It may be surprising that Paul has much to say about single Christians and how they should see their single lives. Paul focuses on the topic in 1 Corinthians 7 in response to some questions Corinthian Christians wrote to him about marriage, let’s go, and divorce. There must have been many singles in the church of Corinth: many of the early Christians were slaves (7. 21), and many slaves had no control over whether they could marry or not. In addition, mortality rates were high and divorce was common, so many single Christians probably got married earlier (7, 8, 15, 39-40) In God’s Providence, 1 Corinthians 7 shows us how Paul was the singles pastor in the first century of Corinth and, in doing so, gives church leaders today useful and practical advice on how to help the singles of their churches promote the gospel in their situation. Special.
First, Paul makes it clear that the circumstances of celibacy are special.
- Their direct comments on the need for inter-partner sex at 7.
- 1-5 and the unnecessary danger zone in which couples enter when they refrain from having sex reflect the teachings of Genesis 2.
- 18-25.
- This passage departs from God’s comment: “Isn’t it?How good is it that the man is alone? In conclusion.
- “the man and his wife were naked and not ashamed.
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God created human beings to be social and sexual creatures, and marriage is the means He provided to face the deepest human aspirations of camaraderie and intimacy, leading to a critical principle for the grazing of singles. Singles must understand the importance of marriage within God’s people, and this should be done in a way that does not make singles feel less than complete or, in some way, irrelevant to the body of Christ. But the answer to the complex question Of how to lead singles in a way that is sensitive to their condition is not to neglect teaching about marriage, or to isolate singles in their own social and educational world within the church, away from couples and families.
Second, Paul also makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 7 that being single is not a difficult situation that needs to be addressed, an emergency that requires attention, or a problem that needs to be addressed. Quite the opposite: Does Paulo say twice in the passage that the unique state is?(7. 7, 26) and clearly indicates that he was single (7. 8).
But how to be single, when God said, before creating the first couple, that it wasn’t right for man to be alone, does it all have to do with what Paul calls him?(7. 26), that is, the chaos that introduced in the world the disobedience of the first couple to God. One of the church’s most important tasks in such a world is to advance the gospel, which leads to another principle of pastoral care. for singles: They should understand that they have the opportunity to advance the gospel in ways and places that would be much more difficult for couples and families.
Paul doesn’t say it explicitly, but it would make sense if that’s why he said, singles and widows?Would it be nice if they stayed in the state where I live too?(7,8). One only has to look at what appeared to be the progress of the gospel in Paul’s life to understand what he means. Some chapters before saying this: “So far we have suffered from hunger, thirst, and nudity; and they slap us, and we don’t have a proper house, and we get tired of working with our own hands?(4. 11,12).
It is not that single people should marry or suffer serious physical difficulties for the sake of the gospel, but that they can strategically consider their status as singles from the point of view of the advancement of the gospel. The time married people could spend caring for a child. sick child to restore their health, helping a teenage girl with a job application or repairing both cars in the garage, a single person could spend visiting, peeling a sick child. potatoes in the church kitchen, helping the pastor understand Excel or following a Gospel Conversation with a colleague at a coffee meeting. And yes, only one person could, as a missionary, a friend from years ago end up flying a helicopter in West Africa that sometimes gets shot.
Whether singles promote the gospel in a risky or harmless way, Paul’s example also illustrates another important principle of guiding those who are not married. Being single in church should never mean being alone in church. Paul has surrounded himself with collaborators in the progress of the gospel, men (Fel 2:22) and women (Fel 4:2-3), and these close friends have worked with him to make his ministry possible.
As you lead singles, it is important to give them the opportunity to meet, become friends, and work together for the common cause of gospel advancement. This doesn’t need to involve a specific singles program (although it can certainly help), but it can simply involve being aware of keeping singles in church, inviting them to meet, and encouraging them to volunteer together for work, worship, and testimony in the church. In the process, some of them may discover their soul mate of the opposite sex with which God induces them to marry, but because individuality is good in itself, this certainly should not be the undeclared goal of bringing singles together.
Paul affirms the kindness and usefulness of being single. He does so directly in 1 Corinthians 7 and following the example of his own ministry. Should the church of all times do this also by encouraging singles?Have you never been married, divorced, or widowed? look at marriage in a positive way, but consider single status as an opportunity God can use to promote the gospel in the company of other believers.