I know that sometimes I have to see things printed out in order to catch everything, including the subtle nuances, that I might overlook on a screen. It gives me a chance to see it in print, which is what I prefer, instead of scrunched up on a screen.
Are you ready to commit for life?
1 Corinthians 7:10-11 NKJV
"Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. 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."
1. When you get married, will you vow before God to marry your spouse for life, for better and for worse, for richer and poorer, in sickness and in health, until death you do part?
yes no I don't know
2. According to these verses (1 Cor. 7:10-11), does it matter why a woman wants/wanted to depart from her husband?
yes no
3. Does the command in these two verses, to remain alone or be reconciled, apply to men as well as women?
yes no I don't know
4. Are there any exceptions to the command to stay unmarried or be reconciled contained within these two verses?
yes no
5. If God expects the one who went after the divorce to stay alone or be reconciled, what does this mean for the person who is left by the one who departs?
5. (a) In these two verses, are the ones who are left behind (divorced/put away), whose spouse departs from them, also supposed to look towards reconciliation or remain alone?
yes no
6. Within these two verses alone, is there an absolute prohibition against the one who obtains the divorce from marrying another person?
yes no
7. Does God ever contradict Himself, by saying one thing in one place, and something contradictory somewhere else?
yes no
8. Does the Holy Spirit lead people to contradict a command of the holy bible?
yes no
8. (a) If someone is being lead to do something which violates a command of the holy scripture, is it the Holy Spirit who is leading them to violate that command?
yes no
9. Does the truth set you free, or is it just a tool of mean spirited people who want to spoil your fun?
10. Have you ever told someone they shouldn't do something wrong before they did it, because you knew from God's word that He didn't approve of such conduct?
yes no
11. If yes, were you sinning or just being mean just by giving them a warning to obey God and His word?
yes no
12. For those who have children, when you set boundaries, and tell them they can't do certain things; do you set those boundaries because you hate them and want to hurt them; because you love them and want to protect them from harm they do not fully understand, or for some other reason?
13. Has God changed His mind about the commands in these two verses because we live in a different culture?
yes no
14. Is there an expiration date on the command to remain unmarried or reconcile?
yes no
15. Who gave us the standards contained in these verses?
God Paul
16. How does Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 impact your view of 1 Corinthians 7:10-11?
I hope you find that it is your own beliefs about God and His word that will inform you as to the level of your willingness to commit to marriage for life, and not the questions or how they are asked. The questions, and how they are asked, only help you to consider new ways of considering the level of commitment God requires in His word. Indeed, the disciples' response in Matthew 19 should give everyone pause, as we look at how seriously they responded to the rigid standard Christ gave them. But indeed, marriage is honorable, and a blessed thing, and favored by God.
If there are questions you have after taking time to ponder the profound questions contained in this questionnaire, I will be glad to do my best to give a good answer from God's word. Again, the answers to this questionnaire are highly personal, and I'm not looking for anyone to report back to me, but to help people get an honest look into the mirror of God's word, and a true understanding of their own views regarding the permanence of marriage.
Steve
"For the word is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
