婚姻是人生的重要抉择
哥林多前书七章1至3节,10至19节
1论到你们信上所提的事,我说男不近女倒好。
2但要免淫乱的事,男子当各有自己的妻子;女子也当各有自己的丈夫。
3丈夫当用合宜之分待妻子;妻子待丈夫也要如此。
10至于那已经嫁娶的,我吩咐他们;其实不是我吩咐,乃是主吩咐说:妻子不可离开丈夫,
11若是离开了,不可再嫁,或是仍同丈夫和好。丈夫也不可离弃妻子。
12我对其余的人说,不是主说,:倘若某弟兄有不信的妻子,妻子也情愿和他同住,他就不要离弃妻子。
13妻子有不信的丈夫,丈夫也情愿和他同住,他就不要离弃丈夫。
14因为不信的丈夫就因着妻子成了圣洁,并且不信的妻子就因着丈夫(原文是弟兄)成了圣洁;不然,你们的儿女就不洁净,但如今他们是圣洁的了。
15倘若那不信的人要离去,就由他离去罢!无论是弟兄,是姐妹,遇着这样的事都不必拘束。神召我们原是要我们和睦。
16你这作妻子的,怎么知道不能救你的丈夫呢?你这作丈夫的,怎么知道不能救你的妻子呢?
17只要照主所分给各人的,和神所召各人的而行。我吩咐各教会都是这样。
18有人已受割礼蒙召呢,就不要废割礼;有人未受割礼蒙召呢,就不要受割礼。
19受割礼算不得甚么,不受割礼也算不得甚么,只要守神的诫命就是了。
信息分享
保罗指出,基督徒若按照神的心意结婚,是完全正确的。但对某些信徒而言,神的心意是要他守独身,为的是专心事奉祂;许多宣教士都见证了这个选择对事奉的益处了。
一个人在婚后才成为基督徒,他应该以甚么态度来对待未信主的配偶呢?他应该离弃家庭吗?不,除非未得救的配偶自动离弃家庭,否则,他们的婚姻依然有效。遇上这种情况的基督徒,必须来到主的面前,寻求主的带领。
我们在这章经文中至少认识到有关婚姻的四项真理:
第一,神对某些人的心意是要他结婚,但同时也可能将守独身的恩赐赐予某些人。
第二,婚后才信主的信徒,应该继续与未得救的配偶维持婚姻关系;可是,未婚的信徒却不应与未信者结婚(林后六14)。
第三,信徒有责任去为到未信的配偶祷告,和努力带领对方信主(14、16节)。
第四,寡妇可按照神的心意再婚。
请记着,信徒的见证能够带领家人相信基督;在祂凡事都能,所以我们不该放弃任何一个向家人作见证的机会。
每个家庭都应持守的座右铭:基督必要成为我们的一家之主。
MARRIAGE-THAT MOST IMPORTANT STEP
1 Corinthians 7:1-3 and 10-19
1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:
It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.
11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.
12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.
13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.
16 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?
17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.
18 Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.
19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.
Message
Paul states that marriage is right for Christians who marry in the will of God. For some it may be God's will to remain single and to serve him as a single person. Many missionaries have proved this.
When a married person becomes a Christian what should be his or her attitude to the, unsaved partner? Should he or she leave the home? No, not unless the unsaved partner makes the marriage relationship intolerable or leaves of his or her own accord. The marriage is still valid. Each Christian must face this situation before the Lord and seek God's will in it.
There are at least four points that come through clearly in this chapter.
Marriage may be in God's will for a person or it may be his gift to that person to remain single.
Marriage with an unsaved partner should be continued, but never commenced (2 Corinthians 6:14).
Marriage to an unsaved partner has a very distinct obligation-to seek and pray for the other's conversion (v. 14,16).
A widow is free to marry again in the will of God.
Remember, Christ is brought into a home in the person of a believer. All things are possible when Christ is present.
A MOTTO FOR EVERY FAMILY:
Christ is, and always will be the head of this home.

