1 Corinthians 7. Now concerning the matters about which you wrote… (7:1) We have no idea what the original question was, but Paul offers a response in this chapter that covers sexuality, marriage, celibacy, and remarriage issues in a kind of scattershot response. He is not writing a comprehensive theological statement on any one of those topics, and so we take what he wrote and read it in the context of everything else on those topics in the New Testament.

Here are a couple of things that stand out to me in this chapter:

First, Paul affirms that sex is good and appropriate in the confines of a marriage relationship. Let me say that again, because sometimes Paul gets misread and people think the Bible hates sex. Sex within marriage is a good (even great) thing. Do not deprive one another (7:5); sex is an essential part of a healthy marriage relationship. But don’t forget that Paul spent chapter 6 warning about how sexual activity outside of the marriage relationship is not good. There are boundaries, and within those boundaries sex is a good thing.

Secondly, Paul affirms mutual submission in marriage. This is a surprising statement, 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 (7:4). The marriage partners are not set in a hierarchical relationship, in contrast to ancient patriarchal patterns. Also, the marriage partners are not autonomous and able to do whatever they please, in contrast to modern independent patterns. Paul argues that marriage is a partnership of equals who are bonded together, committed to giving of themselves to meet each other’s needs.

Third, Paul affirms that celibacy and singleness is good. Young people today need to hear this message as much as the Corinthian church did. He who marries does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better (7:38). Why is singleness so valuable in Paul’s eyes? Those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that (7:28). I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided (7:32-34). Paul argues that singleness allows one to be fully focused on kingdom of God activities, and not distracted by the challenges of a marriage relationship.

Fourth, Paul encourages moral discernment regarding divorce and remarriage. We are not to be quick about ending a marriage; Biblical law specified that only adultery or death ended a marriage. Paul acknowledges that there are other cases that are not so simple to define – what about abuse or abandonment, etc. – and in many cases remarriage makes sense. Paul’s careful reflection on these issues (7:10-16) offers a model for us on how our own thinking might proceed with discernment and grace.

In summary Paul writes, let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches (7:17). We are to find our identity and worth in Christ and serve the kingdom of God wholeheartedly. Our identity and worth do not depend on our marriage or singleness. Our fulfillment in life does not lie in sexual activity or the perfect spouse. We are called to wholeheartedly serve God, in purity and contentedness, wherever we currently are.