DId God Really Say…

May 28, 2024

Read Joshua 8, Proverbs 23, 1 Corinthians 7

What’s something you are devoted to? I know the “Sunday school” answer if you grew up in a church, it’s probably “Jesus.” But what other things are you devoted to? Family, a spouse, a job, a hobby? The list could go on and on. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul addresses the church at Corinth about a new problem they were having because of their new faith in Christ. They had some questions about what to do in their marriage relationships when one person in the family became a believer and the other spouse was not. In summary, Paul encouraged them to first devote everything they did to the Lord and His will for their lives, not acting in their own interests. “I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord” v. 35. He discussed that in either way a husband or wife should not leave their spouse just because they were not both Christians. “To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. ¹³ And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?” vv. 12-16.  Paul’s advice was to stay married or stay single and allow God to use them as they were, married or single.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.