HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1405
1 COR INTHIANS 9
page 1035
is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married,
it is not a sin. However, those who get married at
this time will have troubles, and I am trying to
spare you those problems.
29 But let me say this, dear brothers and
sisters: The time that remains is very short.
So from now on, those with wives should not
focus only on their marriage. 30 Those who weep
or who rejoice or who buy things should not be
absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their
possessions. 31 Those who use the things of the
world should not become attached to them. For
this world as we know it will soon pass away.
32 I want you to be free from the concerns
of this life. An unmarried man can spend his
time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how
to please him. 33 But a married man has to think
about his earthly responsibilities and how to
please his wife. 34 His interests are divided. In
the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted
to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a
married woman has to think about her earthly
responsibilities and how to please her husband.
35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place
restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever
will help you serve the Lord best, with as few
distractions as possible.
36 But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to
his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It
is not a sin. 37 But if he has decided firmly not to
marry and there is no urgency and he can control
his passion, he does well not to marry. 38 So the
person who marries his fiancée does well, and
the person who doesn’t marry does even better.
39 A wife is bound to her husband as long
as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to
marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves
the Lord.* 40 But in my opinion it would be better
for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you
counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.
Food Sacrificed to Idols
Now regarding your question about food
that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know
that “we all have knowledge” about this issue.
But while knowledge makes us feel important,
it is love that strengthens the church. 2 Anyone
who claims to know all the answers doesn’t
really know very much. 3 But the person who
loves God is the one whom God recognizes.*
4 So, what about eating meat that has been
offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is
not really a god and that there is only one God.
5 There may be so-called gods both in heaven
and on earth, and some people actually worship
many gods and many lords. 6 But for us,
8
7:39 Greek but only in the Lord. 8:3 Some manuscripts read
the person who loves has full knowledge. 8:11 Greek brother;
also in 8:13. 8:12 Greek brothers. 9:3 Greek those who
examine me.
There is one God, the Father,
by whom all things were created,
and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things were created,
and through whom we live.
7 However, not all believers know this. Some
are accustomed to thinking of idols as being
real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of
real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. 8 It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval
by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we
don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.
9 But you must be careful so that your freedom
does not cause others with a weaker conscience
to stumble. 10 For if others see you—with your
“superior knowledge”—eating in the temple
of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate
their conscience by eating food that has been
offered to an idol? 11 So because of your superior
knowledge, a weak believer* for whom Christ
died will be destroyed. 12 And when you sin
against other believers* by encouraging them
to do something they believe is wrong, you are
sinning against Christ. 13 So if what I eat causes
another believer to sin, I will never eat meat
again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause
another believer to stumble.
Paul Gives Up His Rights
Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an
apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with
my own eyes? Isn’t it because of my work that you
belong to the Lord? 2 Even if others think I am not
an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves
are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle.
3 This is my answer to those who question
my authority.* 4 Don’t we have the right to live
9
• Singleness
1 C OR I N THI A N S 7:32-38
When churches or community groups
orient most of their ministry around
family concerns, single people can be
made to feel they are unimportant or
even defective. Yet Paul sends a clear
note of encouragement to those who are
not married. The absence of a marriage
bond gives a person freedom and opportunities that married people often do not
have. The simple advice: If you are single,
do not succumb to the feeling that your
life is incomplete without a partner. Ask
God to show you how to use your gifts,
including your single status, to serve him
and find fulfillment.