom lightly, but think of the value of your own existence.

These days, young women tend to avoid marriage in order to enjoy the freedom of the flesh, but this is not good. This freedom can eventually become a trap for them.

Therefore, we must enjoy freedom in the truth, and the married should be like the unmarried, and the flesh should fulfill its obligations to each other, but we must have the ability not to be bound by them.

People say that it is good to get married, and some say that it is good not to get married.

They also say that we should not get divorced.

Talking about good and bad is all about calculating one's own advantage or disadvantage. This is not considering God's will.

Christians, regardless of the circumstances in which they are called by God, must be able to bear each other’s burdens as a free body that is not bound to people, as a temple that is one with Christ, the holy and  unlevan bread.

That is why Paul ends with the words, “I think also that  I have the Spirit of God.” (v. 40)

He reminds us that we must be able to discern and act in all human problems in the Spirit of God.

Our spirit and flesh are like two sides of a coin, and we live in this world as the body that is dead because of sin but the spirit that is life because of righteousness.(Rom. 8:10)

Since the desires of the spirit and the desires of the flesh are at war, we pay a lot of tuition through internal conflict and trial and error for a long time, and finally, as the share of the thoughts of the spirit increases, the inclination toward the spirit changes, and we reach the level of killing the deeds of the body by the Spirit.

That is probably why Paul said that he also has the Spirit of God.

Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.

Translated by  Nancy Chung

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