What issue is Paul dealing with in 1 Corinthians 7?
Paul addresses the nitty-gritty of the marriage relationship in 1 Corinthians 7, answering questions the Corinthian believers had written to him. These believers, recently out of paganism, asked whether it is right for men and women to marry, and Paul responds to their questions one by one.
Les explains that Paul is dealing with the nitty-gritty of the marriage relationship in chapter 7. The Corinthian believers were just recently out of paganism and had a whole batch of questions plaguing them. They had not grown up with Sunday school or catechism, and they did not have the New Testament, so they wrote their questions to Paul. First Corinthians is his answer, and he addresses them one by one. In chapter 7, one specific question was whether it is right for men and women to marry.
More Questions
How do you reconcile what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7 with Hebrews 13?
Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 7 does not utterly contradict what he writes in Hebrews 13, so the two passages have to be put together.
Why does Paul give such tempered advice about marriage in 1 Corinthians 7?
Paul taught throughout his letters that the Lord was coming imminently, and that coming did not happen as expected; this expectation is one of the factors Paul had in view when he tempered his teaching about marriage and relationships.
Why did Paul tell people it was better to stay single in 1 Corinthians 7?
Paul also wrote his advice about marriage with an inkling of the horrible persecution that was going to come across the Roman Empire, and that expectation tempers what he says.
Why did Les Feldick say he would rather skip over 1 Corinthians 7?
Les says 1 Corinthians chapter 7 is a chapter he would just as soon forget about and skim around, yet he still considers it so appropriate to teach.