STRENGTHENING FAMILY AND FELLOWSHIP (1 CORINTHIANS 7:1–10:33)

Important issues + Differing opinions = Controversy.

That formula sums up the content of 1 Corinthians 7–10. I’ve named this section “Strengthening Family and Fellowship,” but don’t let that positive title fool you. The subjects Paul addresses in these four chapters touch a lot of sensitive nerves for many people —actually, these topics are downright controversial. They are controversial because they deal with intimate areas of people’s lives and with public aspects of church life:

A major transition in Paul’s letter occurs at 1 Corinthians 7 as he moves away from urgent matters of conflicts and immorality in the church that had been brought to his attention by others (1:11; 5:1). Paul now turns to address important matters raised by the Corinthians themselves (7:1). He begins with issues that touch every believer of every generation: marriage, singleness, and divorce (7:1-40).

Then he moves on to questions regarding meat sacrificed to idols and Christian freedom as it relates to the faith of brothers and sisters in Christ who have a weaker conscience (8:1-13). Pointing to his own life of ministry as an example, Paul urges the Corinthians to surrender their personal rights for the sake of the gospel (9:1-27). Such attitudes and actions would go a long way in promoting peace and harmony in a church plagued with conflict and division.

Paul concludes this section by reminding the Corinthians of the incompatibility of worshiping the true God through Jesus while also worshiping idols (10:1-33). True worship involves authentic fellowship with Christ and others at the table of the Lord. Idolatry involves fellowship with demons!

KEY TERMS IN 1 CORINTHIANS 7:1–10:33

gameō (γαμέω) [1060] “to marry,” “wed”

This word is used nine times in 1 Corinthians 7 alone, and an alternative form, gamizō (which is listed in Strong’s as ekgamizō [1547]), is used twice in 7:38. Paul’s discussion of principles governing marriage is the clearest and most detailed in the New Testament. Though attitudes toward the institution of marriage have changed over the centuries, the basic structure has remained intact —a man and a woman covenanting together for life with a view toward establishing a nurturing family. Yet for Paul, marriage is also more than a necessary social institution; Christian marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church (Eph. 5:25-32), a theological fact that helps explain the seriousness with which Paul treats the institution in 1 Corinthians 7.

gnōsis (γνῶσις) [1108] “knowledge,” “understanding”

Related to the verb ginōskō [1097], the kind of knowledge described by gnōsis is acquired knowledge, something achieved through experience or relationship. This kind of knowledge is not always apparent on the surface of things. The New Testament uses the term frequently for the kind of knowledge that comes from divine revelation (Eph. 1:17). Paul uses the term in 1 Corinthians to refer to knowledge as a God-given window into reality through which informed, mature believers can view life (1 Cor. 8:7). If such knowledge is not controlled by love, however, it can harm rather than heal (8:1).