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Originally Posted by custer
It's me again! I had one more thought on Second Corinthians 6:14...
I do acknowledge that "marriage" is not mentioned in the passage, but I do still hold that the principle of separation of lost and saved folks definitely applies to the marriage relationship. The word "fellowship" will reference over to Ephesians 5:11 - "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." Verse seven of the same chapter tells us not to be partakers with the "children of disobedience," which are lost folks according to chapter 2 verses 1-2. Ephesians 5 is, of course, a quintessential passage on marriage with no paragraph divisions (to mark a possible change of subject) in the whole chapter! So, "comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (I Corinthians 2:13,) the separation principles of II Corinthians chapter six are definitively applicable to marriage!
I have to tell y'all - I have been SO excited about all this study...it has given me a renewed appreciation for this GREAT BOOK...THE KING JAMES BIBLE!!!
Pam
www.custerfamilyfarm.com |
Pam,
I hope you don't mind me jumping into this topic but it has caught my interest, as well! I've always wondered about these things but never really looked into them before. So let me start by saying that I am just learning here.
I believe in Paul's day Jews, maybe not gentiles, were betrothed sometimes years before they were of age to marry (I could be wrong). If a young man had become a believer after his betrothal to a young woman, and she was not a believer, should he still marry her? I have wondered before if that is what Paul is referring to in 1 Corinthians chapter 7.
7:28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
7:36-38 But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry. Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.
I have to back away from imposing rules of conduct upon individuals and circumstances when the scriptures don't explicitly say to. I think just one little error in interpretation today can cause bigger errors tomorrow. I think this is one reason for different sects and denominations, namely, not rightly dividing the Word and adding to or taking away from what it says because it seems right in our own eyes.
I'm not saying that I think its a good idea for believers to marry unbelievers and I'm not saying scripture doesn't teach that it shouldn't be done, I just don't see any of the verses that you've referenced that say so. 1 Corinthians 7:39 is the closest to doing that but really it only says that believing widows should marry a believer. Also, Paul says in 7:25 that he is not speaking by commandment of the Lord before he goes into whether it is better to marry or not to marry your virgins.
In 7:39 he may have been addressing a problem of lonely or destitute widows marrying unbelievers out of desperation with disasterous results. There may have been many more women believers than men believers, who knows? And women tend to live longer than men, and older men tend to marry younger women rather than the reverse.
These are just some thoughts I was mulling around in my head as I was working in my yard so I came in to post them.
Jennifer