I think there's no reason to bother with it at all, if you're truly content.
Nobody has to bother with it. That's fine. And Paul doesn't say that you have to be "content" with your singleness. He says that if you're not content with it, then it might be better to marry. He also says that he, personally is content with it, but also admits that not everyone is like that.
Lust is a deadly sin.
There is a difference between general romantic and sexual desires on one hand, and lust on the other. Out lusts are for something (or someone) specific, while our sexual desires are more general. When Paul mentions people who "burn with passion," he does not accuse them of lust.
Time for a little digression on Matthew 5. I think it may help. In Matthew 5:27-28, another way to translate Jesus's words here is "Whoever looks at a woman in order to lust after her." And the word "lust" here means a passionate desire. In other parts of the New Testament it gets translated as "covet." Jesus starts this section by talking about adultery.
The seventh commandment forbids adultery, and tenth commandment forbids the thing that leads to adultery: coveting. A bit earlier in this passage in Matthew (verses 21-22) Jesus reminds his audience that murder is wrong, and then forbids the thing that leads to murder (hate) Note the symmetry. But in this section of Matthew it gets translated to "lust" for some reason. The word "woman" here also means "married woman." (though it is possible, certainly, to lust after an unmarried woman) You can't commit "adultery" if both parties are unmarried. Don't get me wrong. Lust is still a sin. But it's not always "adultery."
Jesus says that if you covet your neighbor’s wife, you’ve pretty much committed adultery with her in your heart. The issue here is coveting another man’s wife. Not noticing an attractive woman.
So verse 28 can mean something like "but I say to you that everyone who gazes intently at a woman in order to covet her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
Or even "but I say to you that everyone who gazes intently at a married woman in order to covet her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
And again, this involves coveting. And coveting other things only comes when you desire to take those things away from another person to own them yourself.
So it's not exactly as simple as "don't look at women."
Then what's the point with your advocacy for dating app? Or any practices to meet perfect strangers?
A dating app is a place to find someone who's potentially interesting, talk to them, and then arrange and actual first date to see if they have any potential and see how interesting they really are. It's not supposed to be complicated. At some point, every married couple were strangers to each other.
Again, nothing to do with modern dating.
What's your idea? Young betrothals? Arranged marriages? The bride price? Building an addition onto the groom's father's house? Alright, go ahead.
1 Cor. 6:12, 10:23.
There is no condemnation or even mention of marriage in these verses. Also, by using these verse, one could also say that "Singleness is beneficial but not always helpful." Right?
"Singleness is lawful for me, but not always helpful. Singleness is lawful for me, but not all things edify."
Did you think of that? Or does this only go one way? Remember, Paul says it's better for some people to marry. In verse 38 he also says that someone who marries "does well."
Haven't I told you that render Caesar's to Caesar, and render God's to God? I ask you again, is the government Caesar or not? I've applied this Christian principle taught by none other than the Lord himself to an inconvenient fact, that a marriage license from the government validates a marriage, a church wedding or any other ceremony does not, why can't you?
So you need a license from the government to get married. OK. And? Do you think that makes marriage evil? I also need a license from the government to hunt, to fish, to drive a car, or to fly a plane. Some people need them in order to become a lawyer or a doctor. or an electrician or a plumber. Some people need them in order to establish a restaurant. Or to operate TV or radio station.
I don't know what exactly your point is with that. Maybe you think something is evil simply because it involves government. Would it be evil for me to enter into any above professions? After all, they require that evil, worldly government license.
Besides, what was Jesus's whole point when talking about Caesar?
There's a kingdom of this world, and human rulers ("Caesar") hold power over them. But there's also another kingdom, not of this world, and Jesus is King of that. Christians are part of both kingdoms (at least for now) Under Caesar, we have certain obligations that involve material things. Under Jesus, we have other obligations that involve eternal things. If Caesar demands money, give it to him. It's just money. But make sure you also give God what He requires.
Caesar minted coins (something he he had a right to do) and he demanded some coins in return (something he also had a right to do). After all, his image was stamped on what he had made. God “minted," if you will, humanity, and He stamped His image on every person (see Genesis 1:27) So we should give Caesar his due — the temporary things of this world — but make sure to give God His due as well (see Romans 6:13)
You seem to be saying we should skip marriage because it's worldly and part of Caesar's world. Paying taxes was also worldly and part of Caesar's world. But Jesus did not command his followers to avoid paying their taxes to Caesar, did He?
Than leave yourself out of it, nothing he taught is relevant to modern dating. Do not mix the sacred with the profane.
It's relevant to the question of whether or not to marry. Which is relevant to modern dating.
Don't worry, Lovette. If you find dating and marriage "profane," that's fine, you don't have to get married. If you want stay single, that's fine. If you want to avoid marriage, you can do that. If you want to demand that every Christian in the world stay single, well, I can guess you can do that, too. Knock yourself out. Hopefully all of the world's Christians who are currently and desiring marriage will consult this Internet chat forum before taking the fateful plunge, so they can avoid that dreadful fate.
But those people are not required to stay single. Sorry if this confuses and upsets you so much. Oh, well. Can't help you there.
