Welcome back to Series 2 as we continue discussing Paul's teaching on relationships. In this series, Paul is looking at the question of marriage, singleness, divorce, and remarriage - complicated and difficult issues in all different cultures in the world. This is one of the most important parts of the New Testament to help us understand how to deal with these issues. 

Recap and Background 

Sometimes Paul said, as in the last episode, “The Lord, not I.” In other words, he was reiterating things that Jesus had taught about marriage, divorce, and remarriage, and sometimes Paul said, “I, not the Lord.” for example, when he was dealing with the question of marriage between a believer and an unbeliever and whether divorce was possible. Jesus had not taught on that subject because the Church had not yet started, but that was a very real question that the Corinthians were dealing with. Paul made a judgment and gave a command to the Church.  

  At the beginning of the last episode, we noticed that Paul said, ‘Now for the matters you wrote about’. He was literally answering specific questions that the Corinthian church had around relationships, because the relationship structure in the church, and the relationship pattern was very confused, and they were not following a Christian way in many respects. In the last two episodes at the end of Series 1, and in the last episode at the beginning of Series 2, we see Paul trying to explain to the Christians in Corinth how they should view their human relationships, their intimate relationships, and their family relationships. He affirmed that the physical body is positive; sexuality is positive; sexual relationships between men and women in marriage is wholly positive and blessed by God. He also pointed out that any sexual relationship outside marriage, notably prostitution which he dealt with, is evil, sinful, wrong, and destructive. Sex within marriage is always a positive and good thing that builds up the relationship. He pointed out that singleness is also positive, and this is something he was going to talk about much more in the next episode. 

He already had indicated in the last episode that he, as a single person, preferred singleness and he said to many of the people in the Corinthian church, if you are single, it is a positive situation to be in. This is very much against the cultures of many nations in the world where people view singleness as a negative thing, a failure, or even a matter of shame. Paul did not view it like this at all and we will investigate that issue more thoroughly in the next episode.  

He spoke about those who had been bereaved and lost their marriage partners, their husbands or their wives. Should they get married? Should they remain single? He said it was good to remain single, but you could remarry. He spoke about those in the church who were divorcing for reasons other than sexual unfaithfulness of their partner, and he recognised that sometimes this happened. It was not ideal, but it probably was happening in the Corinthian church. He gave thevery clear command to not go on to another relationship, another marriage, but to stay single. God is calling you to the single state at the moment, and if you can get reconciled to your marriage partner and rebuild that marriage, then that is a very positive thing to do. 

Then finally, in the last episode, we saw Paul talking about the difficult question of Christians being married to non-Christians. It is very relevant to the advice that he gives at this point in the text that we are going to read in this episode. In many cultures today, as in those days, if a person, a husband or a wife, in a marriage decided to become a Christian, it became a cause of tension with arguments, and causing great difficulty in the marriage because the other partner rejected that faith and did not at all like what had happened to their marriage partner; they felt that they had been taken over by another faith and another belief system. That happens today and it happened in Corinth. Some of the members of the Corinthian church had believed Paul's message, believed the preaching of the gospel and joined the church but their marriage partner had refused to follow them. This would particularly be the case with women, where the husband would say, “This is not my faith. I worship at the shrine of Aphrodite, or I worship at the shrine of Apollo - the Greek gods who were worshipped in the city of Corinth - I don't want to be involved in this Christianity.” Tension would come, and Paul gave very specific advice in 1 Corinthians 7:12 - 16, which we looked at in the last episode, where he told them specifically, if you are a Christian in this situation, don't try and get out of the relationship even though it is difficult because you have made the commitment to the marriage and it is part of your mission to pray for and witness to your existing family. The Holy Spirit in you will influence your partner, your children, and that wider family, and God wants you to stay there for that reason. But he also said, if your non-Christian partner, your pagan partner in this case, says, “I'm going to divorce you,” you don't have to resist that. Let them divorce you. You will be free from that marriage. You can then be single, or you can marry again to a believer. These themes are very closely linked to the very next thing that Paul says, which is one of the most important principles of Christian discipleship in the whole New Testament which he says three times in this short passage.  

An Important Principle of Christian Discipleship 

” Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you - although if you can gain your freedom do so, for the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord's freed person. Similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ's slave. You are bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. Brothers and sisters, each person as responsible to God should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.” 

1 Corinthians 7:17 – 24 NIV 

 Paul states three times, in verses 17, 20 and 24. ‘Each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them’. This is a key thing. I want to apply this in a number of different ways. Firstly, let us apply this principle to what Paul has just said about relationships; we will apply it to the two situations Paul describes in this section - circumcision and slavery; and then we will see a number of different ways that this principle applies today.  Paul said that when you become a Christian, you should treat the situation you find yourself in as God's will for you and the place where you can be fruitful as a disciple of Christ. Do not try to escape the circumstances that you are in 

Applying the Principle to Relationships 

Paul commends singleness. If you are single, it is good to be single. Singleness is blessed by God. Singleness gives opportunity for serving the Kingdom with more time and energy available. Stay single for the time being. If you are married and you perhaps have a family, then Paul is discouraging you from escaping that family by divorce or separation. Stay in the family; it may be difficult, but God has called you there. Don't try and escape because it is difficult. God can make you fruitful in that situation.  

What about the person who is a Christian, married to another Christian, and they divorce each other because they were not getting on that well? Paul says, “Stay as you are. Something has broken down, but don't try and find a solution in the future by going on to another partner. Stay as you are.” God is calling you in that situation. Maybe it can be reconciled, maybe not. Stay there. What about the person who is married to a non-Christian? Many Christians in this situation, particularly women, feel a great desire to escape the relationship because of the tension. Paul says, ‘Stay. You never know what effect you are going to have. God has called you there even in a difficult situation.’ In the modern world, people are often looking for escape from difficult relationships, but the biblical form of discipleship is not to seek to escape things that are challenging, but to find God's help and his miraculous intervention in those difficulties. 

I have a friend who is a pastor and was once approached by a member of his church who said, ‘Pastor, I love the Lord. I serve the church. I love his Word. But my husband doesn't love me. He is not a believer. He is very hostile to me. It is a very cold marriage and I want to divorce him. What do you recommend?’ My friend replied, “I could easily tell you yes, divorce him and he may be happy to divorce you. I could easily say divorce him. You would be happier if you are divorced. But I can't say that. Because the scriptures say something different.’ He referred to this passage and the passage in the last episode, and he said to her ‘Sister, it is hard, but I advise you stay in that relationship and pray for God to work.’ It was a very difficult conversation because it was such a difficult thing to say to somebody. A few years later as an old man, her husband came to Christ and she came back to the pastor to say, ‘Thank you, pastor, for not giving me the easy option, but for giving me the biblical option.’ Paul's teachings are tough, and the teaching here is challenging. ‘Stay in the situation that God has assigned you.’ That applies to marriage, divorce, singleness and remarriage situations that had been described in the last episode.  

Applying the Principle to Circumcision 

Paul also applies the same principle to a couple of other issues, which are quite interesting to think about. Firstly, he talks about circumcision. Circumcision at this particular time of history was only practised by the Jewish people. Now, in many traditional cultures in the world, notably in Africa, circumcision is part of traditional ethnic and tribal culture for other reasons. But I want you to imagine yourselves in the ancient situation 2000 years ago, where only the Jewish people were circumcised. If a Jewish man became a Christian, should he try and renounce his circumcision? Paul said, ‘No, it doesn't matter whether you are circumcised or not circumcised - maintain your Jewish identity.’ Likewise, for the non-Jewish converts into the church, we call them Gentiles, the ones who were in the majority of Paul's churches, whenever he preached, especially in Corinth, should they be circumcised to become like the Jews, because the Jews were the people of God in the Old Testament? Paul says, ‘No. Stay in the situation you are in. You are a Gentile. Your ethnic background is Greek or Roman. Stay as you are. Don't try and change anything. The thing that has changed is that you have become born again and joined the Kingdom of God and the Church.’ 

Applying the Principle to Slavery 

This is a very important example because historians have calculated that in Corinth at this time probably thirty per cent of the people living in Corinth were slaves. Some of the members of the church were slaves. What do we mean by slaves? We don't mean slaves in the sense of one ethnic group enslaved by another, because slavery didn't work like that in the ancient world. Slavery was the status where you were owned by somebody else. Most of those people were given domestic work; they worked in big households of rich people; they were cooks; they washed; they looked after children; they were educators; or they were cleaners. They did all the work that was needed to do for a rich family. They lived in a big household, or maybe in a nearby building and were not permitted to do anything other than what their master or their mistress, their owners, told them to do. They were slaves. They weren't in chains, but very often they had had hot irons used to brand them somewhere on their bodies, so they had the mark of their owner. If they escaped and went anywhere, they could be brought back, punishedand usually killed. It was a tough life for many people. 

If you were a slave when you believed, Paul said, you don't need to escape from slavery. Even though it is difficult, it is God's will for you at this time to serve in the household you are in. Not because slavery is good. It is not. It is not part of God's original creation, but because human life is complex and some Christians enter into salvation in difficult personal circumstances, and the most difficult in the ancient world, was being enslaved. They might remain a slave for the rest of their lives. If so, accept that situation and use it to witness to Christ and live out a Christian life in the household and in the context that you are in. Notice here, he says, ‘but if you can get your freedom, good, but it is not your goal in life. Your goal in life is to serve where you are.’ How could a slave get freedom? It was very difficult to become free from slavery. Most people could only escape from slavery by paying for it financially, and in order to do that, they would have to save up the money that their masters gave them for their work - small amounts of money usually - for many years before they had enough money to do it. Occasionally a rich person might buy them out of that slavery and set them free. It was unusual, but it could happen. Paul says, if it happens, if God opens up the door to become free, great. But it is unlikely to happen. 

Applying the Principle to Other Areas of Life 

God calls us to be fruitful for him, in whatever situation we are in when we become Christians, and in the life and opportunities that unfold before us after then. Sometimes through the work of the Holy Spirit, God will call us to go to a different job, or to a different town or city or village to live. Paul understood that that was a normal thing that happened. Here he is speaking about the complex and sometimes difficult circumstances that we are in as believers. His basic principle was, don't resist those difficult circumstances, because God can give you power, authority and resources to deal with those difficulties where you are - whether it is in the family, in marriage, or to do with your ethnic identity and status in society, or about your economic status. God is with you whatever your circumstance. This is a remarkable teaching and very challenging. 

Reflections 

Many people who become Christians in today's world become Christians in difficult circumstances culturally, to do with their background, religion, or their society. To become a Christian in the Islamic world can be very challenging. To become a Christian in the Hindu nation of India can be very challenging in certain parts of the country. To become a Christian in some Buddhist countries can be very challenging. To become a Christian in secular and atheist countries can be very challenging. To become a Christian in Communist China can be very challenging indeed. Paul basically says that these challenging circumstances are likely to happen to many Christians. They were happening to many Christians in Corinth. Don't try and run away from the difficulties that you face. Seek God's resourcing for you. He can do incredible miracles in your life. Sometimes, he blesses you with better circumstances - better family circumstances, better economic circumstances, better social circumstances. This can happen. God is a God of blessing. Receive those blessings if they come. Paul said, escape from slavery if you can, but not many of them would be able to do that because it was so expensive and difficult. We can be effective Christians wherever we are. 

Many years ago, I lived and worked in South Africa during the time of apartheid, where society was divided racially. One of the people who had a big impact on me was a black African man from the township of Soweto, near Johannesburg, who lived in extreme poverty in a tiny little house in the township of Soweto. He was a servant of a very influential and rich white man who lived and worked in the city of Johannesburg and was well known and used to drive a big Mercedes car. My black friend was a strong believer and the white man, who was also my friend, was an unbeliever. When I spoke to the white man, the rich man, privately, he said, “The servant in my household from Soweto is the most influential person in my life because he brought me to Christ, even though I am a hundred times richer than him.” I spoke to the black friend, and he smiled at me and said, “However poor I am, I'm rich in Christ. Wherever I am, I serve him, and I can be fruitful for the Kingdom.” He accepted the situation the Lord had assigned to him, even though there was great difficulty and poverty in that situation. He was fruitful for God. 

You and I can be fruitful for God in whatever situation we are in. But sometimes we don't believe that; we spend all our time thinking about changing our circumstances, that if only our circumstances could change, we would find happiness and fulfillment. Paul said the opposite - embrace your circumstances. They might be very difficult. You might be single and very lonely. You might be married and very unhappy. You might be a slave and have an oppressive master. You might be in extreme poverty but trust God that he is there with you, whatever your circumstances in life are. Look for ways to be fruitful in serving him in those circumstances. This wasn't just a casual bit of advice from Paul. He says in verse 17, “This is the rule I lay down in all the churches”, and it would be good in the modern world if our churches had this basic principle built into the culture of the church; we would be more fruitful. We would spend less time trying to imagine a different life and more time changing the life we have and changing the people around us through the work of the Holy Spirit working through us. So, have faith and trust God whatever your personal circumstances; don't look over your shoulder and be jealous of the people who have an easier life. Embrace what you have; bring Christ into your circumstances and see what he can do to change them