Truth Magazine

By Hayse Reneau

1 Corinthians 7

Concessions For A “Present Distress”

Brethren at Corinth, where Paul had formerly preached the gospel and established the church (Acts 18), found themselves under some distressful circumstances which prompted them to compile a letter asking several questions about family arrangements. The questions can be surmised by the answers which are given. (Like John 3, Can there be any doubt that Nicodemus asked Jesus something about the kingdom?) His answers are based upon the situation that existed at Corinth at that time. The inspired Paul’s answers to their questions show God’s sympathy and allowance for temporary departures from His commanded order, for the duration of the “present distress” (26). By observance of these concessions, temporarily allowed, they would be “happier” (40); it would be “better” (38); it would be to their spiritual “profit” (35); it would “spare them trouble in the flesh” (28); it would be “good” for the present situation (vv. 1,8,26).

Paul writes things previously addressed by the Lord (10); he refers to things written “by permission” (6); to things “speak I, not the Lord” (12). But all things revealed by Paul were authorized by the Lord (1 Cor. 14:37; Gal. 1:11- 12); therefore, with God’s approval, former commands are temporarily set aside because of the “present distress.” No one today can know for certain what stressful conditions existed in Corinth at that time which prompted this letter and these exceptions. Some suppose it was severe persecution by Nero and Romans; others, that it was excessive economic stress; still others, say it was a situation prompted by the ungodly persecution of the Judaizers. Whatever, it was made worse for those married with a family. So, some family arrangements are allowed to be altered, “for the present distress.”

Failing to concede the fact that authorized concessions to God’s will are herein set forth; and that they were only temporary, is to put this holy text in direct conflict with other plain statements of God’s word.

1. God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone… Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Gen. 2:18, 24). The Hebrew writer wrote: “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled. . . ” (Heb. 13:4). Paul wrote, “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully” (1 Tim. 5:14). All of this, and more which could be cited, show God’s will of marriage regarding man and woman. Contrary to Roman Catholic doctrine, God does not recommend celibacy as a superior way of life, except in Corinth at that time.

But, there the inspired Paul writes: “It’s good for a man not to touch a woman,” meaning to take a wife and start a family. Is this a contradiction of God? It could be considered in no other way, except that under those trying circumstances God says, temporarily, it’s best not to marry. During, and as long as the present distress lasts God was granting this exception. The same is the case regarding all marriageable persons: virgins (28), widows (8), and any who had lawfully put away their spouses (Matt. 19:9). Isn’t it apparent that the context of this chapter hinges on verse 26?

2. In addition to procreating the race (Gen. 1:28), another purpose of marriage is stated in verses 24, “to avoid fornication.”

Under that “present distress” it is evident that there was a greater burden placed upon those who were married. Special strength of faith should be sought-Through separation, and cessation of sexual contact, by mutual agreement, there could be greater spiritual commitment in prayer and fasting (5) (distance isn’t implied: whether in the same house or out). Also, some of them had either already departed from their spouse or were contemplating it (10, 11). Wives, fearful for themselves, or their husbands, were asking if it, would be better to separate from their mate. Husbands were concerned and, for the same reasons, thought it might be easier apart from their wives (10, 11). (This presumption is but to give them the benefit of doubt as to their reasons [these are Christians!], though some, perhaps, were taking advantage of the situation to rid themselves of unwanted spouses.) Paul concurs; however, God who knows all about us, causes Paul to add certain warnings: sexual passions in some are stronger than in others, so continence would be more difficult for some if they were separated for a long period (v. 5). Satan will be watching to tempt you, he warns. They are not reprimanded; but warned that in their incontinency they were not free to join themselves to anyone except their husband/wife during or after the distress was ended.

They are reminded of Christ’s law (10): “What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt. 19:6). Notice: their action is in direct contradiction to the Lord’s law; but for the “Present distress, ” it is allowed, with the warnings against immorality. This is not a contradiction of God’s law at that time for the same reason it was not against God’s law to advise that “it is good for a man not to touch a woman.”

The rest of the chapter is to be understood in the same manner: Because of the “present distress” the Holy Spirit revealed these things unto the Corinthians.

If I know my own mind, these things are presented in an unbiased manner, for the simple purpose of Bible study. I have no one in mind to condemn or justify. I trust in your examination you will likewise strive to stand apart from tradition and present opinions of the world.

Guardian of Truth XXX: 7, pp. 203, 215
April 3, 1986

By William Pile

I came by it honestly. My disdain for Christmas, that is. I was the perfect model for a “Christian” Scrooge.

When my parents came to Christ, I was but a child, and when they came to believe that Christmas was a pagan holiday, not fitting for true Christians to observe, it was hardly a studied decision on my part. In my teenage, as a Christian myself, I bought heavily into Christian exclusivism, a kind of unmentioned theology by which most everything nominal Christians did was at least suspect, or in some cases outright denied. Observance of religious holidays not specifically mentioned in the Bible fell into the latter category.

It was the old “origins” argument, but I didn’t know it. By that argument, anything that had ever been touched by paganism was still pagan, and “Christianizing” it didn’t change anything. Naive Christians who observed Christmas were actually celebrating the Saturnalia, or worse yet, the Catholic version: Christ’s Mass. All the trappings of the holiday had equally evil background, I discovered. Christmas trees, Santa Claus, mistletoe, the yule log, exchanging gifts. Incidentally, it didn’t really bother me that much of the research and argumentation behind the “origins” concept was coming from Jehovah’s Witness publications and the writings of Herbert W. Armstrong.

True to form, as Christmas approached, I became a real Scrooge. As a minister and soul-winner, I loathed the season. (Don’t look at my records of souls saved during December!) Everything I saw people doing seemed like such a mockery. I talked mostly about the drunkenness, phony love and good will, and extravagance. And you didn’t dare get pe into a department store during the Christmas shopping season! Bah! Humbug!

My own children pretty much accepted my non-celebrating of Christmas. I’m not sure I really tried to explain it to them. Probably I relied on my exclusivism theology and told them that “real Christians are different!”

It didn’t happen overnight, my conversion, that is. I’m not sure of the dynamics of my change, actually. I know that no body, no person, changed my mind. People don’t unscrooge a Scrooge. I know that for a long time I’d been questioning whether the fact that the Bible didn’t mention the early Christians honoring the birth of Christ meant that it was wrong to do so. I was wondering about the “origins” argument. I could think of some things that used to have an evil connotation, but now didn’t.

The Holy Spirit’s impact on my life wasn’t quite as dramatic as the ghosts in Scrooge’s, but He certainly changed me. He began to strip my robes of righteous exclusivism from me while refocusing my attention from the negative to the positive. Those were two radical moves! I discovered many “true Christians” who observed Christmas in a genuinely Biblical spirit, and if anything they were better for it. They knew the early Christians probably didn’t celebrate it, and they knew that December 25 was just a guess at His true birth date. They didn’t worship trees, or tinsel, Or lights, or Santa Claus, or December 25th.

And then I looked at some of my non-Christian friends. Christmas was very important to them. Sure, they were caught in the commercialism but it didn’t take much pushing on my part to change conversations from commercialism to Christ. They seemed to want there to be more to Christmas than Jingle Bells, drunken parties, and huge credit card bills. Someone had changed – and it wasn’t them!

Even a flashing thought of a world without Christmas now scares me. This season I intend to celebrate my Savior’s coming every chance I get. I’ve got some ghosts of Christmases Past to relive. I was Scrooge for too long. Some of the people who knew me that way deserve to see the “new” me.

You may not agree with my conversion. You may see it as compromising with evil. And you may be wondering where all the Bible verses are that justify my change. I already thought of that. My list is composed of one passage encouraging Christmas celebration, for every passage denouncing it. Send me yours and I’ll send you mine. In the meantime, we’ll call it a draw.

May God give us all joyous celebration at Christmas and all year ’round!

Guardian of Truth XXX: 7, p. 204
April 3, 1986

By Irvin Himmel

Dependence and Direction

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Prov. 3:5, 6).

If there is a theme that runs throughout the book of Proverbs with its variegated flavor, these verses summarize the overall teaching.

Trusting God

“Trust in the Lord” means to show confidence, reliance, dependence, and hope in Him. Trust implies faith, and faith finds expression in obedience. To the extent that we are willing to obey God, we trust Him.

Here are three valid reasons for trusting God:

(1) He merits the confidence of mankind. The inspired record of God’s dealing with humanity gives no case of His proving untrustworthy.

(2) He rewards all who rely on Him and yield to His will.

(3) He can see the end of a thing from the beginning. We never know how our undertakings are going to turn out when we commence them.

Refusing to Lean on Human Understanding

Some trust the Lord in some things, but they rely on their own understanding in other things. The proverb counsels us, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Our ways are not God’s ways. Our thoughts are not God’s thoughts (Isa. 55:8,9). Human plans are not divine plans. Many things in life will never be understood by the person who leans on his own understanding. A fool trusts in his own heart.

God’s wisdom is infinite; our understanding is limited and imperfect. God knows all about everything; we know a little about a few things.

But faithless men trust themselves rather than the Creator. “Self-sufficiency and self-dependence have been the ruin of mankind ever since the fall of Adam” (A. Clarke).

Acknowledging God In All Our Ways

Here are some things about God that we should acknowledge in all our ways:

(1) He knows what is best. Like a child which cries for the scissors, we often cry for things that are more injurious than for our good. That is one reason why God does not grant all that we ask. He has the wisdom to guard our interests.

(2) He is right in all things. Not only is He right in what He wills that we do in worship to Him, but also in what He allots for our individual lives. He makes no mistakes.

(3) His will is designed to be our guide. In submitting to His will we are admitting our inadequacy and our dependence on Him.

(4) He controls the universe. While He allows His creatures freedom of choice, He has not stepped down from the throne on high. He is behind the rise and fall of nations. He determines the times appointed and the bounds of our habitations (Acts 27:26).

(5) He holds us accountable. All that we have is from Him as a sacred trust. We are stewards. We cannot escape the day of reckoning that is appointed for all men.

Direction For Our Steps

“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

God directs our steps by the lessons of the Bible. Through His divine revelation of His will we are taught by precept and example. To trust Him in a our ways requires our seeking to know what He has revealed pertaining to all our relationships.

God directs our steps by divine providence. The course of events and the temporal surroundings which God provides for us are designed to be for our benefit if we trust Him fully. “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Psa. 37:5).

God does not choose the shortest and easiest way, but He marks out the good and safe way. He led Israel through the wilderness. He brought Job through suffering and agony. He guided Paul through perils and persecution. He led Joseph through slavery and imprisonment and worldly honor. He guided Daniel safely through a den of lions. Surely He can guide our faltering footsteps.

Guardian of Truth XXX: 7, p. 198
April 3, 1986

By Tom Roberts

Introduction: Promises are to be believed, based on integrity, ability to perform, and past experience of promiser. Without these, none will believe a promise made by anyone.

I. God has made certain promises.

A. Based on same premises as any promise – even in extra-ordinary cases.

1. Integrity (absolute, with God) – 2 Cor. 1: 18-20; Heb. 6:13-17.

2. Ability to perform – by definition, omnipotent – Psa. 23; Acts 17.

B. Nature of promises:

1. Holy – Psa. 105:42.

2. Great and precious – 2 Pet. 1:4.

3. Ancient – Tit. 1:2 (“before the world”).

4. Not flippant, arbitrary or insincere.

C. Type of promises: physical and spiritual.

1. Physical promises:

a. Creation – earth and fulness as a promise to sustain and provide for man.

b. Gen. 1, 2 – seed after its kind.

c. Gen. 9:8-17, 22 – seasons continue until the end.

d. Job 38:8-11 – limit shore of seas; proud waves stayed.

2. Spiritual promises:

a. These promises necessitated by the fall; connected to redemption.

b. Promises to Abraham – Gen. 15; 17:1-8; 22:15-18; Gal. 3:14-18; 4:28.

c. Such promises are sure – Act 13:23-26,32; 26:6ff; Rom. 4:13-16; 15:8.

d. Secured by Holy Spirit – Lk. 24:49-Acts 1:4; 2:33.37; Eph. 1:13.

II. Object of the promises – eternal life.

A. 1 Tim. 4:8; 2 Tim. 1:1; Rev. 22; 1 Jn. 2:25.

B. Heb. 8:6 – the better promises.

III. Some don’t believe God’s promises.

A. Why? Because of a lack of integrity, ability or experience with God?

1. 2 Pet. 3:4ff.

2. God’s word is immutable – Heb. 6:17.

B. A promise is not less true simply because I don’t believe it.

C. How sad to dismiss the promises of God through unbelief (Heb. 10:36-39).

D. Faith, the proper response to the promises of God.

Guardian of Truth XXX: 7, p. 200
April 3, 1986