1. single is good
2. marriage isn't bad
NOTE : historical context
remarriage for a widow in 1 year
remarriage for a divorcee in 6 months
evidentally, the pressure to remarry was high
NOTE : commands of christ (matt. 19, mark 10)
NOTE :(christian marriage implied)
1. rules for divorce
a. death (matthew 19, rom 7)
b. adultery (matthew 19)
DIVORCE IN THE CULTURE
- very very easy to do at this stage
- seneca speaks of women who "mark the years not by changing consuls
but by the acquisition of a new husband. they leave home in
order to marry and marry in order to divorce"
- jewish scholar hillel "he may divorce her even if she has spoiled
a dish for him" (shammai is who christ agrees with)
NOTE : "not the lord but i" - not a quote from christ anymore
1. don't seek divorce
14 - 'sanctifies' the spouse and kids
contrast with chap 6 (v.16, 17)
??? infant baptism ? maybe, but a real stretch.
15 - 'under bondage'; does that mean that the marriage is over?
- is the believer free to remarry? pauline privilage (luther, etc)
or
- does it mean that they aren't guilty? (fee)
2. a new allowance for ending marriage?
a. death (matthew, rom. 7)
b. adultery (matthew 19)
c. ? abandonment/divorce by unbeliever (1 cor 7) ?
7:18 - 7:20 circumsicsion irrelevant
NOTE : circumcision was mocked by non-jews, uncircumcision was
considered awful by jews.
surgery was undergone by some jews to become uncircumcised (a
la 'the source'), and some gentiles underwent circumcision.
7:21 - 7:24 slavery irrelevant (but don't become one of yourself)
eph 5, col 3
"bought with a price" (6:20 as well)
1. the lord's freedman, christ's bondservant
- we are free from men and sin
- we are bound to christ
an amazing picture (echoed in rom 6) about our amazing
freedom and our complete slavery.
- piper point about our slavery to god being our ultimate freedom...
2. what matters is the keeping of the commandments of god.
- the focus of the christian; we are christ's bondservants.