"Man, Man is for the Woman Made" - Some Words on Marriage (Saturday's Reading)

I Corinthians 7-9

My sincere apologies for getting behind on the blog. This is really a continuation of Paul's earlier discussion on sexual immorality. His material in chapter 7 is in response to questions the Corinthians had. It is worthy remembering that I Corinthians may be the second oldest New Testament letter (Galatians is the oldest).

I Corinthians 7 (Marriage and Singleness)
Paul has a bias for singleness (out of his own experience), but he also knows human sexuality. He therefore calls for free sharing of sex in marriage in which each one gives themselves for the other. Notice the difference between that and the contemporary way (as well as the Greco-Roman way) of seeing the other as the source of one's own personal fulfillment.

Paul's teaching on separation and divorce in verses 10-16. It is much like the teachings of Jesus, a radical departure from the easy divorce culture in both Greco-Roman and Jewish society. Even when the marriage involves an unbeliever, he urges the believer to stay in the marriage.

Food Sacrificed to Idols - I Corinthians 8
Nearly all food was dedicated to the Roman imperial cult. Paul did not believe it was sinful to each such food. At the same time, he understands that some are more conservative on the issue. The common ground for this issue in our day include things like social drinking, dancing, going to the movies (especially R-rated ones), etc, where faiths differ from each other. The general rule is that the free person chooses to yield to the conservative stance of another. There will be other opportunities to enjoy a particular activity, but causing another believer to stumble out of our own sensitivity can do long term damage. For USAmerican Christians, who tend to give high value to self-determination and freedom, this teaching is difficult. The perspective her offered is important. If we see the conservativism of others to be a restriction on our freedom, then we will resent the others for infringing on us. If we see the conservativism as an opportunity to show yielding love, then the resentment tends not to be there.

Because of the late hour, I am going to stop with chapter 8, and add chapter 9 to Monday's reading.