Free Bible Commentary
“1 Corinthians 7:1-7”
Categories: 1 Corinthians“Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But this I say by way of concession, not of command. Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.”
---End of Scripture verses---
Starting from this point until nearly the end of the epistle, the Apostle Paul turns his attention to answering questions that the brethren in Corinth had asked him in a previous letter they had written to him, but that we do not have available to us today. In chapters 1-6 Paul addressed the issues that had been brought to his attention that he considered to be the most pressing: Divisions in the congregation (chapters 1-4) and general immorality (chapters 5-6). In chapter 7 he begins to address the specific concerns of the brethren.
“It is good for a man not to touch a woman” (verse 1). For some reason the brethren had asked Paul if it was a good thing to remain celibate/unmarried. The church in the city of Corinth appears to have been a congregation of extremes. Paul had just condemned the sin of sexual immorality in the previous verses that was present among the brethren there. Some evidently drifted toward the other end of the spectrum—Total sexual abstinence. Maybe it was because the sin of fornication was so prevalent in Corinthian society that some of the brethren wanted to be as careful and cautious as they could possibly be.
Whatever the reason for the question, and whatever the meaning behind the answer that “It is good for a man not to touch a woman;” this verse must be balanced by the equally inspired statement that, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). And also consider what is written in Hebrews 13:4: “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”
It is “good” for people to remain celibate, but it is not “better” than if people get married. Both abstinence and marriage are GOOD! When people elect to remain single, they can really devote the bulk of their time, energy and resources to serving the Lord (verse 32), which is a wonderful thing to do! But, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22)! A wife or a husband is a GOOD THING and a great blessing from God. A husband and wife compliment and complete one another, and can combine their efforts as a powerful duo in their service to the Lord!
Marriage must be a very good thing because the same Apostle Paul compared the marriage relationship to Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:22-33)! So, whatever Paul may have had in mind when he said that it is “good for a man not to touch a woman,” he most certainly was not denigrating or devaluing the bonds and virtues of marriage. His statement may very well have been made in light of the “present distress” that the brethren were experiencing (verse 26); whatever that may have been.
He was also not diminishing the institution of marriage when he wrote, “because of immoralities” people should have their own husband or wife (verse 2). Marriage is not MERELY a means of avoiding fornication, but it definitely does serve that purpose. Not everyone has the same “gift” that Paul had (verse 7). Some people “burn with passion” (verse 9), and God has given them the blessing of marriage as a way to express and satisfy that legitimate need.
That’s why it is so important for a husband and wife to fulfill their “duty” to one another (verse 3), and not “deprive” one another (verse 5). When a man and woman enter into the “one flesh” union and “contract” of marriage, they are bound by duty to help and please one another, which includes the obligation to satisfy their sexual desires (this does not authorize sexual perversion).
When a man or woman enter into a covenant relationship with God through Christ, their bodies no longer belong to themselves but to the Lord (chapter 6 verses 19-20). When a man and woman enter into the covenant relationship of marriage, their bodies also belong to their husband or wife, and are even less their “own possessions” (verse 4). Like a commitment to faith in Christ, a commitment to marriage is one of sacrifice and the forgoing of personal rights and privileges. But, also like a commitment to Christ, the commitment to marriage is OH SO WORTH IT! The cumulative and ultimate gains are much greater than the personal sacrifices!
If there does arise an occasion that “denial” of conjugal rights seems necessary, it must be of brief duration and by mutual consent. Paul said it must be only “by agreement for a time” (verse 5). It also must be for a specific purpose: To “devote yourselves to prayer.” The withholding of a wife or husband’s marital obligation should never be used as a tool of emotional manipulation. That is a misuse and abuse of the blessing of legitimate intimacy.
If we “deprive” our husbands or wives of their “due benevolence,” we shove the door wide open for Satan to do his dirty work (verse 5). The weakness of the flesh provides more than enough temptation to keep us vulnerable to our oldest and greatest enemy. We should take great pains to not help Satan with his plans to take down our husband or our wife! We are not ignorant of his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11)! Let’s help our spouses get to heaven! That should be the number one goal and responsibility of our marriage!!!
Please read 1 Corinthians 7:8-11 for tomorrow.
Have a blessed day!
- Louie Taylor
