1. HONOURING MARRIAGE AND SINGLENESS

2. 1ST CENTURY CORINTH v 21ST CENTURY ENGLAND
SIMILAR
DIFFERENT
Multiracial
Multicultural
Multifaith
Sex obsessed
Same-sex relationships common
Marriage is only between man and woman
Sex part of pagan worship
Same-sex relationships usually between adult and teenage boy
Patriarchal society
Slavery
Difficult for woman without man to provide for her

3. IMPACT OF THE GOSPEL Life Liberation
Radical new equality: all sons and daughters of God
Principle of peace or contentment: usually best to remain as you are
What really matters for Christians is to live as a believer in Jesus in a way which will please Him
Choices about whether to marry and how to behave within marriage must be governed by what will best help us to serve and please the Lord and fulfil His purposes for us

4. WHAT IS “MARRIAGE”?
“a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Gen 2:24; Matthew 19:5)
Jesus endorses original Old Testament understanding:
Marriage is the lifelong union of a man with a woman whose sexual relationship makes them one flesh, both bodily and at the level of soul and spirit, joined together by God into a single unit
Therefore divorce in order to marry another is adultery
Marriage is purpose for which we are made male and female
Sex outside marriage covenant is not in accordance with God’s will and purpose, i e sin

5. MARRIAGE: THE BIG PICTURE
Bible begins and ends with marriage: Adam and Eve in Eden and Christ and the church in the New Jerusalem
Marriage is an overarching motif of the whole Bible
Marriage is sacramental in character: it reveals, in an everyday human relationship, the relationship God wants to have with us, His people
Wife submits to husband’s love as church does to Jesus’s love
Husband lays down his life to serve his wife as Christ does the church
It is not that we marry the one we love, but we choose to love sacrificially the one we marry

6. IS SEX GOOD OR BAD?
Sex is good in its proper context, which is marriage
Husbands and wives owe it to each other
Within marriage sexual abstinence should only be temporary
Prolonged abstinence within marriage brings temptation leading to sin

7. IS DIVORCE ALLOWED?
Becoming a Christian does not give married person licence to give up on their marriage and marry someone else
Neither Paul nor Jesus were addressing situation where there has been domestic violence or other abuse
But divorce and probably remarriage are allowed where there has been adultery or desertion by the other spouse, and maybe where there has been equivalent “unfaithfulness”

8. HOW CAN WE HONOUR MARRIAGE?
Maintain the one man one woman distinctiveness of Biblical marriage
Uphold marriage as the only place where God wants us to have sex
Think biblically

9. IS MARRIAGE FOR EVERYONE?
NO!

10. CELIBATE SINGLENESS
Living as if unable to have sex for the sake of God’s Kingdom
Way of life embraced by Jesus and Paul
Jesus was the most perfect, most fulfilled human being who has ever lived, yet He never had a sexual relationship
Gift given to some but not all: those who can embrace it should
Those without the gift should not forgo marriage

11. CELIBATE SINGLENESS
Circumstances in which we find ourselves and ministry to which God calls us may affect whether we should remain single
For many remaining unmarried spares us troubles and gives us maximum freedom to serve the Lord
Jesus
Paul
Mike Pilavachi
Clive Scowen

12. HOW CAN WE HONOUR SINGLENESS?
Not suggesting that everyone should get married, or that being unmarried is in some way second best.
Those who are married and have families can consider whether they should include single people more in their family life, eg as godparents

13. CONCLUSION
Marriage, the lifelong union of one man with one woman, is a good gift of God in creation, which is never to be despised but rather honoured.
Celibacy is also good (Paul would say better), it is a way of life hallowed by Jesus Himself and, despite its obvious challenges, has a number of advantages, in certain circumstances and for those called to certain types of ministry. It too is not to be despised but rather honoured.
The most important thing, whether we are married or single, is that our overarching concern should be to please the Lord and be devoted to Him.