Paul felt affection for the believers in Corinth as a father for his children. He wanted them to follow his example in Christian living. To help them in this, he sent Timothy to them as a teacher and leader in the principles to follow in union with Jesus Christ. Paul himself hoped to be able to visit them in person and figure out whether they needed discipline or nurturing.
There had been reports of sexual immorality among the Corinthians and that they were proud of it. Paul asked how they could feel this when they should feel sadness. He also told them that the guilty should be expelled from among them. Paul reminded them that it takes only a little yeast to make the whole batch of dough rise, meaning that they needed to get rid of the evil amongst them and quoted Deuteronomy. (Deut. 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21,24; 24:7)
Paul had also heard that they were taking their disputes with each other to court to be settled, rather than to their own community of believers. Paul was also concerned that they had disputes among them that had to be settled by a third party whoever it was. They didn't seem to understand that wicked people - those who didn't believe - were not the sort of people they should be associating with on a regular basis. Paul reminded them that their bodies were to be used to serve the Lord, not their own desires. Their bodies are part of the body of Christ and they needed to remember how sacred that made them. The Holy Spirit lives in our bodies and that makes them a temple to be used for God's glory.
Paul answered their questions about marriage. Paul thought that the best way to live was a celibate life. He told them that if they married they weren't sinning. A husband should fulfull his duty to his wife and likewise a wife for her husband. Normal marital relations are healthy unless they interfere with a time of prayer. Single people should remain alone. If a couple separates, both should remain single. Paul reminded them what Jesus said about divorce in Mark 10:2-12. Paul suggested that couples where one or the other was an unbeliever should consider the possibility that they will help their spouse to find Christ. Each believer should continue to live according to the gifts the Lord had blessed them with without judgement from other Christians. Regarding unmarried people and widows, Paul gave his opinion that men not marry so they are spared from the everyday troubles of married people. According to bible scholars, this was a very challenging time for believers who were persecuted regularly and having a family could be extremely difficult. Paul wanted them to be free to focus on the Lord's work. If a couple really wanted to get married then they should do so. A widow was free to marry, but Paul thought her life would be easier if she were single.
Tomorrow read 1Corinthians 8-12:11
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