God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:14.

Those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29.

It’s good when we read Scripture to understand the times and events impacting those who lived these experiences. At this stage of the early church they were expecting Jesus, the Son, to return soon. In every age since, don’t we, truly, expect the same? Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. v. 1. The church at Corinth had written their concerns to Paul, their apostle to the Gentiles. How should they act when Jesus would be returning so soon? He is responding back to them. But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. v. 2-4. That thought was alien in that time for all people, Jew and Gentile. Women had no rights, they were property. Men held all the power and among Gentiles, men could have sexual relations with any woman even while married. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But this I say by way of concession, not of command. Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife. But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches. v. 5-17. Again, this is so new this combining of Jew and Gentile in worship of Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. Paul talks again about circumcision, stay as you were when you were called because circumcision of the flesh is not what matters, v. 19-20. And because there were so many slaves in the ancient world, Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that. For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ’s slave. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called. v. 21-24. Paul talks about virgins, both male and female, and to remain as they are if they are able, again because they thought the time was so short, v. 25-28. But I say this, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away. But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided. v. 29-33. Paul even addresses the concerns of a father for his virgin daughter because she was under his authority and his decisions concerning her future, and they thought time in this present world was so short; so too, for widows, v. 34-40. Paul is speaking to first century Christians. Over two thousand years later, we can see how short-sighted was this view of Christ’s imminent return. Does that make this letter obsolete for us? No. To love one another as husband and wife is never obsolete advice. To live in a world beset by confusions is to live in any age of men. And whether Jesus returns today or two thousand years into the future matters not when our own span of life lived in this world is so short. He may not return in our own lifetime, but we will return to Him at the end of ours. Hold the things of this world lightly knowing that everything is in His care…but love…because God has called us to peace. Can we not understand how confused the early Christians must have been? This was but decades after Jesus ascended back to the Father. Everything was new. You can almost see the confusions of their reasonings, as in a cartoon bubble above their heads, like a line all jumbled and twisted together. And if we’re honest, don’t our thoughts and reasonings also become jumbled and twisted even today? That’s why I find such comfort in bringing everything to God in prayer. He is not jumbled and twisted. Paul can be difficult to understand but can we fully appreciate the enormity of all he was trying to do to help the people then begin to navigate life trusting God as he did? Those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. It was in the unfolding of years that the church came to understand it was not to their time Christ would return. But what blessing to grow in understanding that He was with them nonetheless!