Day 152: NT 1 Corinthians C7-9; Tribulations of the Flesh, Yet Am I not Free?

Saint Paul in this letter to the Christians of Corinth denounces certain abuses, e.g., rivalries among themselves, incest, appealing to pagan courts, and fornication. He then answers questions they had proposed to him on marriage and celibacy, on eating the meats offered to idols, on abuses in the celebration of the Eucharist, on various gifts of the Holy Spirit, and on the future resurrection.

The First Epistle of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians is pure gold in terms of a source of spiritual insight, understanding, and wisdom!

As such it is presented verbatim in its entirety below with highlighted words and phrase that touch my heart, my soul or raised questions in my consciousness. Tribulations of the flesh, yet am I not free?

Advice to the Married:

Now concerning the things whereof you wrote to me: It is good for man not to touch woman. Yet, the fear of fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to the wife her due, and likewise the wife to the husband. The wife has not authority over her body, but the husband; the husband likewise has not authority over his body, but the wife. Do not deprive each other, except perhaps by consent, for a time, that you may give yourself to prayer; and return together again lest Satan tempt you because you lack self-control. But this I say by way of concession, not by way of commandment. For I would that you all were as I am myself; but each one has his own gift from God, one in this way, and another in that.

Advice to the Unmarried:

But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they so remain, even as I. But if they do not have self-control, let them marry than to burn. But to those who are married, not I, but the Lord commands that a wife is not to depart from her husband, and if she departs, that she is to remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And let not a husband put away his wife.

Obligation of the Believing Spouse:

To the others I say, not the Lord: If any brother has an unbelieving wife and she consents to live with him, let him not put her away. And if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, let her not put away her husband. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but, as it is, they are holy. For if the unbeliever departs, let him depart. For a brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. For how dost thou know, O wife, whether thou wilt save thy husband Or how dost thou know, O husband, whether thou wilt save thy wife?

No Change to be Sought:

Only, as the Lord has alloted to each, as when God has called each, so let him walk—and so I teach in all the churches. Was one called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was one called having been uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision does not matter, and uncircumcision does not matter; but the keeping of the commandments of God is what matters. Let every man remain in the calling in which he was called. Wast thou a slave when called? Let it not trouble thee. But if thou canst become free, make use of it rather. For a slave who has been called in the Lord, is a freedman of the Lord; just as a freeman who has been called is a slave to Christ. You have been bought with a price; do not become the slaves of men. Brethren, in the state in which he was when called, let every man remain with God.

The State of Virginity:

Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord, yet I give an opinion, as one having obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy. I think, then, that this is good on account of the present distress—that it is good for a man to remain as he is. Art thou bound to a wife? Do not seek to be freed. Art thou freed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if thou takest a wife, thou hast not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have tribulation of the flesh. But I spare you that.

Why Virginity is to be Preferred:

But this I say, brethren, the time is short; it remains that those who have wives be as if they had none; and those who weep, as though not weeping; and those who rejoice, as though not rejoicing; and those who buy, as though not possessing; and those who use this world, as though not using it, for this world as we see it is passing away. I would have you free from care. He who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please God. Whereas he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife; and he is divided. And the unmarried woman, and the virgin, thinks about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy in body and spirit. Whereas she who is married thinks about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. Now this I say for your benefit, not to hold you in check, but to promote what is proper, and to make it possible for you to pray to the Lord without distraction.

Duty of Father to Virgin Daughter:

But if any man thinks that he incurs disgrace with regard to his virgin, since she is over age, and that it ought so to be done, let him do what he will, he does not sin if she should marry. But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but is free to carry out his own will, and has decided to keep his virgin—he does well. Therefore both he who gives his virgin in marriage does well, and he who does not give her does better.

Widows:

A woman is bound as long as her husband is alive, but if her husband dies, she is free. Let her marry whom she pleases, only let it be in the Lord. But she will be more blessed, in my judgment, if she remains as she is. And I think that I also have the spirit of God.

General Principles concerning Idols:

Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but charity edifies. If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, the same is known by him. Now as for food sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are what are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (for indeed there are many gods, and many lords), yet for us there is only one God, the Father from whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him.

Practical Rules:

But such knowledge is not in everyone. Some, still idol-conscious, eat idol offerings as such, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Now food does not command us to God. For neither shall we suffer any loss if we do not eat, nor if we do eat have any advantage. Still, take care lest perhaps this right of yours become a stumbling-block to the weak. For if a man sees one who “has knowledge” reclining at table in an idol place, will not his conscience, weak as it is, be emboldened to eat idol offerings? And through thy “knowledge” the weak one will perish, the brother for whom Christ died. Now when you sin thus against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food scandalizes my brother, I will eat flesh no more forever, lest I scandalize my brother.

Paul’s Claim of Rights:

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord? And if to others I am not an apostle, yet to you I am. For you are the seal set upon my apostleship in the Lord. My defense against those who question me is this: Have we not a right to eat and to drink? Have we not a right to take about with us a woman, a sister, as do the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have not the right to do this? What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who feeds the flock, and does not eat of the milk of the flock? Do I speak these things on human authority? Or does the Law also say these things? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain.”

Is it the oxen that God has care? Or does he say this simply for our sakes? These things were written for us. For he who plows shall plow in hope, and he would threshes, in hope of partaking of the fruits. If we have sown for you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we reap from you carnal things? If others share in this right over you, why not we rather? But we have not used this right, but we bear all things, lest we offer hindrance to the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that they who minister in the temple eat what comes from the temple, and that they who serve the altar, have their share with the altar? So also the Lord directed that those who preach the gospel should have their living from the gospel.

Reason for not using Rights:

But I for my part have used none of these rights. Neither do I write these things that so it should be done in my case. For it were better for me to die than that anyone should make void my boast. For even if I preach the gospel, I have therein no ground for boasting, since I am under no constraint. For woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I do this willingly, I have a reward. But if unwillingly, it is a stewardship that has been entrusted to me. What then is my reward? That preaching the gospel, I deliver the gospel without charge, so as not to abuse my right in the gospel.

Paul is All Things to All Men:

For, free though I was as to all, unto all I have made myself a slave that I might gain the more converts. And I have become to the Jews a Jew that I might gain the Jews; to those under the Law, as one under the law (though not myself under the Law), that I may gain those without the Law. To the weak I became weak, that I night gain the weak. I became all things to all men, that I might save all. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may be made partaker thereof.

He makes sure his Reward:

Do you not know that those who run in a race, all indeed run, but one receives the prize? So run as to obtain it. And everyone is a contest abstains from all things—and they indeed to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable. I, therefore, so run as not without a purpose; I so fight as not beating the air; but I chastise my body and bring it into subjection, lest perhaps after preaching to other I myself should be rejected.

Tribulations of the flesh, yet am I not free?

Day 152: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Tribulations of the flesh, yet am I not free?

Read and inspired by the New Testament, The First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, Chapters 7-9.

Bible Notes:

1 Corinthians Chapter 7: Advice to the married; Advice to the unmarried; Obligation of the believing spouse; No change to be sought; The state of virginity; Why virginity is to be preferred; Duty of father to virgin daughter; Widows.