1. A new faction in the Corinthian church defines higher spirituality with sexual abstinence to be practiced by all. vv. 1-7
However, Paul answers: A. Abstinence never takes seriously the almost implacable power of human sexuality and therefore contributes to temptation and eventually sexual sin. B. Abstinence eventually sees marriage as sinful and therefore ignores the laws of marital mutuality and marital blessing C. Abstinence ignores the reality that some do indeed have a gift for singleness, but most actually have giftedness for marriage.
2. The Abstinence party is ignoring that their values aren't producing purity, but are actually producing sexual immorality among the unmarried.vv.8, 9
3. The Abstinence party is encouraging married believers to separate and divorce and these separations are contrary to the teachings of Jesus himself. vv. 10, 11
4. The Abstinence party teaches that if a believer's marriage is unprofitable spiritually, then a mixed marriage (a Christian + a pagan) is doubly so a cause of spiritual degradation and the children are unholy. Paul counters that Christianity is not fundamentally incompatible with a mixed marriage and the unbeliever and the children are in a limited sense sanctified by the union with the believer. vv. 12-14
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Tom Sorensen is one of the elders at Littleton Bible Chapel. He has a background in retail management in the home furnishings industry for 24 years. In the late 1990's he moved out of retail management and into semi-retirement and does product sourcing work in Asia. He has a...
