The apostle Paul has been much maligned and misunderstood by modern interpreters. Feminists like to portray him as the ultimate male chauvinist, forgetting that he said "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). His comments on marriage in 1 Corinthians 7 have led some people to believe that celibacy is to be chosen by those who walk closest with God. Again interpreters forget these comments were given in light of "the present distress."

Marriage and family responsibilities do present a certain set of challenges to those who walk with God. 1 Corinthians 7 helps us to recognize those challenges. We invite you to follow our thoughts on spirituality and family priorities in today's newsletter.

Norman and Ann

In 1 Corinthians 7, the apostle Paul answered a series of questions that apparently had been asked by members of the church in Corinth. He started the chapter by saying, "Now for the matters you wrote about." We are at considerable disadvantage in trying to understand his thoughts because we do not possess the list of questions posed by the Corinthians. Try to imagine your frustration if you were about to take a test and had a list of answers, but then learned that the real tests comes in trying to figure out the questions. It works for "Jeopardy" but we're dealing with the Bible, not a quiz show. We're particularly concerned with Paul's apparent advice against marriage.

His advice was based on a desire to prevent his readers from "facing many troubles" (28). He was concerned because "the world in its present form is passing away" (31). He saw a married man as a person of divided interests (31-34). He was anxious to promote "undivided devotion to the Lord" (35) While conceding that a person who marries a virgin does right, he nevertheless concluded, "he who does not marry her does even better."

Some commentators suggest the present crisis involved a time of change, a time when Christians were living in the moral and spiritual corruption of Corinth. For many people, the transition from paganism to the Christian faith had been drastic. Putting off the "old man" and putting on the "new man" represented a personal crisis for serious minded Christians. Leon Morris wrote, "When high seas are raging, it is not a time for changing ships."

Much of what he talks about in these verses does not concern us. It assumes a cultural environment that's strange to us. Arranged marriages would be one example. However there are some principles we do need to be aware of in our marriages today.

• There is potential for distraction from our relationship with God. Our families are busy with many earthly issues - managing finances, home upkeep, transportation needs, feeding and clothing family members, educational needs, etc. Sometimes the pressures and stresses seem so urgent that our spiritual growth is neglected.

• If the church is under severe external pressure (persecution, times of severe economic hardship, living in proximity to an ongoing war, etc) one's devotion to the Lord is complicated by family responsibilities. Something of that nature was probably going on in Corinth.

It should be noted that Paul made a very strong concession to marriage. " . . .since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman should have her own husband" (verse 2). When Paul advised against marriage, he did not propose uncommitted cohabitation as a alternative lifestyle. He even warns married couples against sexual abstinence (verse 5). From Paul's perspective, no one can abstain from marriage in a healthy manner unless they are so gifted. However, he thought the gift was a good thing.

Next Week: The Relationship Between Our Need for God and Human Companionship

"To love someone more dearly everyday--- This is my task" - Maude Louise Ray-

After his narration of how she overspent the budget and refused his intimate advances, I said, "At these times your task is to agape her."

After her narration of how he "never" came home on time and "never" helped with the children, I said, "At these times your task is to agape him."

I had seen this couple many times. Each had a long list of wrongs to be righted (or forgiven). We had looked at their level of commitment to the marriage. We had looked at unrealistic expectations. We had discussed communication and conflict management skills. We had examined family of origin patterns. I had reframed their behavior. Change was nearly non-existent. Yet they claimed a strong belief in Christ. Agape, the kind of love commanded by God, was the prescription.

With an active faith in Jesus, our only option in the difficult times is to agape. Ed Wheat has some wonderful things to say about agape love in his classic Love Life For Every Married Couple. He writes, "It is a mental attitude based on a deliberate choice of the will, and so you can choose right now to begin to love your mate with an agape love, no matter how much indifference or rejection you must face."

Agape is unconditional. It is not based on your mate's behavior. It is not based on your mate's response. It is not based on your spouse's change. Agape is changeless in the good times and the difficult times. Agape forgives all things whether the forgiver is forgiven by the mate or not. Agape is given expecting nothing in return. Agape keeps no accounting of wrongs. Agape can be poured into a deep chasm of emptiness, indifference, rejection and bitterness in the spouse and never be depleted. Again, Wheat writes, "Agape love is plugged into an eternal power source, and it can go on operating when every other kind of love fails." God provides the energy for this love and it is available to everyone and required of everyone who is a child of God.

If we are to be in relationship with Jesus, we are to love our brother (our spouse). To do anything else is to break relationship with Jesus Christ. I John 3:10 - "Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother." I John 3:23 - "And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them."

Satan's only goal is to break relationships, relationships with one another and ultimately relationships with Jesus Christ. He is the Great Deceiver and one of his most accomplished snares is the great lie that I must feel love for my partner and I must feel loved by my partner. This lie is at the heart of every broken marriage. When marriages are broken, relationships are broken and most importantly, relationship with Jesus Christ is broken (I John 3:10). And because the sins of the father are visited on the children to the third and fourth generation (Deuteronomy 5:9), many other relationships and marriages will be broken in the succeeding generations. The devastation will increase exponentially. Jesus brought a new commandment. The new commandment is to agape one another. Agape is an active love of the will, not of the emotions. Agape will bring good feelings back. This new commandment will deliver a death knell to Satan's lie that I must feel "in love" with my mate.

All marriages have difficulty. All marriages will at various times require agape love. Again, Dr. Wheat informs, "Agape is the Divine solution for marriages populated by imperfect human beings."

"And then my Savior by and by to meet,
When faith has made her task on earth complete,
And lay my homage at the Master's feet,
Within the jasper walls, Within the jasper walls:
This crowns my task."
-F.H.Pickup-

Napoleon once said, "The surest way to remain poor is to be an honest man." Napoleon would surely find a lot of people in today's world who would agree with him. The recent public confession of Gary Condit demonstrates the lure of dishonesty. However, Alexander Pope was on target when he said, "An honest man's the noblest work of God." In this week's Perceptions feature Mark Pugh challenged the premise that "Honesty is the best policy. He contends that it is the only policy. You can read his comments