One rarely hears mention of divorce from the pulpit today, which is alarming considering 50 percent of Christian marriages end that way. The silence on this matter is stranger still when one considers all that the Bible has to say about the matter. This is a sure testimony to our continued selfishness, and one more thing the modern church has in common with Corinth. As we will see, Paul addresses the issue in a mostly straightforward manner, though the first mention of the topic in chapter seven verse 10 has caused some to question and even debate the teachings herein.

Paul begins saying, “To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord)…”. Why would Paul suddenly make distinctions between what the Lord commands, and what he himself pens? The statement is in direct contrast to verse 12, “To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord)…”. Is this the same as saying that verses 10 and 11 are inspired and verses 12 through 16 are not? What is his purpose in using such distinctions?

Obviously everything within this letter was written by Paul under the superintending of the Holy Spirit. If 1 Corinthians is God’s inspired word, then there is no distinction between what Paul commands and what the Lord commands, for both come by way of the same Spirit. One command is no more “inspired” than another; both carry equal weight.

So what of this introductory phrases? Paul is simply specifying that in the first case the Lord Jesus Christ Himself had spoken the commands he is now repeating (Matthew 5.32; 19.9). In the second case, though Jesus had never addressed the issue of believers being married to unbelievers, Paul was going to lay down the law. Since the letters of Paul and Peter and James and John are equally inspired to the gospels, we can rest assured that both circumstances (in verses 10 and 12) are the very instruction of God Almighty. Now that this debate has been answered, what of the matters they profess?

Verses 10 and 11 address a marriage between two believers. As Jesus had taught, man and wife are joined by God and should not separate. Should the marriage end in divorce, the only option open to them is to either be reconciled, or remain unmarried. The only separation that may end with one having the freedom to remarry is the death of the previous spouse (.39), or if the previous spouse had been unfaithful (Matthew 19.9). These are the only provisions made by Scripture for divorce.

The only other provision once allowed by Scripture for divorce was if the believer were married to an unbeliever (Ezra 9.1-10.44). Ezra commanded the Israelites, upon their return to the holy land, that they divorce their foreign wives and children (foreign meant those who did not worship Yahweh, as the book of Ruth testifies). Because many of the Christians were once Jews, they may have had the impression that they were to divorce their unbelieving spouse. Another reason for this practice was Paul’s own teaching that we are a new creature in Christ, and to join ourselves with an unbeliever would be inappropriate. But Paul clarifies the matter succinctly: if the unbelieving mate is willing to continue the marriage, you must not divorce them. The unbeliever’s willingness to continue the marriage in effect reconstitutes the marriage and the marriage is “sanctified.” What this means is that God himself has aproved the marriage, and the children. Should the unbeliever divorce the believing spouse, they may go their own ways, and the believer is removed from all obligation; it is as if the marriage had never taken place. Though it may seem contradictory for God to bless such a marriage, we cannot claim to know God’s thoughts. Paul asks the relevant question: how do we know that through our godly devotion to our mate and our offspring might not turn the Jesus?

The temptation for sinful sexual relationships is great for everyone, but greater still for divorcees, since they have enjoyed intimacy in a proper setting. Sadly, many divorced Christians participate in sexual relationships thinking it is their “right.” Sex outside of marriage is never right, regardless of how we try to play down the seriousness of the sin. Remarriage, then, is a better option — but not to satisfy one’s sexual drive (which is selfish). Selfless-ness and the desire to serve the other partner are the only right motives for marriage. Selfishness in marriage is the driving force behind the staggering divorce rates today. Perhaps churches should implement “Marriage Enrichment” workshops as much as they do “Divorce Recovery.”

Not specifically related to either singleness, marriage or divorce, .17-.24 seeks to set forth a principle for guiding the lives of new believers. The guiding principle is simply to keep God’s commands by remaining in the situation you are in when called, and by holding fast to whatever situation God calls you to. Paul recognizes there are differences between remaining in a situation and being called into a new one. For this reason he cites circumcision first. Does circumcision have any relevance to the Christian? None. So if one is circumcised or uncircumcised it makes no difference. Neither situation calls for change; he is to remain as he is. Slavery on the other hand should be guided by the principle, but not limited to the principle. If, for instance, a man is sold into slavery to pay a past debt, his becoming a Christian does not revoke his obligation. He must remain a slave until the debt is paid. However, once the debt is paid and he is no longer obliged to be a slave, he does not have to remain a slave simply because he was one when he received Jesus. Now he must accept freedom. Similarly, Should a free man receive Jesus, he must consider himself no longer free, but a servant of Christ.

Using such “double talk” Paul warns us to beware the dual sins of drive and passivity. The western world thrives on drive to improve one’s life. Such a drive is not sinful, unless it consumes one’s thoughts and/or the methods employed for improvement are sinful. Conversely, many eastern philosophies teach passivity anc acceptance, which can also lead to sin. For as often as we must accept our lot in life, we are also to seek improvement (in both material and personal means).

The application of such truth to marital status seems clear. If single, one should accept his singleness as a gift from God and remain true to the situation he is in. If, on the other hand, such a man believes he is called to marry, then he should accept the calling and be true to it instead. This very example is used by Paul in .36-.38.

For all Paul’s pomp regarding singleness, for all his concern toward marriage, and for all his incense against divorce, he has the best of motives. In .29 he lets us glimpse another reason for his concern: the time is short. We are in the last days, and as such we must do everything within our power to turn mankind to Jesus Christ. A single man can spend his short time on this planet in full devotion to God’s service, and this kind of devotion is needed given the time in which we live. If one cannot keep God’s commands as a single person, then marriage is a good option. Though their time must be divided, it is better than living in disobedience to God. It is Paul’s concern for humanity and his understanding of the last days that inspires him to promote singleness over marriage. In fact he goes even one step further, promoting that all that is important to us ought to be given up since the world is passing away and there is so much to do in so little time (.29-.31).