To marry or not to marry?
I tell you this not as an order, but simply as a concession. Actually I would prefer that all of you were as I am; but each one has a special gift from God, one person this gift, another one that gift.
Now, to the unmarried and to the widows I say that it would be better for you to continue to live alone as I do. But if you cannot restrain your desires, go ahead and marry – it is better to marry than to burn with passion. (Verses 6-9)
Read 1 Corinthians 7: 1-9
People often worry about passages like this one. Is Paul in favour of marriage or isn’t he? The answer is that yes, he is. Even though he himself seems to have had the gift of celibacy, he knows that this is not the case for everyone. These people lived at a time when they expected Jesus to return any day. And so Paul is able to counsel people like widows to stay celibate, so that they can concentrate on doing God’s work unimpeded until Jesus does return. But what about those who were married? They were to stay married and live fully as married people until the Lord came back.
Jesus could well come back any day. So we are to be ready: doing his work, living confidently in our faith and continuing to model the lifestyle that God expects of us. And that includes loving, permanent and happy marriages which give credibility back to marriage again.
Sexuality is a precious gift from God. Christian marriage partners are to express their love in this way too, as they love each other in a way that pleases God.
Father, bless my marriage, and all Christian marriages, so that they may truly reflect your love for us and for your church. Amen.
by Bob Turnbull, in ‘New Strength for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 1998)
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