1 Corinthians 7:35 KJV
And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
This verse has an important principle in it that I think gets lost in the context many times. The Apostle is speaking on a difficult subject. What about marriage versus remaining unmarried to devote self to the service of the Lord? The subject is a complicated one and is also one that could tend to get people upset. "You mean you don't believe in marriage?" I can hear one objector saying. That is not at all what Paul is saying. He simply says that if a man (or woman) chooses to remain unmarried to devote themselves to the Lord that can be useful and glorifying to Christ. "You mean that you think a man has to be married to serve the Lord?" Another would object. But that is not Paul's command at all. The Apostle simply teaches that if God provides a godly mate, that to is useful and glorifying to the Lord.
The point is this, the intent of the preacher, of therefore of the Word of God, is for our own profit and not to be a snare in our lives. God is not trying to trap us into a lifestyle that we will not be suited for. Whether we are speaking of the subject of marriage versus single living, or full time Christian service, or committing ourselves to a particular ministry, the Lord is not trapping us into something we are not suited for but longs to place us in the spot where we will be best suited and see the most profit.
I can see someone misapplying an misunderstanding what I am trying to draw out of this principle. This does not get us out of our commitments to our church. We ought to be committed to Christ and to His work. Therefore we must be committed to a local church. It just means that the design of the commitments we make ought to be so that
We can attend upon the Lord without distraction and that
We find the ministry we are in profitable our own selves.
And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
This verse has an important principle in it that I think gets lost in the context many times. The Apostle is speaking on a difficult subject. What about marriage versus remaining unmarried to devote self to the service of the Lord? The subject is a complicated one and is also one that could tend to get people upset. "You mean you don't believe in marriage?" I can hear one objector saying. That is not at all what Paul is saying. He simply says that if a man (or woman) chooses to remain unmarried to devote themselves to the Lord that can be useful and glorifying to Christ. "You mean that you think a man has to be married to serve the Lord?" Another would object. But that is not Paul's command at all. The Apostle simply teaches that if God provides a godly mate, that to is useful and glorifying to the Lord.
The point is this, the intent of the preacher, of therefore of the Word of God, is for our own profit and not to be a snare in our lives. God is not trying to trap us into a lifestyle that we will not be suited for. Whether we are speaking of the subject of marriage versus single living, or full time Christian service, or committing ourselves to a particular ministry, the Lord is not trapping us into something we are not suited for but longs to place us in the spot where we will be best suited and see the most profit.
I can see someone misapplying an misunderstanding what I am trying to draw out of this principle. This does not get us out of our commitments to our church. We ought to be committed to Christ and to His work. Therefore we must be committed to a local church. It just means that the design of the commitments we make ought to be so that
We can attend upon the Lord without distraction and that
We find the ministry we are in profitable our own selves.
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