The Word of The Lord Remains Forever

Meditations in First Corinthians 

May 12, 2022

The Word of The Lord Remains Forever

The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.

1 Corinthians 7:3-4

Read: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7

In Chapter six, Paul refers to a previous letter he wrote, which we do not have. In chapter seven, Paul says he is answering questions that the Corinthian church asked him, in a letter that we do not have. In his response to their questions, Paul offers his opinion and guidance. This contrasts with the following passages where he refers to the Lord’s commands. (See v. 10, 12, 25, 40)

What strikes me about today’s passage is how Paul’s guidance is so counter-cultural. It was quite commonplace for men to seek to satisfy their sexual needs with the temple prostitutes. Paul is affirming that as Christians, seeking to make the life in Christ their way of life, the Corinthians were called to the high standard of marital fidelity. He was also very counter-cultural when he affirmed the equality of men and women in marriage.

My Takeaway: The contrast between sexual ethics in the Corinthian culture and the Christian community was clearly marked out by the Apostle Paul. That contrast exists as much, if not more, in twenty-first century USA. “As the Scriptures say, “The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.” (1 Peter 1:24-25)

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.