Last week, in chapter 6, we saw Paul press the holiness of the Christian body — your body is a temple, you are not your own, you were bought with a great price. The very next breath, in chapter 7, Paul moves from purity in the body to purity in the home. That is no accident. Personal holiness is the foundation of a healthy marriage.

Listen to how chapter 7 opens, in verse 1, in the English Standard Version: “Now concerning the matters about which you wrote…” The Corinthian church had sent Paul a letter full of hard, awkward, real-life questions. We do not have their letter, but we have his answers — and from his answers, we can hear the questions. Should I be married at all? What does mutual intimacy in marriage look like? What if my spouse and I are drifting apart? What if my spouse is not a Christian? Do I need to start over now that I am saved? Should I marry, or stay single? What about my engagement? What if my spouse has died? Friends, we could title 1 Corinthians 7, “Everything you wanted to know about marriage but were afraid to ask.”