1 Corinthians 7:6-9

Scripture: 1 Cor. 7:6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.

1 Cor. 7:7 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.

1 Cor. 7:8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am.

1 Cor. 7:9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Teaching: Paul has given some sage advice when it comes to Christian marriage, but he has softened his tone considerably in this section than he has previously, as we see in verse 6. He leaves room for practical application within each marriage, recognizing that not every marriage will be the exact same. Paul’s chief concern in this section is marriage’s ability to either stifle or enflame the sexual temptations of Satan. Sexual temptation is slightly different in nature to monetary, prideful, or other such temptations as it is external – it lusts after someone rather than for something for oneself.

Thus, Paul mentions that it would be good – in the sense of resisting sexual temptation – that all were like him, i.e. single but content in the Lord, and not subject to overwhelming sexual temptation. This would be good in the sense that so much of the heartbreak, desperation, violence, and exploitation of the world would be avoided if sexual temptation were as much of a non-issue for all as it was for Paul.

But Paul recognizes that not all are gifted by God in this way (and, to be clear, the ability to be content in singleness is a gift of God, not a lack nor cause for alarm). Thus, he gives suggestions to the unmarried, if they are not gifted as Paul was or struggle with self-control – they should marry, lest they burn with passion (and as we can see by the context, fall victim to Satan’s schemes and temptations).

Takeaway: Historically, living a full life of singleness was not as noteworthy as it is now. What seems to be different in modern times is that those who choose singleness do so as a rejection of marriage, while still indulging regularly in the sexual intimacy designed solely for the confines of marriage.  Because our culture has become hyper-sexualized from a myriad of sources and influences, to our modern ears Paul’s advice on this topic seems outdated at best or at worst, as some sort of blackmark upon Christianity. It is the kind of advice that some point to as the reason they perceive following Christ as confining, judgmental, or restrictive. Thus, it is not often these days that we hear sermons on 1 Corinthians 7. But this advice is powerful, godly, and meant to elicit a response from the audience. We can reject it, as some do; we can gloss over it and skip over to 1 Corinthians 12 to study spiritual giftings, as some do. (Now, to do so undermines the authority of Scripture in our lives – begging the question, “Do we want to hear from God or just read what we like?”) But more importantly, when we do either, we miss real gold in Scripture. This is powerful advice to avoid the destructive temptations of Satan. This is a motivational call to persevere through singleness towards a loving and Christ-like marriage, be that what God calls you towards. This is an encouraging word for those who wonder why they do not desire marriage as so many in the Church do, and wonder if something in them is broken. Whether married or single, consider these verses thoughtfully.