The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (187 page)

To reach a satisfying answer, we must recognize that Near Eastern and Greco-Roman religions were thoroughly idolatrous. Everywhere numerous deities were served in numerous ways and depicted under numerous forms. In many cases, sexual activity was an essential part of this ancient worship. For instance, cultic prostitution was an institutionalized form of unchastity that was performed in idol temples in service to the gods, probably as a fertility rite designed to bring blessings of prosperity upon families, flocks, and fields. In some situations, the hired services of these temple prostitutes were a means of bringing revenue into local idol shrines. In this world of the ancient past—familiar to the Corinthians but unfamiliar to us—
idolatry
officially sanctioned sexual
immorality
in the name of religion, and its liturgy became the context for surrendering the soul to the gods and the body to sexual impurity. It is not surprising that Paul would have to deal with situations like these in the pagan city of Corinth, especially since many believers in the congregation had been former idolaters (1 Cor 8:7; 12:2). Nor is it surprising that Paul should approach this issue from the perspective of biblical tradition, since in many ways the history of Israel is a chronicle of the People of God struggling to overcome these very sins.

THE THEOLOGY OF THE BODY
(1 Corinthians 6)

Paul's first line of defense against immorality is to explain the theological meaning of the body. His most striking statement in this regard is in 1 Cor 6:19, where Paul says that the body of the believer is "a temple of the Holy Spirit". It is no accident that this assertion immediately follows a rebuke aimed at certain Corinthians involved in prostitution (6:15). It suggests that the un-chastity in question is connected with temple rituals in Corinth. Paul, it seems, is trying to impress upon his readers that, whereas pagan worship promotes self-indulgence, the proper worship of God demands self-mastery. Aware that pagan temples are places of fornication and idol worship, he challenges the Corinthians to shun these abominations and glorify God "in" their own temples instead (6:20). Paul thus affirms that the body is an instrument designed for worship. But in glaring contrast to the degrading liturgies of the pagans, the body is to be offered to God as a living sacrifice in the form of chastity (Rom 12:1), and the Spirit of holiness that fills our temples forbids any form of fellowship with idols (2 Cor 6:16).

THE EXPERIENCE OF ISRAEL

(1 Corinthians 10)

Paul later adds weight to his warnings by appealing directly to the OT. In the course of developing a series of parallels between Israel and the Church, he recalls two episodes of the Exodus period where the congregation lapsed into sin. The first is the golden calf rebellion (1 Cor 10:7), where the Israelites fashioned an idol for worship, consumed food and drink consecrated to the idol, and then rose up to engage in a cultic sexual dance (Ex 32:1-6). The second is the apostasy at Beth Peor (1 Cor 10:8), where the sons of Israel were lured into sexual sin by the daughters of Moab, who then persuaded them to sacrifice and eat in the presence of their idols (Num 25:1-5). In both of these episodes idolatry is closely linked with sexual immorality—at the golden calf, idol worship paved the way for unchastity, and at Beth Peor, unchastity paved the way for idol worship. The alarm that Paul is sounding for the Corinthians could not be clearer when we consider that Yahweh destroyed the perpetrators of these crimes and cut them off from the blessings of the covenant (Ex 32:2728; Num 25:9). For Paul, the sins of idolatry and sexual impurity are so radically incompatible with true worship of the Lord that they exclude offenders from his kingdom (1 Cor 6:9-10; 10:6-10).

To an extent, the force and coherence of Paul's warnings to shun immorality (1 Cor 6:18) and idolatry (10:14) depend upon our understanding of how these two sins are related. Once we see that prostitution degrades the body just as idolatry degrades the soul, and that often these sins were committed together under the same roof of pagan temples, we can better appreciate Paul's teaching strategy in First Corinthians. Indeed, biblical reflections on the Temple and Israel's apostasy in the wilderness furnished him with a ready means of exposing the dangers of idol worship and the sexual impurity that often went with it. Mindful of the holiness of our bodies, and cautioned by the transgressions of Israel, we too are challenged to glorify God through lives of chastity and sanctity made possible by the grace of Jesus Christ. «
Back to 1 Corinthians 7:1.

7:7 as I myself am:
I.e., unmarried (7:8; 9:5). Paul upholds celibacy as the ideal state in life for believers, since its inherent freedom and flexibility are great advantages for serving Christ and his kingdom (CCC 922, 1618). He knows that marriage entails numerous commitments that can divide one's heart between a spouse and the Lord (1 Cor 7:32-35). Unlike certain Corinthians, however, Paul portrays the single life as desirable but not mandatory; he thus
permits
marriage (7:28), even though he
prefers
celibacy (7:38).
See note on Mt 19:12
. 
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7:9 aflame with passion:
Because sexual temptation is a danger for the young and unmarried, marriage is an appropriate station for those unable to restrain their passions. Marriage should nevertheless be pursued as a holy and fruitful partnership, not as an outlet for lust (1 Thess 4:3-5). 
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7:10 not I but the Lord:
Paul's teaching on divorce is directly mandated by Christ (Mk 10:2-12; Lk 16:18). Couples are strongly discouraged from seeking divorce because of personal dissatisfaction with marital relations and companionship. Should they choose to separate, their options are twofold: "remain single" or "be reconciled" (1 Cor 7:11). Like Jesus, Paul leaves no legitimate room for remarriage, since the bond of sacramental marriage is lifelong and can be dissolved only by the death of one of the spouses (7:39; Rom 7:2-3; CCC 2364, 2382). See essay:
Jesus on Marriage and Divorce
at Mt 19. 
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7:12 I say, not the Lord:
Paul offers pastoral direction for situations not addressed by Jesus' teaching, i.e., marriages between baptized Christians and nonbelievers (disparity of cult). Though the difficulties facing these couples are formidable, they are not insurmountable. Indeed, Paul holds out the hope that a Christian spouse can be instrumental in the conversion of an unbelieving partner (7:14; 1 Pet 3:1-2; CCC 1634, 1637). 
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7:15 desires to separate:
Paul's ruling on the separation of a believer and a nonbeliever. • Canon Law later developed this principle into the Pauline privilege, which means that a marriage between two nonbaptized persons can be dissolved when one of the spouses is subsequently baptized. The privilege requires that the unbaptized spouse either desires to separate or refuses to cohabit peaceably without insult to the faith of the baptized partner. Also, the baptized spouse must not have given the other party just cause to desire separation. In virtue of the Pauline privilege a subsequent marriage dissolves the first marriage "in favor of the faith" of the baptized person (see CIC 1143 § 1-2). 
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7:17-24
Paul encourages Christians to be content with their state in life and set aside anxieties over unchangeable circumstances. To illustrate this for the married (7:1-16) and unmarried alike (7:25-35), he draws a lesson from different social situations: the circumcised and uncircumcised should not seek to change their condition (7:18), nor should slaves or freedmen think their position makes one more or less important to Christ (7:21-22). The state in which God calls them is the state in which they should serve him. 
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7:18 remove the marks of circumcision:
A procedure associated with apostasy (1 Mac 1:15). For Paul, this surgical option would be pointless, since circumcision is not a sign of Christian faith (1 Cor 7:19). 
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7:19 neither circumcision . . . nor uncircumcision:
The sign of circumcision no longer serves as an identity marker for God's people in the New Covenant as it did under the Old (Gal 5:6; 6:15). Along with the entire body of ritual and sacrificial legislation established through Moses, the rite of circumcision came to fulfillment in the messianic age, when God began to circumcise the hearts of the faithful through Baptism (Deut 30:6; Col 2:11-12). Unlike these ceremonial laws, which are now obsolete, the moral
commandments
given through Moses continue to guide the children of God to spiritual maturity (CCC 1968, 1972). 
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7:21 a slave:
Slavery was widespread and accepted in the Roman world. In many instances, slaves suffered maltreatment and hardship; in others, slaves were educated and charged with important administrative tasks. Paul encourages slaves to improve their situation whenever possible, implying that slavery as such is an offense against the dignity of the human person (CCC 2414). 
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7:25 Now concerning the unmarried:
Paul addresses other questions posed to him by the Corinthians.
See note on 1 Cor 7:1
. As in 7:12, he offers his own advice on the topic of marriage and is not presenting them with specific instructions from the teaching of Christ. 
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7:26 impending distress:
Or, "the present necessity". It is uncertain whether Paul has something general or specific in mind.
(1)
If general, Paul recommends celibacy because of the perennial troubles that face married couples. The ordinary pressures of daily life can make an undistracted commitment to Christ a constant struggle.
(2)
If specific, Paul endorses the single life in light of the hostile and pagan environment of Corinth. He knows that persecutions will multiply hardships for married couples who are concerned for the welfare of each other and their children. 
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7:28 you do not sin:
The clarification made here and at 7:36 is aimed at certain Corinthians who either discouraged or denounced marriage. Paul does not want his preference for celibacy to be misunderstood as a rejection of lawful matrimony. See notes on 1 Cor 7:1 and 7:7. 
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7:31 this world is passing away:
Both marriage and its daily concerns will expire when the present age comes to an end (Lk 20:34-36). This puts marital struggles and worldly affairs in perspective, since only one's relationship with the Lord endures forever (CCC 1619). 
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7:36-38
Paul counsels men engaged to be married and presents them with two options: a man does "well" to marry his fiancée, but he does even "better" if he remains unmarried (7:38). The decision depends on whether he is disciplined enough to control his passions. 
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7:39 as long as he lives:
The marriage bond endures as long as both spouses are living. When one of them dies, the union is dissolved (Rom 7:2-3) and the surviving partner is then allowed to remarry (1 Tim 5:14).
See note on 1 Cor 7:10
. 
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8:1-11:1
Paul addresses the question of whether Christians are permitted to eat idol food. This was a significant moral challenge for many early believers living in the Roman world, since various foods offered to idols were afterward eaten in pagan temples (8:10) or sold in the marketplace and eaten at home (10:25-29). Paul insists that the Corinthians must never eat idol food if the danger of idolatry or scandal is in any way present (10:14, 27-29). See essay:
Paul, Idol Food, and the Jerusalem Council
at 1 Cor 8-9. 
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8:1 all of us possess knowledge:
A Corinthian motto. Paul qualifies it by stressing that Christian knowledge is not merely factual or intellectual; it is grounded, rather, on a relational bond of love between the Lord and his people (8:3; Gal 4:9). 
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8:4 an idol has no real existence:
Another Corinthian motto. It is true in a comparative sense that idols are nothing compared to Yahweh (Is 44:6-11), but it is false in an ontological sense, because Paul insists that demonic forces masquerade behind what appear to be lifeless idol images (1 Cor 10:14-22). 
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8:6 one God . . . one Lord:
Paul distinguishes the Christian faith from paganism, which venerated many gods, and from Judaism, which declined to accept the messianic Lordship of Jesus. • Paul alludes to the monotheistic creed of Deut 6:4, but he applies its two divine titles to two distinct Persons. "God" is linked with the
Father,
the divine Source from whom all creation originates, and "Lord" is linked with
Christ,
the divine Mediator through whom all things were made. This is one of the clearest Pauline passages to assert both the deity and divine activity of Jesus Christ (Col 1:15-17). 
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