Principles of Marriage 1 Corinthians 7 14

[JohnR7]

13 And if a woman has an unbelieving husband, and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace.…

It seems like I have read this chapter 100 times. It is difficult for Paul's teaching to sink in. This has to do with divorce and remarriage. I had a priest in the episcopal church advise my first wife to divorce me. Within 6 months he ended up getting a divorce and within a year he died from aids. This had an impact on me. I am still here almost 40 years later, telling people that God hates divorce. The episcopal priest is not alive to tell them otherwise. 

In this passage, Paul is talking about our children being clean and unclean. My son from my first marriage got an associate degree in electronic engineering, but did not get a 4-year degree because he dropped out of school to party and take drugs. My son from my second marriage is drug free, does not drink or smoke, and he has a four-year degree in computer engineering. He has a good job and makes real good money. 

Peter tells us that Paul's "letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction".

My son tells me that if parents stay married, there is a 90% chance their children will be successful. Do we even know what unclean vs holy even means. Does any of us know what Paul is talking about. If we do, is anyone listening. I had no choice in my divorce. Even though my second son tells me he would not have been born if I was not divorced from my first wife. 

We are told: "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28. So God can work it all out for us. 

 

 

[Jedi4Yahweh]

This is just my opinion.  God surrounds godly homes with blessings and protection but ungodly homes are living under the curse of God.  It says in scriptures:

"For I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. - Deu 5:9-10   

The way Paul makes it sound is if one of the parents is a believer they sanctify (set-apart) their children or bring them under the covenant & blessing of God, which are passed on to their children.  I am not saying their children are eternally saved but set apart for God's mercy, blessing and protection.  Thank God for godly parents!

Clean things were things set apart for God vs. Unclean were things not set apart for God.  For instance the scriptures speak of clean and unclean foods, animals, people, priest, nations, special days, etc. 

Edited October 9, 2022 by Jedi4Yahweh

[JohnR7]

9 hours ago, Jedi4Yahweh said:

"For I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. - Deu 5:9-10   

I hope it is only three or four generations. That is a big problem in this country. People want to hold the ancestors of the people that abused their ancestors accountable for something they did not do. In fact, in the Episcopal church, there are sins of commission and sins of omission. We are not only responsible for what was done, but what was not done. Even in marriage, the subject of this post. Divorce can be the result of abuse, it can also be the result of not doing what should have been done. Omission. 

I did have a situation where I wanted to marry a girl and God was clear that whatever problems I had I would be on my own and not to expect any help from Him. She found someone else, they had a kid, and then she ended up with her second divorce. 

I waited 17 years to remarry. At the time, my son had a two-year degree in electronic engineering. He did not smoke, drink or do drugs. Then after I remarried, he started to smoke, drink and do drugs and eventually died from an overdose. It sure looks like if I had remained single, I could have continued to sanctify him. But at some point it seems to me that he needs to go to church and sanctify himself and not count on me to do that for him for the rest of his life. 

I am a descendant of the Bible translator that was Bloody Mary's first martyr. He rejoiced that he was counted worthy. I think we do receive his blessings today, even that was a long time ago. 

[Jedi4Yahweh]

On 10/9/2022 at 9:32 AM, JohnR7 said:

I hope it is only three or four generations. That is a big problem in this country. People want to hold the ancestors of the people that abused their ancestors accountable for something they did not do. In fact, in the Episcopal church, there are sins of commission and sins of omission. We are not only responsible for what was done, but what was not done. Even in marriage, the subject of this post. Divorce can be the result of abuse, it can also be the result of not doing what should have been done. Omission. 

I did have a situation where I wanted to marry a girl and God was clear that whatever problems I had I would be on my own and not to expect any help from Him. She found someone else, they had a kid, and then she ended up with her second divorce. 

I waited 17 years to remarry. At the time, my son had a two-year degree in electronic engineering. He did not smoke, drink or do drugs. Then after I remarried, he started to smoke, drink and do drugs and eventually died from an overdose. It sure looks like if I had remained single, I could have continued to sanctify him. But at some point it seems to me that he needs to go to church and sanctify himself and not count on me to do that for him for the rest of his life. 

I am a descendant of the Bible translator that was Bloody Mary's first martyr. He rejoiced that he was counted worthy. I think we do receive his blessings today, even that was a long time ago. 

God also accounts for sins of omission:

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do [it], to him it is sin. - Jas 4:17 

[JohnR7]

1 hour ago, Jedi4Yahweh said:

God also accounts for sins of omission:

Yes, I was in a church that every sunday in the book of common prayer they talk about commission and omission.  What we do that we should not have and what we should have done but we didn't. 

[Jedi4Yahweh]

2 minutes ago, JohnR7 said:

Yes, I was in a church that every sunday in the book of common prayer they talk about commission and omission.  What we do that we should not have and what we should have done but we didn't. 

Well hopefully the book of common prayer is in line with scriptures, not saying it isn't never read it.