The church of Corinth wrote to Paul and asked him some questions about how to live as a Christian. One of the topics was marriage. We don’t have the actual question that was asked, but chapter 7 of 1 Corinthians is Paul’s answer to the question.
Four Things to Consider When Deciding Whether to Marry
Am I able to lead a chaste as a single? (1 Corinthians 7:2, 7-9) … For a Christian there needs to be purity, so a single Christian should remain celibate. Paul says not everyone is able to remain chaste and that one reason to get married is so that we don’t burn with passion.
Are the circumstances right at this time for me to marry? (1 Corinthians 7:25-28; 1 Timothy 5:14) … There are some situations in which getting married is not a wise thing to do. And there are other circumstances where marrying is wise.
How will marriage or singleness affect my service to Christ? (1 Corinthians 7:32-35) … Serving Christ is the most thing we do. If being married makes your service to the Lord more effective, get married. If being single makes you more effective, remain single.
Am I marrying a believer in Christ? (1 Corinthians 7:39-40) … Marriage is for a lifetime and it is important to be married to another believer, should you choose to marry.
Four Purposes of Marriage
Partnership (Malachi 2:14; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) … Marriage is a partnership. Life easier with a partner.
Procreation (Genesis 1:27-28) … Having children is another reason
Pleasure (Song of Solomon 1:2) … God created marriage for pleasure. God gives good gifts.
Purity (1 Corinthians 7:9) … It is better to marry than to burn with passion.
For singles, these purposes can fulfilled in other ways
Partnership can come friends and the church
Singles may not have biological children, but they can have spiritual children
Pleasure can come from many different sources
Purity comes from being chaste.