What did Jesus believe and teach about Marriage

Hello, and welcome to the Westside churches special Monday Morning Coffee podcast on this podcast, our preacher Mark Roberts will help you get your week started right. With look back at yesterday's sermon so that we can think through it further and better work the applications into our daily lives. Mark will then look forward into this week's Bible reading so that we can know what to expect and watch for. And, he may have some extra bonus thoughts from time to time. So grab a cup of coffee as we start the week together on Monday Morning Coffee with Mark.

Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to the Monday morning coffee podcast for Monday, March the 28th. You need to buckle up for the Monday morning coffee podcast today because I have a ton of stuff for you. Mostly relating to our daily Bible. Reading. Not very much about the sermon. I'll explain why in just a moment. All of that and some coffee too. That's the best way to get the week started best way to get Monday going. Let's get started. Let's talk for a minute about that sermon yesterday, I preached a lesson about what Jesus taught and believed concerning marriage that comes out of our daily Bible reading because in first Corinthians seven and verse 10 there, Paul says to the married, I give this charge not I, but the Lord. And so it was appropriate then to go see, what does Jesus have to say? What is the charge that Jesus is giving? And I think that is found primarily in Matthew 19. And I think that's the best place to go to get that information that Paul is talking about, where Jesus says in verse four, have you not read? He who created them from the beginning, made them male and female and said, therefore, a mans shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife. And the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together to let not man separate. So from that text, I just developed some key ideas about what it means for us to listen to Jesus, be made a little uncomfortable by what Jesus has to say, because Jesus is always making people uncomfortable with the implications and challenges of his teaching. And so really three ideas. The Bible has the answers. Verse four, have you not read, need to get in the Bible because then God created marriage and blesses it that's verse four, five and six. God is part of this relationship and God will bless that. And it will give us that amazing one flesh relationship when we fully and completely give ourselves to our spouse versus eight and nine. And I know that there's a ton of discussion out of verse nine. And as I was preparing the lesson, I went and did a bunch of research and I looked and there's people who are parsing the sentence and diagramming the sentence and looking at it and original this and doing this and doing that. And I've got to tell you, I, I really have to wonder how necess some of that is. Did anybody standing there in Matthew 19, say, wait a minute, Jesus, I need to get a piece of Papyrus. I need to break down your sentence and understand the imperative clauses here. Or did they listen and realize what Jesus was saying? I think they listened and they got it, particularly because verse 10, it's clear that disciples were very concerned. If this is the way it is, I'm not sure we need to be getting married. I mean, if marriage is not a disposable commodity, do I really wanna be part of it? And Jesus is saying, it's not a disposable commodity. And what we need to do is instead of adding a bunch of our think SOS and opinions to what Jesus said, we need to listen to Jesus. That's where that, that's what I think I need to do the whole idea. Oh, I have some extra notes. I'm gonna add something to the sermon. Jesus preach just seems foolish. What we need to do is quit. Excusing ourselves. Why this doesn't work anymore. Quit telling ourselves we don't have to do this. Oh, it's not that stop. This is the word of God. And we need to submit to it and we need to obey it. And that's why Paul referenced it in first Corinthians seven hope that helps you to continue to take seriously. Jesus's charge what Jesus believed and taught about marriage. Let's get back then to what Paul was saying in first Corinthians chapter seven, let's get into our daily Bible reading for the week In our daily Bible reading this week, we're going to continue in first Corinthians chapter seven on Wednesday, we'll read all of first Corinthians eight and then we will start first Corinthians chapter nine on Thursday. Let's work a little bit in first Corinthians seven, then we're starting in verse 21. As Paul continues his discussion about marriage in response to the questions that they wrote. One concerning the matters about which you wrote. The dominant idea here is from Friday's reading verse 20. Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. The general statement that Paul is making is that Christians live contentedly in the station of life that they are in. Christianity is not about, uh, making a giant social revolution, all kinds of social upheaval and troubles be who you are, where you are. That's what we're doing. That's what we need to do. And Paul really presses that as he talks about each one remaining in the condition in which he was called verse 20. And then he even says that all of us are both free and slaves. We have been freed in Christ so that we can serve Christ verse 21, 22, 23, 24. So just remain verse 24 in the condition which you were called. I, I wanna say this. Some people have tried to read that passage does a blanket endorsement of wherever I am, whatever married situation I am, whatever gender sexual situation, I I'm just gonna remain like that. That's clearly not what Paul means. Paul, certainly isn't saying remain in a sinful situation. Let's not try to hammer Paul into some kind of form that he would never ever have allowed. He's not talking about remaining in a sinful situation. We need to repent and get out of that. If we're gonna do what's right. He's talking about just be what you are. If that is a right relationship. For example, if you're married, just remain married now, 25 concerning Thero or some translations have virgins. And there's lots of questions about that. The numeric and standard view this as Virgin daughters, whereas the English standard version has this more young betrothed women. But I think both ideas are probably in play here. The idea of someone who's engaged to be married. What about that? But Corinthians are concerned because clearly verse 28, some are teaching that marriage is a, and if you do marry, you have not sin. Paul says in verse 28, somebody's saying getting married is sinful. So maybe someone in carent is saying, okay, if you're already married, you gotta stay that way. But oh, absolutely do not get married. That would be wrong. Paul says that's not wrong. Even if those who marry verse 28 will have worldly troubles. There's a time I'm a persecution coming and getting married may not be wise because of that, but it is not sinful to be married. And Paul goes on to talk about how the world and all the things of this world are not the thing that matters. The most. This present form of this world is passing away. I don't think Paul's talking necessarily to hear about the second coming. When he talks about the timing short, he's probably talking about until the persecution intensifies and Paul was a businessman. He was a tent maker. He certainly understood some of the attachments of this world. I don't think you can make him into some kind of wise philosopher who crosses his legs and hums and has nothing to do with anything in this life. He is certainly saying those kinds of things are just not, what is most important, those who deal with the world. Don't, don't let that pull you down. Verse 31, because I want you verse 32 to be free of anxieties. And that is the first verse in our reading for Tuesday. Let's pick it up there. I'll see you tomorrow. Welcome to Tuesday. We're gonna finish first Corinthians seven today versus 32 to 40. I want you to be free from anxieties. Verse 32 is the key idea because there's a lot going on, particularly with persecution. Is this the time really to be getting married? The married man is anxious about worldly things. Verse 33, pleasing his wife. He's not gonna be able to give himself holy to the cause of the Lord. And to think only of that one scholar said, if you avoid marriage, then this is a summary of Paul's teaching here. If you avoid marriage, you avoid in conferences and you can devote yourself to the Lord's work without incurring problems, difficulties, and anxieties, which married people incur. That doesn't mean that marriage is a lesser state and you can see how some might take Paul's writing here too far and decide that it's more holy or better to not be married. I think you have to keep that in, in the context of the Corinthian situation, the persecution that's arising and in the overall context of the Bible, particularly what the Bible begins with in Genesis chapter two, it's not good for man to be alone. So let's not get to a place where we decide, oh, if I don't get married, somehow that makes me a more spiritual person. But verse 36, Paul is cl year. If there's going to be some kind of sexual imorality because of the passions of the flesh that God created us with, it's better to get married. We need to marry marry verse 36 and not sin. So then he who marries verse 38 does well. And he refrains from marrying will do even better. Paul sums up then verse 39 and a wife is bound to her husband. As long as he lives. If the husband dies, she's free to be married to whom she wishes only in the Lord. That reminds us very much of what Paul will write later in Romans chapter seven, a very similar kind of idea. I have really enjoyed in our reading schedule, watching Paul plant the seeds of doctrines and idea that he will develop further in other EPIs later. And you get a little of that in first Corinthians 7 39, yet in my judgment, she's happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the spirit of God Paul concludes with here. I don't think Paul means when he says, I think that I too have the spirit of God. Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. I think he's just being modest here as he appeals to the Corinthians to ex kept his teaching. And of course I realize that some have decided verse 39, she's free to be married to whom she was just only in the Lord means she can only marry a Christian, but that's not what that phrase means. The phrase there modifies married, not the object of marriage. He did not say marry a person who's in the Lord. He means in the Lord, meaning be mindful of God and his will. And I think the similar kind of phrase is used in Ephesians six, where Paul says in verse one, children obey your parents in the Lord. That certainly doesn't mean only if you have Christian parents with an eye on the reality that this is God's will. So that concludes then first Corinthians seven, that's a lengthy chapter. And I wish sometimes I knew a little bit more about exactly what the Corinthians had asked, were trying to surmise and trying to listen to one side of the phone conversation and figure out what they're saying on the other end of the line. There's some difficulties with all of that, a couple of places that I'm not entirely sure. I think we have to be careful about that because of those difficulties, just how dogmatic I want to be about some of these kinds of things we need to let people study and pray and think and decide in their conscience, how best they can apply this teaching and what they are to do with that. I, I, I think there's a ton of misapplication being made out of first Corine chapter seven. But I do believe that if we'll hold it in the context of the distress and the persecution that's happening and going to happen in Koran, think about some of the circumstances in Corinth. You got Christians. Now they have a mixed marriage. I didn't used to be a Christian. I used to be a pagan. Now I'm a Christian. My Pagan's spouse. Doesn't like that. If we'll, if we can keep our eye on some of those kinds of contextual things, then I think we'll do a better job with first Corinthians chapter seven. First Corinthians eight starts us tomorrow on Wednesday. Paul starts a new section concerning food offered to idols. See you tomorrow. We'll talk about, yeah, we'll talk about eating steak. How about we start a new section in Corinthians today? Well, that's exactly what we're doing. The next question that comes from Corinth is a question about food. First Corinthians chapter eight, verse one. Now concerning food offered idols. We know that all of us possess knowledge, this knowledge puffs up, but love builds up again. The church in cor is having some division and strife issues here because they aren't sure what to do with the most common kind of meat in the new Testament world. That was meat that was offered to an idol that had been on the altar, literally in front of a palace or zoo. That's where most meat came from in Greece and Rome, other places in the empire. And Paul needs to address that question. Am I at Liberty to eat that kind of meat? Can I do something just because it is right. Even if others don't agree with me and what concerns should I have for how my actions affect others and how can I decide if I should do something? What, what factors do I consider here? So Paul deals with the Corinthians questions about this meat. It's been in an I temple, is it contaminated? Spiritually? Did the pagan God have an effect upon it? What are others gonna think? If I eat this, can I go in that temple and eat it? Could I eat it in a pagan person's home? And he says, this isn't just about the facts. It's not just about the data. It's not just about knowledge. We know. He says that idols don't exist. They're not real. So it doesn't make any difference whether it was offered to an idol or not. That that makes no difference to the meat. It's an absolute matter of Liberty just to eat it. It's not a thing. It's no big deal at all because idols aren't real. However, verse seven, not everybody possesses that knowledge. And what he's talking about here of course is a pagan, a former pagan who used to eat this meat in deference to the God in worship to the gods. And now he sees a strong Christian who knows, Hey, idols. That's nothing. I don't have to worry about that. He's eating him some meat. So this new Christian, he goes down to the I temple. There were some banquet halls associated with those Ile temples. You could go in and eat the meat there, or maybe he buys some of that meat brings it home. Food has a strong and power, powerful ability to stir our memories. All of us have memories of various things that as soon as we taste that, uh, growing up, used to sit on the front porch of the hotel. My granddad ran out in west Oklahoma. We drink a Coca-Cola to this day. Coca-Cola a glass bottle. I'm sitting west Oklahoma on a hot summer night by my granddad, powerful stirring up a memory there. So here this former pagan starts to eat this meat and the taste of it, the smell that charred flavor, he's back in the temple, he's back with a palace Soze or Artos. And there, all of that is flooding in and, and, and now he's worshiping that idol again. And, and becoming part of all of that what's happened. He's been led into sin. That's what's happened. And so verse 11, by your knowledge, the weak person is destroyed. Sometimes some translations here have offense and, and people will use this passage to say, you offended me when you said you didn't like high, or that offended me when you made fun of my sports team, that is not what Paul was talking about. He is not talking about getting your feelings all up in a wa because somebody didn't shake your hand. He's talking about being led into sin. That's what's going on. And there are some converts there who don't get it, who don't know everything about idols yet. They haven't got clear of all of this and we wanna be extra careful. Paul says that we don't lead them in to sin because we know some things. We understand some things that they don't understand. That's our reading first T chapter eight versus one to 13 tomorrow, Paul will, will continue to develop this idea. Don't get lost. When we move into first Corine, chapter nine, he's still talking about this meat business, and we'll discuss that more tomorrow. See you then it's Thursday. And we're reading first Corine chapter nine versus one to nine. And you may find this reading kind of a release. I, I think you're going to like it because Corinthians has been difficult to navigate in places. And we're trying to untangle some things and make sure we stay in the context and figure this out and figure that out. And what you're gonna read today is just not hard to understand at all. As long as you hold on to first Corinthians eight, Paul is going to ask the Corinthians, give up their Liberty to give up their right. It is a matter of Liberty to eat this meat. It's not a matter of right and wrong. The meat doesn't come into to God. He said in yesterday's reading, eat it if you want to, but if it's gonna cause a problem for our brother, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Don't wanna be doing that. You'll need to give up your Liberty. And so in first Corinthians nine, Paul says, I give you an example of somebody who did that. Me. I gave up my rights. I gave up my Liberty, particularly the Liberty to be supported in the preach of the gospel by you Corinthians, I could have asked for money. I could have asked for support. I didn't do that because I didn't want to be misunderstood. I didn't want my motives to be questioned. I gave up my liberties for you. Paul is modeling what he's going to ask the Corinthians to do. And the talks about that in first Corinthians chapter nine versus one denied our reading for today. He's establishing the principle that he had the right to ask for monetary support. That's our reading for today. You will not find it difficult. Just remember this is still about Liberty. This is still about your rights. And Paul was gonna talk about giving that right up it's Friday and you made it through another week. Let's finish our Bible reading for the week. First Corinthians nine, 10 to 19 kinda wish we were finishing the whole chapter today. But Paul really brings the argument to the front here in our reading. First Corinthians nine, 10 to where he makes use of the principle he established in versus one nine. In our reading yesterday, I have the right to be supported by you. Verse 14, those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel verse 15. I have made no use of any of these rights. That's what Paul is pressing here. There seems to be, be a good dose of selfishness going on in Quran. It's all about me. I'm gonna do what I want to do. I don't care about you. I'm gonna exercise my rights. If it's not wrong, you can't tell me not to do it. I'll just do it. Even if it's gonna cause problems in the church, even if it's gonna lead some brother and to sin, Hey, I'm doing what I to do. Paul says, that's not the attitude of Christians. That's not the attitude he demonstrated for them. He gave up his rights. I wanna know, particularly verse 16, where he says wo to me, if I do not preach the gospel, sometimes people will make use of that, but I'm not sure anybody can really make use of that. Quite like Paul does because Paul was commanded by God commanded Jesus on the road to Damascus, you're gonna go forth and preach the gospel. It wasn't a choice for Paul. He was under compulsion under divine imperative to go and do that preachers today, don't get that kind of calling. I'm not under that kind of call for me. It is a choice, but for Paul, it was not. And so Paul gets an extra satisfaction out preaching. He says in verse 18 without charge. And this is how I live. I live to give the gospel a way to, to give up more of my rights, to help more people come to know Jesus. That's what it's all about. And in our reading on Monday, he'll make sharp application of that as he talks about how he does that in every situation that he possibly can, whether with Jews or Gentiles, weak, strong, I'm always willing to do whatever it takes to help people get to know Jesus, the Christ and I'll give up any right. That might be a barrier or a hindrance to that. I can't hardly read any of this without thinking about some of the measures during the pandemic and some of the difficulties during the pandemic where people were were, were just not willing to do that. I, this is what I've decided about this, and I want everybody to do it my way. And if they, and then we're gonna divide the church, or this is what I've decided about this. And now you have to, and, and it seems like, seems like there was not the kind of understanding in some places that, yes, this, this may be what I wanna do about this, but I'm willing to give myself up so that we can worship together so that we can be remain United together so that we can be brethren. There's a real application of first Corinthians chapter nine. And I think we need to make that application. Paul says I'm willing to give up eating meat, or he wants the Corinthians to give up eating meat. He gave up monetary support so that the gospel could be accepted. What could you and I, uh, we, we need to make application that what could you and I not give up so that the church could be United and have unity? Just something that's really on my heart. I'm glad that this COVID pandemic seems to be winding down finally. And I'm just so proud of the congregation here at west side, the elders and the way they've steered through all of these different CIES by encouraging us to love one another and care for one another. It's not about me. It's about us and what can we do to remain together? That's what Paul is telling the Corinthians they need to do. That's what we need to do as well. I'll see you on Monday as we'll finish out first Corinthians chapter nine, and then we'll move forward into the I into a discussion about idolatry. As Paul then concludes the chapter. First Corinthians 10 will conclude with some very, very specific ideas about what to do. If you're served this meet. If you're in someone's home and they have this meet, what are we doing about that? How are we handling that? Paul will get to all of that as we continue our reading in this section next week. Thank you for listening. If you love the Monday morning coffee podcast, we'd love for you to follow and subscribe rate and give her a view on iTunes or whatever app that you're listening on. Or if you'd simply tell a friend about the show that would really help us out out until next time, I hope your coffee today is delightful. I hope your Friday is blessed and the start of a great weekend. And I hope that the Lord will be with you today all day. I'll see you Monday morning with your Bible and a cup of coffee.

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