Contentment in singlehood

[RodColeman]

That's incredible ego there. You think an argument with you matters to anybody so much that someone would go off and use AI to get a reply for you.

That being said, as soon as I'm tired of "arguing" with Lovette, I'll create an AI to do it for me. Hahaha!

 

[RodColeman]

How about no man should develop a messiah complex upon this analogy? If earthly marriage is an analogy of Christ's union with his church, then why would you need a poor substitute when you already have the original?

Um, is a review of the term "analogy" necessary? OK. What is an analogy? An analogy is a comparison between two different things to show how they're alike.

We, the church, the "bride," have accepted Jesus as our Savior. Jesus, the "bridegroom," has chosen us as his bride. He has also made a sacrifice in order to secure our "marriage," if you will. In biblical times, there was a betrothal period where the bride and her groom were separated until their wedding day. Similarly, we, the church, are currently separated from our Bridegroom in the church age. During a betrothal, a bride must be faithful to her groom, and vice versa. We, the church, must remain faithful to Jesus before He finally returns. At the Rapture, the church will join Jesus at a sort of "wedding feast." (see Revelation 19 and 21)

Are we currently, physically, reunited with Jesus? No. Does the prospect of a future union with Jesus in Paradise at some unknown date, possibly not in your lifetime, mean that you can't get married in your own lifetime? No.

Also, some of the most basic ways we connect as human beings is through literal, audible conversation and physical touch. Can Jesus currently fulfill those desires? No. But a spouse can. Is it all that surprising that some people, as a result, desire marriage? Maybe it is to you, sure. But not everyone's like you, are they?

And what to do you mean by "messiah complex"?

You do understand that in marriage, two become one flesh, right? So why would God trust another person's life in you, why would God give her to you, what have you done to deserve her?

I don't know if you've noticed, but there's lots of Christians who are married, and lots of Christians who enjoy happy marriages. Oh, wait, I forgot. You don't believe there's such a thing as a "happy marriage." My bad, sorry! I guess nobody should get married, then, because you, personally, don't believe in such a thing! Hahaha.

Are you content in your relationship with Christ? Is his salvation sufficient, or do you need to add something else, such as a spouse?

Being "content" in Christ does not mean you can't desire other things. It also doesn't mean you can't get married.

Again, consider the entirety of 1 Corinthians 7. Here Paul says he has no "commandment from God" about this. Paul says that he wishes that everyone was single like him ── not that God wishes it. He says that he, personally, is content with being single ── but he admits that not everyone is like that. He says that it's good to stay single, but that it's better to marry if you have strong desires. Paul "supposes" that it's better to stay single because of "the present distress," some crisis that the church in Corinth was dealing with at the time. He says you're not sinning by marrying. Paul says a widow would be happier if she stayed single, but he admits that this is just a personal opinion. Evidently, many people are not happier being single. In 1 Timothy 4:1-3 Paul also condemns people who forbid marriage. And if Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews, then he also said that marriage is a good thing.

Paul does not say that a single person has to be "content" with their singleness. He says that if you're not content ── then maybe you should get married. He even says it's better for those people to marry.

Speaking of desire for marriage, I do desire the final marriage with Christ in heaven, Rev. 19:6-9, how about that?

Hey, I do, too! Great! Is this the only thing you desire in life? I mean that question literally. Is it?


Whew! Thanks RodColemanAI™, for generating all of these thoughts for me. Hahaha!

 

[Lanolin]

@Edith explain yourself!

I thought you were content with singlehood until you stole my man! With your curly locks of dark cocoa hair!

Are you soul sisters with that hussy Johlene?

But why'd you have to take my my man? You have not one but THREE men fighting over you in this CC thread!

 

[Lanolin]

Computer says 'Yes'

 

[Lovette]

Um, is a review of the term "analogy" necessary? OK. What is an analogy? An analogy is a comparison between two different things to show how they're alike.

We, the church, the "bride," have accepted Jesus as our Savior. Jesus, the "bridegroom," has chosen us as his bride. He has also made a sacrifice in order to secure our "marriage," if you will. In biblical times, there was a betrothal period where the bride and her groom were separated until their wedding day. Similarly, we, the church, are currently separated from our Bridegroom in the church age. During a betrothal, a bride must be faithful to her groom, and vice versa. We, the church, must remain faithful to Jesus before He finally returns. At the Rapture, the church will join Jesus at a sort of "wedding feast." (see Revelation 19 and 21)

Are we currently, physically, reunited with Jesus? No. Does the prospect of a future union with Jesus in Paradise at some unknown date, possibly not in your lifetime, mean that you can't get married in your own lifetime? No.

Also, some of the most basic ways we connect as human beings is through literal, audible conversation and physical touch. Can Jesus currently fulfill those desires? No. But a spouse can. Is it all that surprising that some people, as a result, desire marriage? Maybe it is to you, sure. But not everyone's like you, are they?

Sorry man, pre-trib rapture is false teaching and cowardly copout. There's the gathering of the church and the resurrection of the saints at the second coming, but there's no sudden disappearance at the revealing of the Antichrist. That's another rabbit hole we better not dive in.

And what to do you mean by "messiah complex"?

Go ask chatgpt.

I don't know if you've noticed, but there's lots of Christians who are married, and lots of Christians who enjoy happy marriages. Oh, wait, I forgot. You don't believe there's such a thing as a "happy marriage." My bad, sorry! I guess nobody should get married, then, because you, personally, don't believe in such a thing! Hahaha.

In case you haven't noticed, you're still stuck in your mindset of false dichotomy. Why can't you grasp the simple concept of keeping the status quo, in terms of marriage? That those who are already married, stay married; those who are not married, don't seek marriage?

Being "content" in Christ does not mean you can't desire other things. It also doesn't mean you can't get married.

Again, consider the entirety of 1 Corinthians 7. Here Paul says he has no "commandment from God" about this. Paul says that he wishes that everyone was single like him ── not that God wishes it. He says that he, personally, is content with being single ── but he admits that not everyone is like that. He says that it's good to stay single, but that it's better to marry if you have strong desires. Paul "supposes" that it's better to stay single because of "the present distress," some crisis that the church in Corinth was dealing with at the time. He says you're not sinning by marrying. Paul says a widow would be happier if she stayed single, but he admits that this is just a personal opinion. Evidently, many people are not happier being single. In 1 Timothy 4:1-3 Paul also condemns people who forbid marriage. And if Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews, then he also said that marriage is a good thing.

Paul does not say that a single person has to be "content" with their singleness. He says that if you're not content ── then maybe you should get married. He even says it's better for those people to marry.

Paul does say to be content in whatever state you are. If that's just his personal opinion, don't quote 1 Cor. 7, don't quote any of his words at all.

"Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Hey, I do, too! Great! Is this the only thing you desire in life? I mean that question literally. Is it?


Whew! Thanks RodColemanAI™, for generating all of these thoughts for me. Hahaha!

No, I also desire God keeping me and my family safe and sound in our present distress.

 

[Lovette]

That's incredible ego there. You think an argument with you matters to anybody so much that someone would go off and use AI to get a reply for you.

What's a really incredible ego is this naive and persistent "desire" for marriage with a perfect Christian partner popping out of thin air. Good luck with that on Hinge or whatever "Christian" app you're prescribed to, haha.

 

[Lovette]

Then stay in miserable state if you wish.
No one is forcing you to be joyful haha.

No one's forcing you to follow the Lord and carry his cross either. And I'm far from miserable, I'm enjoying the most fulfilled and peaceful time of my life. I worship a God who gives eternal life, not temporary pleasure.

 

[Lovette]

Oh yea the do not forbid marriage verse
Totally forgot about that one!

Go Rod!

Didn't Jesus turn water to wine at a wedding? He could have refused or declined the invitation. But we know he didn't and was partying with the other guests.

What does that have to do with anything ? I attended my uncle's and cousin's weddings before, my parents actually brought bottles of wines to them as gifts, believe it or not. I had no problem with that, I felt happy for them.

 

[RodColeman]

Sorry man, pre-trib rapture is false teaching and cowardly copout. There's the gathering of the church and the resurrection of the saints at the second coming, but there's no sudden disappearance at the revealing of the Antichrist. That's another rabbit hole we better not dive in.

Huh? I mentioned the Rapture, and you automatically assumed I believed in a pre-Trib rapture. Something I didn't even mention. Very interesting. Do you go around looking to start an argument every time you get on the Internet?

Go ask chatgpt.

No, I mean why does someone who simply desires marriage have a "messiah complex"?

In case you haven't noticed, you're still stuck in your mindset of false dichotomy. Why can't you grasp the simple concept of keeping the status quo, in terms of marriage? That those who are already married, stay married; those who are not married, don't seek marriage?

Good question. I already addressed that, but let's go over it again. Paul wrote an epistle to the church in Corinth in the 53-57 AD. Paul founded this church, and then, a few years after leaving the church, Paul heard some disturbing reports about them, like how they were full of pride and excusing sexual immorality. Spiritual gifts were also being used improperly, and there was widespread misunderstanding of some key Christian doctrines. So Paul write them a letter. In 1 Corinthians 5:1, for instance, we learn that one of the Corinthians was sleeping with his mother-in-law. I doubt that you or I need to be told, today, that this sort of thing is bad.

The Bible was written for us, yes. It is not always written to us. There's good stuff in these epistles. But they were not originally written to us.

Can Paul's teaching about marriage be summed up as "if you're currently single, never get married"? No. What else does Paul say about marriage? In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul says he has no "commandment from God" about this. Paul says that he wishes that everyone was single like him ── not that God wishes it. He says that he, personally, is content with being single ── but he admits that not everyone is like that. He says that it's good to stay single, but that it's better to marry if you have strong desires. Paul "supposes" that it's better to stay single because of "the present distress," some crisis that the church in Corinth was dealing with at the time. He says you're not sinning by marrying. Paul says a widow would be happier if she stayed single, but he admits that this is just a personal opinion. Evidently, many people are not happier being single. In 1 Timothy 4:1-3 Paul also condemns people who forbid marriage. And if Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews, then he also said that marriage is a good thing.

Paul does say to be content in whatever state you are. If that's just his personal opinion, don't quote 1 Cor. 7, don't quote any of his words at all.

Paul says to be content in all things. Not with all things. He still permits marriage. Nowhere in his letters does Paul forbid marriage. In 1 Timothy 4:1-3 Paul actually condemns people who forbid marriage. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul also says that he, personally, is content with being single, but he also admits that not everyone is like that.

What if I'm currently homeless, or being abused, or unemployed? Should I be "content" with these things, and not do anything about them?

No, I also desire God keeping me and my family safe and sound in our present distress.

Oh, so you do have other desires. Cool. That's what I thought.

What does that have to do with anything ? I attended my uncle's and cousin's weddings before, my parents actually brought bottles of wines to them as gifts, believe it or not. I had no problem with that, I felt happy for them.

Why did you feel happy for people who got married? I thought marriage was all a big, distracting, worldly waste of time that involves exploiting your partner for sexual favors or something. Isn't that what you've expressed on this forum?

 

[Lovette]

Jesus could also have lectured the bride and groom about how they were, apparently, just wasting their time and exploiting each other for their own selfish gain. But Jesus didn't do that. Weird.

Jesus also declined to agree with his disciples when they said that, if the divorce law is so tough, then it's better to just not bother with marriage altogether.

Oopsie!

Jesus did NOT decline absolutely, he simply pointed out that celibacy is a fate for those three categories of people, as a matter of fact. Celibacy is not for all, neither is marriage. Don't you know the rule of primogeniture in the past, that the firstborn son had the exclusive right to inherit family fortune in its entirety, while younger sons were often sent to military or to the clergy, which meant, obviously, a vow of celibacy; would you desert your duty and go get married instead? "Not everyone can accept this saying," alright, suppose you can't accept, does that mean God will pity on you and carve an Eve out of you for you to marry, like Papagina for Papagino? Oopsie to you ,haha.

 

[Churchgoer]

Can't believe people are arguing against marriage making a phd thesis on it

 

[Snackersmom]

Can't believe people are arguing against marriage making a phd thesis on it

Well to be fair, Lovette will argue against dang near anything, marriage just happens to be his favorite point of contention.

I wonder why that is

 

[Churchgoer]

Well to be fair, Lovette will argue against dang near anything, marriage just happens to be his favorite point of contention.

I wonder why that is

Possible some just love to write, argue, debate.... maybe a lawyer if the judge has patience.

 

[Snackersmom]

Possible some just love to write, argue, debate.... maybe a lawyer if the judge has patience.

That..... or he just wants it REALLY bad and is trying to convince himself otherwise

 

[Churchgoer]

That..... or he just wants it REALLY bad and is trying to convince himself otherwise

Definitely have us convinced, very happily single, not looking, not pursuing. Don't other people pursue either. Pursuing marriage is bad ......

 

[Lovette]

Huh? I mentioned the Rapture, and you automatically assumed I believed in a pre-Trib rapture. Something I didn't even mention. Very interesting. Do you go around looking to start an argument every time you get on the Internet?

Ask yourself why you mentioned it.

No, I mean why does someone who simply desires marriage have a "messiah complex"?

You made the analogy, ask yourself.

Good question. I already addressed that, but let's go over it again. Paul wrote an epistle to the church in Corinth in the 53-57 AD. Paul founded this church, and then, a few years after leaving the church, Paul heard some disturbing reports about them, like how they were full of pride and excusing sexual immorality. Spiritual gifts were also being used improperly, and there was widespread misunderstanding of some key Christian doctrines. So Paul write them a letter. In 1 Corinthians 5:1, for instance, we learn that one of the Corinthians was sleeping with his mother-in-law. I doubt that you or I need to be told, today, that this sort of thing is bad.

The Bible was written for us, yes. It is not always written to us. There's good stuff in these epistles. But they were not originally written to us.

Can Paul's teaching about marriage be summed up as "if you're currently single, never get married"? No. What else does Paul say about marriage? In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul says he has no "commandment from God" about this. Paul says that he wishes that everyone was single like him ── not that God wishes it. He says that he, personally, is content with being single ── but he admits that not everyone is like that. He says that it's good to stay single, but that it's better to marry if you have strong desires. Paul "supposes" that it's better to stay single because of "the present distress," some crisis that the church in Corinth was dealing with at the time. He says you're not sinning by marrying. Paul says a widow would be happier if she stayed single, but he admits that this is just a personal opinion. Evidently, many people are not happier being single. In 1 Timothy 4:1-3 Paul also condemns people who forbid marriage. And if Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews, then he also said that marriage is a good thing.

Why do you bother quoting and theorizing him, since it's all just his personal opinions?

Paul says to be content in all things. Not with all things. He still permits marriage. Nowhere in his letters does Paul forbid marriage. In 1 Timothy 4:1-3 Paul actually condemns people who forbid marriage. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul also says that he, personally, is content with being single, but he also admits that not everyone is like that.

What if I'm currently homeless, or being abused, or unemployed? Should I be "content" with these things, and not do anything about them?

Nowhere in Paul's letters does he mandate marriage and discriminate singles either. And again, why do you bother quoting and theorizing him, since it's all just his personal opinions?

Oh, so you do have other desires. Cool. That's what I thought.

I also have the discernment to distinguish desire from temptation, do you?

Why did you feel happy for people who got married? I thought marriage was all a big, distracting, worldly waste of time that involves exploiting your partner for sexual favors or something. Isn't that what you've expressed on this forum?

I thought every married couple has their own motivations, "exploiting partner for sexual favors or something" could be one of them. Unlike you, I don't speak for all, and I don't pretend I do. What I do know with absolute certainly for my uncle and cousin is, they didn't go to church for a date, they married as heathens in heathen ceremonies.

 

[Snackersmom]

Definitely have us convinced, very happily single, not looking, not pursuing. Don't other people pursue either. Pursuing marriage is bad ......

I believe that he isn't looking or pursuing, but Lovette isn't "very happily" ANYTHING lol

 

[Lovette]

Definitely have us convinced, very happily single, not looking, not pursuing. Don't other people pursue either. Pursuing marriage is bad ......

Dude, if you're convinced that lord Jesus died for your love life, God rewards your faith with a hot godly mate, go ahead. Believe it or not, I as a straight man enjoys all kinds of epic romance and happy endings, but I'm also wise enough to know that those are fictions, back in reality I've got my own mill to grind and my own cross to carry, Lord Jesus had died for my sins, including ENVY, so I'm not in anxiety or under pressure to keep up with the Jones or the Kardashians or anybody.

 

[Churchgoer]

I believe that he isn't looking or pursuing,, but Lovette isn't "very happily" ANYTHING lol

Maybe we should start a thread, pursuing Christian marriage, teaching all singles, and married to that subject. Encourage teachings from good pasters too.
I listened to a few last year, quite good, very helpful to Christians.

 

[Lovette]

I believe that he isn't looking or pursuing, but Lovette isn't "very happily" ANYTHING lol

What does happiness even mean to you? A roll in the hay or the sheets? Is that all the Lord died for?