Key #1: Everything written in 1 Corinthians 7 must be understood in light of what v.26 calls "the present crisis."
This is a reference to a time of persecution under Caesar Nero. Caesar Nero was a cruel and bloody man who did not hesitate to kill members of his own family, so you can imagine how he treated Christians. I remember learning in Bible college during our church history classes how Caesar Nero would torture Christians.
In 2003 there was a mass genocide in Darfur that claimed some 400,000 lives and displaced over 2,500,000 people. The Arab militias would attack the families that lived in the villages of Darfur. When they found a family they would kill the father, rape the mother, sell the daughters into prostitution and the sons into slavery. If Paul was writing to a church in Darfur in 2003 he would probably give the same advice he gave to the Christians suffering persecution in AD 55 - Maybe right now isn’t the best time to marry.
Key #2: Although Paul is single in 1 Corinthians 7, he was married.
We know this because in order to be a part of the Sanhedrin, you had to be married, and Paul was a member of the Sanhedrin. We don’t really know what happened to his wife, but many believe that when Paul embraced Christianity, his wife left him. So not only did Paul speak under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (v.25, v.40) but also as someone who once was married, and therefore someone who personally understood the challenges of marriage about which he wrote.
Key #3: Paul is not giving his opinion when he writes.
When Paul says “not I, but the Lord” (v.10) it just means that in this instance he is quoting Jesus - in this instance he has a direct command from Jesus on the subject at hand. When Paul says “I, not the Lord” (v.12) it just means he’s not quoting Jesus directly. But whether quoting Jesus or not, Paul is writing by “the Spirit of God” (v.25, v.40). What Paul writes when not quoting Jesus is equally inspired of God as what he writes when quoting Jesus. One would make a grave mistake to say “This is just Paul’s opinion. I’m only going to listen to the stuff he says when quoting Jesus.”
If you read 1 Corinthians 7 with this background information you'll get so much more out of the text.
This is a reference to a time of persecution under Caesar Nero. Caesar Nero was a cruel and bloody man who did not hesitate to kill members of his own family, so you can imagine how he treated Christians. I remember learning in Bible college during our church history classes how Caesar Nero would torture Christians.
- Nero enjoyed dipping the Christians in wax, and impaling them on poles around his palace. He would then light them on fire, and yell: "Now you truly are the light of the world."
- Nero wouldn’t just kill Christians, he wanted to make them suffer first.
- In the arena he would wrap Christians up in animal skins and throw them to lions, or dogs who would then tear these men and women apart in front of thousands of entertained spectators.
- At other times he would crucify them, and after the crowd would get bored, he would set the Christians on fire.
In 2003 there was a mass genocide in Darfur that claimed some 400,000 lives and displaced over 2,500,000 people. The Arab militias would attack the families that lived in the villages of Darfur. When they found a family they would kill the father, rape the mother, sell the daughters into prostitution and the sons into slavery. If Paul was writing to a church in Darfur in 2003 he would probably give the same advice he gave to the Christians suffering persecution in AD 55 - Maybe right now isn’t the best time to marry.
Key #2: Although Paul is single in 1 Corinthians 7, he was married.
We know this because in order to be a part of the Sanhedrin, you had to be married, and Paul was a member of the Sanhedrin. We don’t really know what happened to his wife, but many believe that when Paul embraced Christianity, his wife left him. So not only did Paul speak under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (v.25, v.40) but also as someone who once was married, and therefore someone who personally understood the challenges of marriage about which he wrote.
Key #3: Paul is not giving his opinion when he writes.
When Paul says “not I, but the Lord” (v.10) it just means that in this instance he is quoting Jesus - in this instance he has a direct command from Jesus on the subject at hand. When Paul says “I, not the Lord” (v.12) it just means he’s not quoting Jesus directly. But whether quoting Jesus or not, Paul is writing by “the Spirit of God” (v.25, v.40). What Paul writes when not quoting Jesus is equally inspired of God as what he writes when quoting Jesus. One would make a grave mistake to say “This is just Paul’s opinion. I’m only going to listen to the stuff he says when quoting Jesus.”
If you read 1 Corinthians 7 with this background information you'll get so much more out of the text.
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