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Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 2 * PART 3 * BOOK 27
I CORINTHIANS 6:11 - 9:7
Now as we start with verse 4 we find Paul dealing with the relationship between the husband and the wife he says:
I Corinthians 7:4
"The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife."
Now what Paul is talking about here is the satisfaction of the sexual needs of both parties of the marriage union. And that is picked up then in verse 5, and since it's a fifty-fifty situation the husband is to be aware of the needs of the wife, and the wife is to be aware of the needs of the husband, consequently:
I Corinthians 7:5
Now verse 6.
I Corinthians 7:6,7
(Then in verse 7, Paul says something that throws a curve at a lot of people) Most of those people think that Paul was a bachelor, and never married, and consequently he had a thing against women, and marriage. Now here is where I maintain that Paul was married. If I understand the Jewish Old Testament economy, a person could not be a member of the Sanhedrin unless he was married, and had children. And the purpose was how could you judge in the area of families and relationships if you've never had the experience. How could leaders of the Church lead intelligently, and from experience if they've never had the responsibility of being a husband and a father.
Well you get it from Paul, and here we have the qualifications for a Pastor or Bishop, and the Deacons.
Like I say, that's my thought, but the Scriptures don't tell us what happened to Paul's wife. But whatever, I have to feel that at one time Paul was married, and had children, but something happened to them because from the time we pick up the Apostle Paul in the Book of Acts, he is alone. The Lord to come, and on top of that I think by the Sovereign Grace of God, Paul had a little bit of foreview of the horrible persecution that was going to come upon the Christians. Now then if all of a sudden persecution was to fall, how much easier it would be for people to be single. That number 1, The Lord's coming (he thought) was at hand. Paul says that throughout all his letters, and of course it didn't happen. Now verse 8:
I Corinthians 7:8
I Corinthians 7:9
Well if they cannot control their sexual desires, and it gets to the place that they are tempted to commit adultery to do that, then Paul says you're better off getting married. I Corinthians 7:2
"Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband."
How does God look at it? Now verse 10:
I Corinthians 7:10-16
"And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, (so this is The Word of God) Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband; and let not the husband put away his wife. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, (who is a believer) and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: (who is a believer) else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. (Paul says `let the unbelieving spouse go if that's the way they want it.') For what knowest thou, O wife, (Who is a believer) whether thou shalt save thy husband? (who is lost) or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shall save thy wife?"
Now we know that we can't save our spouse and the spouse can't save us, so what's Paul talking about? Well let me bring you back again to Peter's little epistle in I Peter Chapter 3. I Peter 3:1
"Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; (sounds like Paul doesn't it?) that, if any obey not the word, (they're not a believer) they (the husbands) also may without the word (without preaching at them, without dragging them to church, without bringing them under the television ministry, without saying a word, that lost husband may) be won by the conversation (or manner of living) of the wives," Now verse 2:
I Peter 3:2-4
Now what is Peter admonishing the believing wife to do? So what does the wife do first and foremost? She lives an exemplary Christian life in front of him.
So Gladys the host, said, "well we have a Bible study for young people." Well to make a long story short, do you know how long it took to win John? So back to I Corinthians, and this is all Paul is saying, that if a wife or husband finds themselves still in a marriage relationship with a rank pagan unbeliever, to just hang in there.

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