The Proper Gift of God

[ollie]

1 Corinthians 7:7. "For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that."

What is this proper gift of God that every man has? I assume Paul is talking to every man that is a saint in Christ and not just those at Corinth. What is each man's proper gift, how do we know it, if this is aimed at all faithful men?

ollie

[David_james]

NLT of that verse is
 I wish everyone could get along without marrying, just as I do. But we are not all the same. God gives some the gift of marriage, and to others he gives the gift of singleness.
So either marrige or love

[Soldier4Christ]

1Co 7:7  For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
1Co 7:8  I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
1Co 7:9  But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.


Amen David, If we look at the surrounding verses we can see this to be the subject at hand.

Paul is talking about being either married or single. The ability to remain chaste is a gift which it was with Paul. If chastity is not possible then marriage is the other gift that is being spoken of.

[ollie]

I  not sure I see marrage or single as the gift

It seems this proper gift is that which could come from either state of being every man is in, married or single, to serve and give of that gift according to what that state of being allows, either marriage or single. If so what is the gift remains unanswered. The gift for the married may not quite be that as for the single. The single could devote more to it than the married. Paul's reasoning and His desire that all could be as he, single.

ollie

[Soldier4Christ]

ollie,

Take a look at the context of the entire chapter. It is speaking of chastity versus marriage.


1Co 7:1  Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
1Co 7:2  Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Verse one = chastity, verse two marriage in order to avoid fornication.

In verse 7 he states that he wishes that all were as he was ... chaste, for Paul never married. Then Paul uses the word "but". The word but here tells us that the coming statement is in reference to this same subject of chastity.

"But" chastity or marriage are according to what God has given each of us to be able to handle. He continues on in verse 8 that it is good for the unmarried and widows to be as he is ... again he makes a comment about himself being single and chaste. In verse 9 Paul has yet another "but" ... but if they cannot contain (control themselves) then it is better for them to marry than it is to burn.

Also if we look at the original Greek we see that the word "houtō" is used for both the words "manner" and "that" in verse 7. This word means = in this way (referring to what precedes or follows). What precedes or follows was the subject of chastity and marriage.

This writing of Paul's goes along with what Jesus said in Mat 19.


Mat 19:9  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Mat 19:10  His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
Mat 19:11  But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
Mat 19:12  For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

As we can see here (in the bold) it is a gift given by God.

[ollie]

OK, Thank you. I understand better.

ollie