For Believers Only

1 Corinthians 7 (New Living Translation)

Instruction on Marriage
1 Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life.[a] 2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.
3 The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. 4 The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.

5 Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. But God gives to some the gift of marriage, and to others the gift of singleness.

8 So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. 9 But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.

32 I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. 33 But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife.


If the polygamy issue tweaks your interest, 1Corinthians 7 likely speaks at greatest length of any scripture with regards to marriage. I encourage you to read the whole chapter. I wasn't going to develop this any further, but a friend of mine on Facebook made a comment referring to people who are filled with the Holy Spirit. My last post had absolutely nothing do to do with Jesus, so I felt it appropriate to look at the issue of marriage among those who have been joined to Christ.

In this part of his letter, Paul is addressing a questions that was asked of him. It would be interesting to know what that question was exactly. Wouldn't it? He begins his answer by saying that it is good to live a celibate life. The primary reason for remaining celibate would seem to be because 'an unmarried person can spend their time doing The Lord's work and thinking about how to please Jesus.'vs 32.

If the Spirit of Christ doesn't live in you, then I guess I don't expect you to be concerned with doing 'the Lord's work.'

Married Christians aren't completely free to pursue their calling because they have to think about their earthly responsibilities to their spouse. vs.33 It's not that marriage is a sin. Thank God for that. For those of us who are single, it's better to stay single unless we are unable to control ourselves. vs. 8,9 It's better to be honest with ourselves than it is to intentionally live a celibate life. If we can't control our urges, it's better to find a spouse than to have your mug on the 6:00pm news for sexual charges. It happens. Doesn't it?

If your flesh dominates your life to the point where one mate isn't enough for you, I'm very sorry, but I'm not going to shake your hand and tell you that I'm fine with it. If any of you were to have more than one spouse, what I can definitively say it this-

You aren't all that concerned about doing The Lord's work. Are you? If our interests are divided between Jesus and our spouse, how much more so if we have more than one?

As for me, I have one wife. I'm told that my body no longer belongs to me, but to my wife. vs. 4 Even if she said that she would allow me to have another wife, I wouldn't. Just because your wife says it's ok to have another partner, doesn't mean it's a good idea. It didn't work very well for Abraham. Did it? By the way. I asked my wife and she said no. So it's no.

Basically - if you need even one wife (or husband) - you're weak. If you need two, I guess that makes you pathetic.

Have a nice day.