It is About Destruction

If I were to design a way to corrupt a culture; turn evil into good and good into evil, I could not do it any better than what is currently happening in our country. The idea of traditional families has basically been destroyed. The healthy value found in employment is eroding. Crimes that used to have penalties now no longer do. Drug use is legal and/or permitted—creating a generation that works less and stays high more. The tragedy of homelessness is becoming epidemic totally changing life in our cities with few workable solutions apparent. Hate, accusations and blame have become the common cultural language–puncuated by vulgarity and profainity, which frequently drowns out any remaining calls for mutually respectful dialogue. Our nation’s leaders are ineffective—unable or unwilling to promote harmony. Our personhood is now being attacked–potentially robbing our kids of their innocence and childhood by gender confusion. Beyond that our culture seems determined to sexualize our kids. Here is a real excerpt from a book designed for kids entitled “Let’s Talk About It” that actually is placed in some school districts in our nation:

“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying some porn, it’s a fun sugary treat.” When consumed right, porn can help you discover new aspects of your sexuality. A great place to research fantasies and kinks safely is on the internet. There’s tons of people and communities out there who share your interests and have all kinds of advice.” Then there is this advice about sending naked pics to friends: “So before you start sending your naughty masterpieces around the world, take some time to get friendly with photo editing, software and apps.”  

I would do all that plus I would make sure to create hostility everywhere—to reduce every conversation to partisan arguing; to politicize everything producing a climate in which everyone is always suspicious, angry and ready to fight.

Obviously, God has to be removed from the national, cultural conversation and churches must be discredited and made irrelevant. Whatever word they do manage to speak would be reframed and labeled as oppressive, hate-speech and attached to some unpopular political agenda that can be easily dismissed. Or even better–politicize the churches and divide them along party lines.

Then I would hand everyone devices that either fuel the anger or dull whatever lingering alarm exists through constant distraction. I would reshape entertainment. No longer would anything “wholesome” be produced. Instead, it would be much darker, dystopic, vulgar, bleak, hopeless and politically charged. I would attack mental health and create the need for addiction as well—get folks hooked on chemicals, porn, gambling, sex, binge-watching—whatever works to make them dependent and prevent clear thinking and productive habits.

I would make pleasure the highest goal and then distort what that means. I would convince people that I have their best interest in mind. Cultural apathy would be the end-game.

And when any voices ever rise up to challenge—I would use every method to silence them; to prevent them from being heard I would bully; blame; accuse; shout; threaten, turn it all political, etc. I would forgive nothing. Instead, I would just keep reminding, rehashing and reliving whatever problems exist—historical or current. I would keep it all raw, fresh and painful constantly on every screen. I would choose violence if necessary and then justify it. I would create a compelling cultural narrative to support my efforts, use all resources to promote it and then dare anyone to differ.

I would distort truth; sow confusion and raise a harvest of disorder and chaos. Then I would normalize it all.

And when good becomes known as evil; when evil is redefined as good, then I will have succeeded.

It is about destruction after all—not construction. “The thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy” (John 10:10) and he ( “the accuser”– Revelation 12:10; “the father of all lies”–John 8:44) is very good at his job

Babylon and the Harlot–Revelation 17-18

John’s apocalypse continues to unfold and reveal more about the evil nature of Rome and why God’s judgment would fall upon her. In this section Rome is portrayed as a great harlot and once again compared to the infamous immoral and corruptive Old Testament empire, Babylon.  Through these portrayals John shares how Rome influenced and seduced other nations using that power to harm and oppress followers of the Lamb—and how, this brought upon her God’s wrath and her own fall. “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!” he records (18:2).  Once more John, through his symbolic rendering is retelling the same story, but only from a different perspective—and it is the story his original audience desperately needed to hear. It is about acknowledgment, assurance and ultimately triumph for the persecuted saints to whom the Harlot was ever an ever-present threat. As we survey what John witnesses in these two chapters, it perhaps presents the most difficult interpretive challenge of the entire letter. As always it remains vital to keep our focus on the original context and purpose of the book.

• The Harlot on the waters. Very little doubt that this is a reference to the Rome itself. It is actually a common biblical analogy (Nineveh-Nahum 3:1,4; Tyre-Isaiah 23:15-17; Ancient Babylon-Isaiah 47:1-5; and even Jerusalem-Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 2:20). It is not a difficult comparison—Rome prostituted itself, guilty of spiritual fornication, while also seducing other nations by intoxicating them with excess and power. Those other nations are represented by the waters she is sitting on—indicative or the vast reach of the Roman empire. But her time is up as is reiterated to John—it is about punishment now.
• The Harlot and the beast and Babylon the Great. Next John is carried away by the angel to the wilderness and is shown the harlot riding on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns and who is covered with blasphemous names. The prostitute is spectacularly dressed—part of her seductive allure—but underneath that façade is nothing but rank immorality and disgusting practices. She is pictured as literally staying drunk all of the time with the blood of those martyred in Christ’s name. First, we must understand that everything in this vivid portrayal is all about Rome using its immense military and economic power along with its false religion to either seduce others to follow or crush those who oppose. They then were the very architype of humanity’s rebellion against God (just as ancient Babylon was in its day and as other nations have been since John’s Revelation). The beast portrayed here is almost certainly the same as the one that emerged from the sea in 13:1. There are some differences, but the similarities overshadow them. Each one has seven heads and ten horns along with the “names of blasphemy” (their ungodly practices?). This beast represents the Roman world empire that supports the Harlot (the empire’s center, Rome) and her evil agenda, which John once more connects to the corruption of ancient Babylon. Even though “Mystery” is in her name, John is peeling the shock value of that away while exposing her as the true abomination that she is.
• Explaining the Mysteries. Next, after reacting to what he sees, John is given an explanation as to the nature of the woman and the beast. This section presents several interpretive challenges and has produced numerous different theories as to exactly what all the symbols mean, but we simply cannot lose the intent of the message to John’s first recipients in trying to pinpoint who or what each symbol represents. Being so far removed from the context makes that difficult, so we must trust that John’s readers knew, understood and processed them as they also got the overarching message of Rome’s judgment and fall. With that stated, we can have some confidence in unpacking some of this vision.
• The beast once was, was not and is again. The most plausible meaning here connects back to the first description of the beast with the deathstroke that was healed in 13:3 represented in Nero, his death and how that weakened the empire, only then to be revived in Domitian, who was considered the reincarnation of Nero (the “Nero redivivus” idea). That the empire recovered was astonishing to the world.
• The heads and horns. The heads have two-fold symbolism. First, they seem to represent the seven hills upon which the city of Rome is built, but they also represent “seven kings” while the beast represents an eighth one. Here is where interpretations can go off into many trails. Perhaps John did intend for each of the seven to embody a specific Caesar—leading all the way to Domitian and beyond. (One thing is for sure—he was not using these symbols to identify future Popes or world leaders—nothing about that would have benefited his original audience). If they were Caesars—trying to chase down exactly which ones, seems a futile exercise now. Another way though to interpret this (for us) is to again see John’s use of seven as representative of perfection and in this case the perfected use of Rome’s power to execute its will against the followers of the Lamb. The same can be applied to the ten kings represented by the ten horns. Again, it is very plausible that John had in mind ten specific kings (or more likely, nations) that were subjugated to, dependent upon and in league with the Roman empire in carrying out its ungodly plans. They would be the nations also represented by the waters upon which the Harlot sat and who were intoxicated by the power and excess of the Harlot—drunk on that wine with her. John’s pictures them as having very limited power (“one hour”) but never-the-less lending their resources to Rome’s attack on the Lamb. Again—trying to pinpoint each nation could easily became another rabbit hole, which would divert attention away from the message of the text. If these were ten kings/kingdoms John’s original recipients would have correctly interpreted that. Us—not so much. Once more, another way to view this is through the use of the number ten, which represent completeness, making these ten kings symbolic of the totality of all of the forces aligned with the beast against the Lamb and his followers. But John assures—they will still be no match for the Lamb, who John reminds is the true Lord of lords and King of kings (an interesting insertion at this stage of the Revelation, but a needed reminder for the suffering saints).
• The self-destruction. After his previous portrayals of God’s judgment and wrath falling upon Rome, now a further nuance is revealed in how that will play out—it will fall under its own weight of excess, immorality and corruption. The empire itself will implode upon Rome with the partner nations betraying the Harlot—all as God set in motion in “their hearts to accomplish” (a mystery to be adequately understood). This is not difficult to see from a historical perspective as Rome’s military and economic power waned, other nations abandoned her and her own empire crumbled. This John messages is a part of the fulfilled judgment of God.
• Babylon is fallen. This section is all about Rome’s fall and views it from different perspectives and repeats for emphasis. Much of the chapter is blending Old Testament language and images in regard to the ancient city of Babylon and applying that to Rome. The first angel simply states that Rome and all the evil embodied within it is quite done—no longer will she be able to intoxicate and enrich. The second angel follows up on that pronouncement by a warning to God’s people to not get caught up in the collateral damage of her fall. It is coming and it will be devastatingly complete—Rome will get what she deserves. Her own evil will consume her as God judges her—so make sure to “not share in her sins.”
• The Aftermath of the fall. As Rome is destroyed it affects her allies—those partner nations accustomed to getting drunk on her excess. Now they mourn her fall. First, the kings, of course, who shared her adultery and the spoils of excess. No longer having these resources and the reflected power of Rome, they grieve the loss of Babylon. As do those who have shared in the economic resources and profiting of the empire—the merchants. They feel it in the pocketbook and mourn. So too do those who used the empire to expand their territories, who sailed the waters of the kingdom. They lament that there never will be another city such as Rome. But for the saints—there is no mourning, only joy because God heard and acted upon their plight.
• The boulder. John next witnesses an angel cast a huge boulder down into the sea—representing the graphic description of the destruction of the imperial city of Rome. This is God’s judgment directly upon the city itself. As depicted, it will affect every aspect of life—their entertainment; their economy; and their homes. Rome will be fully exposed and once done, their spell cast over the world will break. It was because of the brutality shown to God’s people this judgment came, but now Rome would no longer spill any more of that blood.

So, John’s vision of Rome’s judgment and fall—repeated several times through differing symbols—is now complete. The message to his readers is clear. God has heard their cries; he knows who they are and is aware of their circumstances; he is active and engaged on their behalf; he is also aware of the enemy; and he will avenge and judge all who opposed his people—ending the persecution. Babylon the Great has fallen! What a tremendous, heartening, encouraging message to convey to those under the brutal boot of Rome—the followers of the Lamb, shedding their blood for him. Victory is coming and it is assured. Hallelujah indeed!

Seven Plagues, Seven Bowls and Armageddon–Revelation 15-16

More signs appear to John as he continues to faithfully record all he witnesses—and he is witnessing much—seven angels; seven plagues; seven bowls of God’s wrath; and a place called Armageddon. Much has been written and speculated about the events in these two chapters. As always, we must keep them tied to context and while we may not be able to completely define down every symbol, we can be assured that those to whom this message was originally intended, did and could. It was spoken into their setting of Roman oppression and it offered tremendous hope—for what John is witnessing in this section is all about a final and complete judgment upon the beast that was Rome. In repeating God’s judgment process towards Rome, John continues to deliver the reassuring word to his audience—God knows those who are his; He will take care of them; And he will also take care of their enemies. Be patient and be faithful because a reckoning is coming. The visions of chapters 15-16 reinforce that message clearly.

• Seven plagues. John again sees seven angels doing God’s bidding this time possessing seven plagues. These seven plagues represent a different aspect of God’s judgment upon Rome and will be unleashed in the form of seven bowls of God’s wrath. They will also mirror to some extent both the plagues of Egypt and the consequences of the earlier seven trumpets (chapters 8-12—more on this later).
• Sea of glass mixed with fire. John again references this throne image (4:6), but this time its tranquility is now mingled with fire. Two ideas about this: Perhaps it could represent the shed blood of the nearby martyrs who already had overcome the Roman persecution or maybe it represented the fire of God’s judgment as he was now acting on the “how long” question of these martyrs (6:10).
• The Song of Moses and the Lamb. Before the actual execution of the plagues/bowls of wrath John is witnessing an interlude, which includes those martyred singing a praise to God (perhaps the “new song” from 14:3), which was reminiscent of the song sung by Moses and Israel after crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 15). Like then it is a song of deliverance and recognition—a combination of praise from the Psalms, Moses and the prophets—of who God is and how all nations (including Rome like Egypt before) will submit to him.
• Tent of the tabernacle. Again, John’s attention is drawn here (11:9) representing where God dwells. Out of it emerge the angels in priestly garbs indicating that their mission emanates directly from God and they serve as his servant messengers. As they are given the bowls filled with God’s wrath/the seven plagues God’s power and presence is everywhere evident. It is about to be on—God’s full and complete (represented again in all of the latest sets of sevens) reckoning on Rome.
• The seven bowls. One important point to note is—while God’s judgement has been previously conveyed by John through different symbolism, the judgment depicted here is more thorough in design. Recall before in the trumpet judgements, they were portrayed as only affecting a segment of the people (one-third) and stood more as calls to repentance. Here the bowl judgments seem to represent the time when all hope of any repentance is passed and God’s full and final wrath is poured out upon Rome. Also, as previously mentioned, there are similarities to both those trumpet judgments and especially the Egyptian plagues in that every aspect of Roman life will be touched—the spiritual, political, physical and the moral.
• First bowl. Immediately God’s wrath is felt personally upon all who have the beast’s mark. No mistake that the first plague (unlike those of Egypt—6^th plague or the trumpets—5th) fell directly upon people. They had sown corruption in the flesh and now flesh was being corrupted. Of course, this is not to be taken literally, but very much is a statement about how the corruption that was Rome would eventually consume her.
• Second bowl. The sea does not escape—turns into blood (parallels Exodus 7:20-24 and the second trumpet—8:8-9). Whatever touches/depends upon the sea is destroyed.
• Third bowl. All water/the fresh water is also touched and became blood. This carries the idea that those who had the beast’s mark; those who had shed the blood of God’s people now could not escape it. This represented God’s “true and just” judgments.
• Fourth bowl. With no more water to drink, the scorching intensity of the sun next was poured out upon them—carrying with it the familiar image of fiery judgment. Significantly here—these judgments do not result in repentance—only doubling-down of resistance (again reflective of Egypt).
• Fifth bowl. So, the next bowl is directed to the very center of power—the throne of the beast (God’s power is far greater even than the beast’s), which resulted in total darkness across the kingdom, but even so, while still being afflicted by the very first plague of sores and in agony—no repentance happens.
• Sixth bowl. It is poured out upon the Euphrates River, which dries up, opening up a path for “the kings of the East.” Could be an illusion to the capture of Babylon by the Mede king Darius (Daniel 5:24-30) after he diverted the waters of the Euphrates and then invaded through it. Does this indicate perhaps that Rome will also eventually likewise fall to invading enemies from the east as a part of God’s judgment. Or is it’s symbolic of sunrising Christ and his army invading and conquering at Armageddon?
• Three frogs. Or evil spirits accompany the sixth bowl. They emerged from (vomited by is the best rendering) the dragon (Satan), the beast (Rome) and the false prophet (perhaps here, the emperor). Perhaps the best way to understand this vision is to see the frogs as manifestations of all of the combined demonic power, deception, propaganda and lies that Rome had mustered up in opposition to God and his people. They gather all of their combined forces together, call upon all of their allies in preparation to once more attempt to defeat God and his kingdom—to which Christ responds that he will come when and in ways they do not expect to answer their challenge—so to his followers he urges constant alertness and readiness.
• Armageddon. Here it is—the final battle between the evil forces of Rome and the righteous forces of God and at long last God’s people will be completely and fully avenged and vindicated. It will happen at a place called Armageddon (Har meaning mountain and magedo meaning the name Megiddo). This is a reference to the ancient site of Megiddo where many Hebrew battles were fought (Judges 4-5; 7:1; 1 Samuel 31:1-6; 2 Kings 9:27; 23:29, etc.) Much speculation then has been made as to its meaning including a futurist rendering that sees a final climatic battle yet to take place there between the various (and changing) forces of good and evil embodied by Gog. While John does borrow images from Ezekiel’s portrayal of God’s battle with an enemy then identified as Gog (38-39), nowhere in this text is the idea of a battle occurring beyond the immediate context of this letter—and the battle here in the text is certainly symbolic. The use of Megiddo was a fitting symbol for John to represent “the worldwide distress of righteousness and evil engaged in deadly combat.” Armageddon then is only symbolic of the final battle portrayed by John that ultimately results in the complete fall and ultimate end of the Roman oppression for Christians. Any other way of considering this—especially that of an actual physical battle would be wildly inconsistent with not just their immediate circumstances but also of the way of the slain Lamb. His army simply did not respond that way.
• Seventh bowl. “It is done.” No better way to phrase it. The last plague drops and its destruction is so complete and it demolishes what is left of Babylon into three parts—even touching the outlying areas (islands) of the empire—bringing more misery and death upon the unrepentant followers of the beast in the form of hail. Perhaps only the final judgment of all of mankind will surpass this judgment in intensity. All together the plagues/bowls/Armageddon represented the same thing—God bringing an end to the suffering of his people by destroying Satan’s alliance with the Rome.

Listening to Leviticus

The Old Testament book of Leviticus can initially come off as a stale book of codes and regulations for a people and a time long removed from us. Because of its details and some repetition it can be a tedious book to read. But there is far more to the third book of the Bible than this!

Leviticus is an important part of The Story! It is set right after the Exodus and its purpose is to instruct Israel on how to be holy. Consider the events leading up to Leviticus. God had dramatically delivered his people from bondage. He had established a covenant with them—He as their God and they as his people. It was a watershed moment for the Hebrew people! Yet, they immediately violated that covenant. From the start it did not go well. There was a disconnect that had to be corrected. God is holy—so must his people be—set apart and uniquely his in heart, in worship and in behavior. So Leviticus offers God’s instructions on holiness in order to lift up Israel as his holy nation.

Outside of the Tent

The Leviticus narrative begins with God calling Moses “from” the “tent of meeting” (Leviticus 1:1). This “tent of meeting” was the pre-tabernacle place where God dwelt among his people. It was pitched outside the community to symbolize how God could not dwell among them due to Israel’s rebellion and breaking of the covenant (Exodus 33:7,9). At this point Moses was not even allowed in the tent—also signifying the unclean nature of Israel. They were all outside the tent in need of instruction and guidance on how to be a people who could approach the holiness of God. The book of Leviticus provides just this guidance.

How to be Holy

Leviticus offers three avenues of instruction to Israel on how to become God’s own people—holy and set apart for his purposes.

• The first centers on certain rituals—sacrifices and celebrations designed both to honor God and remind his people of his grace and salvation. The first six chapters of the book detail several types of sacrifices, which both thank God for his blessings while also acknowledging sin and guilt before him. Later in chapter 16 the “Day of Atonement” is detailed—for the purpose of sin offering, but also again to remind Israel of God’s faithfulness and holiness. Then in chapter 23 God establishes several special days and celebrations to be kept and honored within Israel—all for the purpose of reminding them of his mercy and grace along with their place before him and within The Story. All of these events would continually place God at the center of daily life within the Hebrew community. These rituals were designed to lead his people to a higher appreciation and understanding of God’s place among them and their responsibilities to him. This was God giving them his calendar—how to order their life around him. There remains a great need for this now and listening to Leviticus demonstrates that.
• The second is about those especially chosen to administer God’s gifts among his people—those called to be priests. In two sections (8-10 & 21-22) Leviticus highlights the purpose, place and character of those who would serve as intercessors between God and man. The overriding factor within this information is God’s call for his priests to maintain the highest moral character possible—demonstrated not just by the detailed instructions, but also by the failure of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu. The dramatic end to their story served to illustrate how God would not tolerate his special servants compromising their call. This sent an unequivocal message to Israel that God’s call to be holy was not to be taken lightly by anyone, especially priests. His priests were to be the conduits through which his people could learn, grow and approach him. All of the rules associated with them may seem to us like overkill, but in order for Israel to reflect the holiness of God and truly be his people, the priests were a key component to making this happen. God only wanted the best from them—to honor their call among his people. Not by accident he asks the same of us—his priests—today (see 1 Peter 2:9).
• The third avenue to holiness in Leviticus is the general call for all Israel to be pure. Within this is a call to be ceremonially clean, that is, free from elements that would contaminate and therefore create separation from God (such as contact with bodily fluids, skin disease, mold and mildew, skeletal bones, and eating certain foods—see 11-15). All of these prohibitions were not given arbitrarily. They protected Israel against disease and health concerns along with keeping them ceremonially clean before God. Any Hebrew contaminated could not come into the presence of God, so provisions were made for cleansing. It was another way for God to remind Israel of who he was and who they were called to be—not to mention his way of protecting them from devastating disease. Also within this overall call of purity was the challenge to be morally and sexually clean (see 18-20). No way Israel could be who God called them to be through immoral conduct. So detailed instructions were offered to guide them. Once again these instructions not only protect them spiritually but physically as well. It would still do us well to continue to listen to Leviticus in this regard.

Other instructions are given with the book—concerning taking care of the poor; social justice; and honoring God in all relationships—that would be key to Israel representing the holiness of their God within their community of nations. It all connected back to the holy nature of God and how he desired his people to honor, be led by, and embrace this holiness in their daily lives. It was to be their identity as they lived and settled among the nations. It would be the way they would bless the other nations and direct them to their God—the one true God. The reason for Leviticus was to make this clear and show them the way to accomplish it.

It Worked!

The book that follows Leviticus in the Bible is Numbers. In Numbers 1:1 this is what we read: “The Lord spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting…” From outside of the tent to inside of it! Moses made the transition (as did all Israel). How did that happen? By listening to Leviticus.

A Marriage Theology

In his first correspondence with the “church of God” at Corinth, the apostle Paul dives waist deep into the Corinthians marriage troubles. These were not typical marriage troubles—more like extreme marriage troubles, as in an extreme misunderstanding of what constituted holiness within a marriage.

Two overriding circumstances drive Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 7—both are vital to understanding this text:

• Apparently the Corinthians somehow had come to a conclusion that all sexual activity was immoral—even within marriage—that abstaining from sex even when married was the best choice to avoid defiling God’s temple, the body. This is what Paul first responds to (7:1—not to “touch” means not to engage in sex with), which provides the framework for the rest of the chapter.
• “The present crisis.” It is crucial to realize that Paul’s answer to their marriage questions were framed by some type of urgent crisis—specific to that situation. The crisis is not identified for us. Some have speculated it could have been famine, persecution or some other challenging circumstance. Whatever it was, Paul makes clear it would be easier faced alone if at all possible. Perhaps if this crisis had not existed at that moment, his answers might have been different. There is no way for us to know, but this does have significance to unpacking this section of Scripture.

Moving into the text, it is vital to know how these two points inform and frame every bit of marriage theology Paul shares.

Enjoy the Marriage Bed (1-9)

Immediately Paul counters the idea that sex even within marriage is unholy. The extreme idea of the Corinthians that sex was somehow too dirty even for husband and wife was incorrect. Rather—couples have a responsibility to one another in this regard. They belong to each other in this way, so enjoy—do not withhold sex from one another. What they were promoting was not holiness—it was dangerous. Satan could seize it and create real trouble.

Understanding the nature of the flesh and of Satan, this was Paul’s best advice. He did not command it so, but conceded it. In his opinion the best practice was celibacy, but he knew not everyone shared that gift with him. (At this writing Paul was single, but he might not always have been so—Acts 6:10; Philippians 3:4-6.) To those who did not share this gift—the “unmarried and the widows” Paul advised them to marry rather than “burn with passion.” The overall point of this section—enjoying sexual relationships within marriage is a natural part of that relationship. While singleness may be preferable considering the current crisis, marriage is preferable to singleness if temptation and lust are the alternatives.

One note—the word rendered “unmarried” in verse 8 is only used by Paul in Scripture and only used here in this text—four times (verses 11, 32, & 34 also). He uses it to differentiate the unmarried from the widows (who obviously are unmarried). The meaning of the word for Paul would have likely included those who had been divorced. Our versions translate it using our broad term for all unmarried, but contextually Paul seems to use it in a different way, which would have included those divorced.

Christian Couples (10-11)

Out of the idea that abstaining from sex within a marriage might be a godly approach, some Christian couples apparently took it a step further to consider dissolving their marriages altogether. Paul speaks to this next. He references Christ’s teaching (Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12) to reinforce the marriage bond. Absolutely these couples should honor their marriage vows—no reason to consider divorce even under the current distress. Even if separation occurs—work it out or remain single. No drastic changes needed to occur considering the circumstances.

Mixed Marriages (12-16)

The next question Paul considers is the validity of marriages in which a Christian is joined to an unbeliever. Are these marriages sacred? Should a Christian remain in them? Paul answers in the affirmative—if at all possible—except in this situation he has no direct teaching from Christ to reference. Instead he offers his apostolic advice based upon the overall circumstance and what is best for the family. The presence of the Christian within this type of marriage brings a sanctifying aspect to the union—to the unbelieving spouse and to their children, if present. Like the leaven Christ mentioned—the believer could be God’s instrument to bring salvation to the rest of the family. So Paul instructs the believer to stay within that marriage. Of course the unbeliever may see things differently and abandon the marriage. If so, Paul advises the believer to accept that for the sake of peace. In this situation the believer is not bound to the departed unbeliever and would be free then to pursue remarriage.

Stay Where You Are (17-24)

After answering their specific questions Paul offers some general advice to all of the Corinthians. Again, considering the overall context of the crisis, he suggests the best course is for everyone to remain exactly as they were when called by Christ. If married—stay married. If single—remain that way. Don’t try to abandon your ethnicity—nothing to gain in doing so at this point. He even advises slaves to not seek their freedom unless an obvious opportunity arises. From Paul’s perspective this was the least complicated situation from which each person could most effectively serve God. He stated this was his rule for all the churches, but he also knew not everyone would be able to keep it. Already in the text he has make exceptions and he will continue to do so.

Never Married? (25-35)

Now Paul addresses the “virgins” or those never married. Once more he has no direct word from Jesus to consider, so he offers his own judgment based upon the “present crisis” and encourages those never married to stay that way if at all possible. He realizes not all can accept this and once more allows for marriage (while again instructing those married to remain so), but foresees potential trouble for such marriages. This could mean the coming of persecution; the effects of a famine—whatever the crisis was—Paul thought it to be impending and being single with no dependents would be the best way to face it. Being single under these circumstances would also be the best possible way to serve God with “undivided devotion”.

To Those Engaged (36-38)

Some in the Corinthian church were engaged. What about them? Paul leaves that decision up to those in that relationship. If for reasons of conscience, age, or self-control, the decision to marry is made, so be it—marry. But if the decision is made to not marry, that too, is permissible. Couples should feel no compulsion—in such stressful times—to honor their engagement. Both are good, but being consistent, Paul concludes being single is the better option.

Christian Widows (39-40)

He concludes his marriage Q&A in the same manner. Christian widows would be best served to remain single—she would be “happier” is his judgment. He acknowledges their freedom to remarry, instructs them if they do so to only marry another Christian, but fortifies his instruction to remain single by speaking as one who has “the Spirit of God.” This was Paul’s way of putting the divine, authoritative apostolic seal on his teaching in this text. In his ministry Christ did not address all of these specific situations, but Paul, inspired by the Spirit of God has the authority to do so—creating a marriage theology consistent with and flowing from that of Christ.

Now?

As we go about applying these teachings to our own current situations, it is imperative that we understand their context of impending crisis. The takeaways for us remain: It is less complicated to serve God as a single person. Not all have the gift of celibacy. Marriage is holy and honorable including the sexual component—commit to make it work in every way. However if abandoned or widowed—the marriage bond is broken. Remarriage is possible, but don’t rush and if desired–find a good Christian mate. The overall goal is to make sure God is served first whether married or single.