1 Corinthians 7:1
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
We are now given the information that at some point after Paul had moved on in his ministry from Corinth, that the saints at Corinth had some questions for him. They wrote these in a letter and had it sent to Paul, so he is going to address those things beginning in this chapter. First on the list, it is apparent that some saints were questioning marriage. They either wanted to know if it was okay that a man
not get married and have children or if it was better to marry. We don't have the exact question, but I can't imagine why else Paul would both share God's view and his own regarding the marriage relationship in terms of the physical. Paul gives them both the physical and spiritual reasons for his statements in these next few verses.
We may not have record of what the Corinthian saints wrote specifically, but I can imagine what may have been happening and going through their heads. Remember, by God's own words that "there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecc 1:9), and that these people faced much of the same things that we face today. Don't let technology fool you that we are far and above the ancient cultures. These were still real people, in real places, experiencing very similar needs as we do today. Some may have been questioning, "God says children are a blessing and to be fruitful and multiply, but I don't know if I want to bring children into this kind of a world. Is it okay if I don't get married or have children? What does God think about that?" Remember that this was around the time of Nero, and the Roman culture wasn't particularly kind to bible believing Christians. From another angle, some men may have been having problems finding a wife and now they were getting up there in years. Perhaps they were thinking "What if I don't ever get married? Is that okay?" I could speculate all day, but I want us to wrap our brains around the fact that these people faced difficulties and brought their questions to the spiritual authorities just like what happens today. God alone knows the specifics, but let us reap the benefits by getting the same counseling they did.
We see that in God's eyes, during this age of grace, celibacy is okay. It may have been okay under the Law also, but I would hesitate to say so for one reason. Yes, the culture was quite different, as we see throughout what is called the Old Testament, but the major reason is because the Christ child hadn't been born yet (Gen 3:15). Many times we see woman desperate or excited to have baby boys (Eve, Sarah, Leah, Rachel, Hannah, etc.) because they were looking for that Christ child. Still, we have the assurance in this verse, that if one doesn't "touch a woman" it is counted as "good." There is no law against remaining single.
1 Corinthians 7:2
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
Even though it is good to be single, we still live in these bodies of flesh that were cursed since Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. They will lust after each other. God instituted marriage as the only safe haven for a sexual relationship from the beginning. Note the words carefully in this verse,
to avoid fornication. The words to follow are going to say the only ways of avoiding fornication. They are that the man (husband) has his
own wife, and the woman has her
own husband. That's it. Sexual activity is ONLY for the marriage covenant, which was established by God and made for one man and one woman (Gen 2:24, Mark 10:2-9). Any sexual activity outside of the marriage covenant is labeled fornication according to God.
Despite this hard and fast rule, there will still be those thinking, "how far can we go and still be safe?" That question really comes up with anything labeled as a sin in the bible and not just fornication as is the subject in this verse. I'll answer the question this way: If anyone has that thought of "how far can I/we go?", lust has already taken a hold. If you know the rule and recognize that that question is trying to figure out a way to break the rule, run the other direction before sin is committed and some undesired consequences occur. Pray immediately and bring it to God. As we just read in this verse, to avoid fornication, get married. The marriage bed is undefiled (Heb 13:4). Don't try to think of any other way to have some sort of sexual relationship. We'll also see this idea expounded in the next few verses. Everything
is fornication in regard to sexual activity outside of marriage, so just avoid it for the sake of your conscience and your testimony.
One thing to point out in the original language is that these are imperative verbs, that the man has his own wife and the wife has her own husband.
1 Corinthians 7:3
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
Marriage is a relationship ordained of God and esteemed highly when it is carried out according to God. No matter what the world or culture may say, here is God's definition:
Genesis 2:24 - Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh
They shall be one flesh. Man and woman united in marriage no longer live to the self, but to each other, and that before God. As we were just told, the marriage bed is undefiled, meaning sexual activity is only allowed to be enjoyed within the marriage relationship of one man and one woman. Here, we read a detail of the marriage covenant that is often forgotten or taken for granted. The husband should give what is owed to his wife and the wife should give what is owed to her husband. That begs the question, "What is owed?" The answer should be clear: It's their very selves. Remember, "they shall be one flesh." Marriage in God's eyes isn't this "give and take" relationship our culture may portray. It's just "give."
When we look at the original language, I think the idea of this verse becomes much clearer. The command (imperative verb) is present for the word apodidomi. That word has the meaning to give back, which is the literal interpretation of the two words that make it up (apo = away from, didomi = give). What are they giving back? The Greek word is opheile (off-eye-lay), which has the meaning of what is due, a duty, a debt. A more rough interpretation could be this:
Husband, give back what is due to your wife, and wife, do likewise to your husband.
If there is any question as to why I would suggest that what is owed is the entire self, let's take a look at the next verse.
1 Corinthians 7:4
The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
Does this not further emphasize the complete, 100% giving of the husband to the wife, and the wife to the husband? The idea of power in this verse is authoritative, as it comes from the Greek exousiazo. The wife isn't the only one exercising authority over her own body, and likewise, the husband isn't the only one exercising authority over his own body. Who else could possibly have the authority? As we've seen, the wife has authority on the husband's body and the husband has authority on the wife's body. That pretty much covers the whole self, doesn't it? Again, we're just seeing the idea of the two becoming one flesh played out a bit.
Now this verse does not give husbands the liberty or license to dictate what their wife does, nor does it do the same for the wife to dictate everything their husband does. God's view is clear in this: that it is more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20:35). The mind should be esteeming the other higher than the self (Phil 2:3-4). If we're dictating what the other is doing, where is the focus? Is that not selfish? Some may think, "Well, what if my spouse withholds their self from me?" God will answer that question next.
1 Corinthians 7:5
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
The only time to refrain from sexual relations is during mutual consent, and that temporarily. Things will come up. Illness, grief of a lost relative, lack of privacy, aches, pains, and more can put a strain on the husband and wife relationship. All of these things should be brought before God in prayer, respecting your spouse for the time. When the opportunity is right, though, enjoy the freedom God provides in the marriage relationship. Here we have further exhortation from God that spouses should not withhold themselves too long, so that Satan doesn't tempt us due to the lusts of the flesh.
Lust of the flesh may be a difficult subject for many, but let's not be afraid of it. Rather, let's get God's perspective and be at ease about it. First, what do we know? We live in bodies that lust after each other because of the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Because of Adam, sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Rom 5:12). We all deal with it, and know the lusts of the flesh as they are told us in Galatians 5:19-21.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
That list is full of things our bodies want to do or gravitate to when apart from God. As it says in this list, those that are identified as one of those entities will not inherit the kingdom of God. That is because they have rejected God's free offer of life through faith in Christ's shed blood as their atoning sacrifice. Now, we looked at a list like this in chapter 6, so we know that saints
were some of these things. Saints are no longer identified with the works and lusts of the flesh, because they are now born of the Spirit. We know our flesh will want to do these things even after the moment of faith in Christ and His atoning sacrifice, but since we have trusted in the shed blood of Christ on the cross, and the Holy Spirit of God lives in us (Eph 1:12-14), we no longer need to obey the flesh and its lusts. Both of those are rendered idle, though we sill live in the fleshly body (Rom 6:1-14).
Did you notice the first two entries on that list in Galatians 5:19-21? Adultery and fornication. According to what we've read in this chapter, how do we avoid fornication? By being married prior to sexual relations. How do we avoid adultery? By spouses not withholding themselves from each other for too long, or for selfish reasons, as God tells us in this verse. My friends, Satan knows the weakness of the flesh and will exploit it whenever possible. So my exhortation to you is to be aware of Satan's devices, and obey the Word of God. All lusts of the flesh may be avoided, as God will provide a way out (1 Cor 10:13).
1 Corinthians 7:6
But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
What is coming now is Paul's personal thoughts. The first five verses were doctrine direct from God, and now Paul is inspired to share a part of himself. These are part of the inspired and inerrant word of God (2 Tim 3:16), so we would do well to pay attention to this verse to understand its purpose, and not throw it away as "not inspired" as I've heard some say. Just because it is Paul speaking doesn't mean it's just man's opinion to be thrown away. This is part of scripture, and therefore inspired of God and profitable for us.
As much as some may elevate the apostle Paul, he was still just a man. He had a very important job to do, and he strove to complete his task with unwavering faith. Even so, he was still a man. Here, God is inspiring him to share his opinion on the subject matter.
The word "But" at the beginning of the verse is translated from the Greek "de." It could be rendered "But now" or just "Now" as it is more emphatic than the English word lets on. Also, the same word "kata" is translated first as "by" and then "of". We could render this verse this way as a more literal interpretation:
This now I speak according to permission, not according to commandment.
God gave Paul permission so speak his heart here, and did not issue this command to the church, which is His Body.
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.
We get a little insight into Paul's life here in this verse. He only states that he wishes everyone were like him, but concedes that God graces each person as God sees fit. In the context, we can understand he's talking about the marriage relationship. We're going to find out definitively that he wasn't married as defined in the next verse, although we can even infer that from this verse.
Now, why would he wish that all mankind were single? We will see by the end of this chapter, but it has to do with focusing on God and heavenly things. It's easier to focus on God when one isn't looking after the affairs of a family. Paul knew that time was short even then. Jesus Christ told Paul that He would return to call the believing souls in the gospel of His grace home to Heaven with a shout, but didn't say anything was coming before that (1 Thess 4:13-17). Any moment, Christ can say, "Enough. Sound the trumpet," and all believers are with Him in Heaven in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor 15:51-52). Now, with that kind of urgency, we can understand why the apostle would desire believers to remain single and preach the gospel of Christ Jesus before the age of grace comes to an end. It would do us all good to consider the urgency, despite the age of grace going on for nearly 2000 years (Eph 5:15-16).
Even with the sense of urgency, after Paul made his desire known, the apostle does concede that every man is given a special grace by God. Not all men will be like him, and he knows that. God is sovereign and knows what He is doing. I just want to be clear that there is absolutely no doctrine that men have to be celibate if preaching the word of God. It is Paul's desire, as a man, not an apostle with a message from God, that people would remain single for the purpose of making the gospel of God's grace known. There is at least one religion that would teach otherwise, but they do err in knowledge of what scripture is saying.
Also, I wanted to point out that the plural "men" here is the Greek anthropos, so it referencing all of mankind, and not just males. The single "man" is the Greek hekastos, which has the idea of "each one." There is no distinction of man or woman in this verse.
1 Corinthians 7:8
I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
Again, we have the assurance that marriage is not a necessity in this life. It is deemed "good" for those who are not married, or those who are widowed, to remain single, just like Paul. He just conceded that he wanted all to be like he was, single, but knew that God gave different ministries to each person. Because of that reason, he encourages those who are not married or who are now widowed to remain that way, that they may focus on God that much more.
If we look back to verse 1 we see a common theme. We can interpret verse 1 as being a command from God, that it is considered good for a man not to touch a woman. Some may think that God doesn't seem to care for more babies then, but that's not what this is saying as we continue in the context. We know that God's desire from the beginning was that there would be many people filling the earth (Gen 1:28). However, sin changed things. God still wants many people, but we can't forget He is a just God and can't abide with sin. He wants relationship with people, but people lost that through sin. God is not to blame. It was mankind's choice to sin as clearly portrayed in Genesis 2 and 3. God went to such a length that Christ died for the ungodly, and God was in Christ on the cross, reconciling the world to Himself (Rom 5:8, 2 Cor 5:19). He did all the work necessary to be both just and justifier of sinners that do one thing: Believe. The only way for that relationship to be restored is through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross as payment for sin.
Back to the subject at hand, the apostle is letting us know that it is his desire that the unmarried and widows would remain single for the purpose of focusing on God and heavenly things (1 Cor 7:32-33).
1 Corinthians 7:9
But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
Paul is not ignorant of the weakness of the flesh. He also knows that God graces us with different things, one of which could be a spouse and children. So he allows that if a man and woman can't contain themselves, they should marry. Why? To avoid fornication, to allow a righteous outlet, and as he says, they will no longer "burn."
It may appear that the act of marriage is sinful. It's not. Sexual activity is fine as long as it is between husband and wife. But again, that's not the point of this verse. Paul is wanting all saints to live a godly life and have a good testimony for a world that desperately needs to understand the gospel of the grace of God. If a man and woman are having difficulty refraining themselves from sexual activity, and they are not married, why continue in temptation of fornication? Marry and remain godly. That is how it is "better." Remaining in obedience to God's word is a far better testimony than being saved and living in sin. We don't want our brother to stumble in faith because of our action, do we? Even if our salvation doesn't depend on our works, don't we share God's desire in that we want all saved and come to the accurate knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4)? Then let us act in accordance with God's word.
Some things that may not be apparent in the original language is the emphasis at the beginning of this verse and the imperative to marry. The first two words of the verse come from the Greek "ei de", which is to be understood as "now if what follows is fact." What follows? The Greek ouk (not) and egkrateuomai (to exercise self control). We could then render the first half of the verse this way:
Now if it's true they cannot control themselves, marry.
The second half of this verse is word for word with the Greek.
1 Corinthians 7:10
And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
Paul clearly makes the transition of citing his opinion to letting us know that this next command is from Jesus Christ. Remember that Paul received his ministry directly from the risen and glorified Jesus Christ (Gal 1:11-12). This is just the beginning of the idea, the rest being in verse 11. Wives, God is telling you not to depart, or literally be separated, from your husband. For the reason why, we can go all the way back to Genesis 2:24. However, since I've been over that already, let's look at Jesus quote it during His earthly ministry:
Mark 10:2-9
2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9
What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Now, I put that emphasis on Mark 10:9, but we would do well to note that our marriage is allowed to happen because God brought it to be. Who are we to separate what God joined together? Is that act not rebellious? Remember, testimony is a big deal to God, so let us walk according to the Spirit and not tarnish both our testimony and the word of God.
The Greek has the word "de" translated as "and" at the beginning of this verse, so the original is more emphatic than the English lets on. Also, the last part of this verse literally translated is, "Wife, from of the husband not to be separated."
1 Corinthians 7:11
But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
God knows that the sad state of separation will happen to spouses because of the infirmity of the flesh. It would do the bible student well to read Mark 10:5 once again.
Mark 10:5 And Jesus answered and said unto them,
For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
It's God's desire that divorce never happens, but we do live in sin-cursed bodies and are prone to sin. So what do we do when he hardness of our heart takes over? We learn that God does give just one situation where He allows for divorce in Matthew 5:31-32.
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife,
saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Those that understood the Law and understood the character of God knew this. No one was to divorce their spouse or they would cause others to partake in adultery in the eyes of God. However, fornication would be the exception. Take Joseph, the husband of Mary for instance:
Matthew 1;18-19
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph,
before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband,
being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example,
was minded to put her away privily.
Joseph though there was fornication going on with Mary as she was with child before he had been with her. God made sure he understood that she was with child from the Holy Ghost in Matthew 5:20-21. We see Joseph stay with Mary (vs 24), now that he knew this was an act of God and not fornication.
Fornication is one sin that is mentioned as one to "flee from". We read about that in 1 Cor 6:18. Some other verses that talk of fornication are Acts 15:20, 1 Cor 10:8, Gal 5:19, Eph 5:3, Col 3:5, 1 Thess 4:3. In every one of those verse, it should become obvious that fornication is an abhorrent thing of the flesh. As believers, we should walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh (Rom 8:4, Gal 5:16-25), meaning live each day in God's ways and not man's ways.Therefore, He gives us His command that should a wife be separated, she should either stay unmarried or go back to her husband.
Husbands don't get a free pass either. God is no respecter of persons, so He ends His command by reminding the husbands they are held to the same accountability.
1 Corinthians 7:12
But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
Once more we transition from direct command of God to Paul being inspired to share his thoughts. When I look at how this verse begins, I asked what "rest" is he speaking of? I would think within the context it must be the rest of the questions referred to in verse 1 that concern marriage that the Corinthian saints wrote to him. He's not writing about a different topic yet, nor was he writing to a specific group prior to this verse (married, unmarried, husbands, wives). Rather, he is covering the topic of the marriage relationship broadly and continues with that in this verse and, I believe, through verse 39.
Now, to maintain peace, a believing husband should not divorce his unbelieving wife if she is content to remain with him. We will see the flip side of this in the next verse. I'm sure Paul is sharing this based on what he was shown by Christ Himself. He writes in Romans 12:18
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
The word "men" in that verse refers to all mankind and not just males. Does divorce exude peace? Of course not. Then if it's possible to remain peaceful, the believing husband should not divorce his unbelieving wife. We will get the reasoning why in verse 14.
1 Corinthians 7:13
And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
Again, we know that God is no respecter of persons, so if the believing husband should not leave his unbelieving wife, the believing wife should not leave her unbelieving husband if the unbeliever is willing to remain with the believer. All of this is to maintain peace within the family, and because of the testimony involved.
1 Corinthians 7:14
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
So here is the reasoning for the spouse that was once an unbeliever but now is a believer should stay with the still unbelieving spouse, and that is for the sake of the children. This shouldn't take much of a stretch of the imagination, as we see it all too often in today's culture. Divorce kills families and leaves scars. It causes strife and division. Even if the husband and wife leave on "decent" terms, think about the impact to the children. Now they have to split time between mom and dad, most likely seeing only one at a time. What is that teaching them? The unity and peace that is characteristic of God? No, it generates division, which was something these Corinthians were chastised about in chapter 1 of this epistle.
We need to remember that our actions have consequences and bear in mind the question, "What legacy am I leaving?" God puts a lot of emphasis on a good testimony throughout scripture, but note well that in each of those cases it concerns whether that person is walking with the Lord God or not. God is constant in asking mankind to maintain good works, which is profitable to all (Titus 3:8). Whether we realize it or not, we have quite the impact in the present world and potentially in generations to come.
Children may not appear to be listening all the time, but they do pick up on the important things. If mom and dad show them it's okay to leave a loved one, they pick up on that and would be more likely to do the same. Contrarily, if mom and dad determine no matter what to stay together despite their differences and work out their problems, children pick up on that and are more likely to do the same. The actions of mom and dad have a profound impact on their children, something this author is experiencing day by day. Since we are all born into sinful flesh, we would be wise to look to the author of our salvation for wisdom and guidance on a daily basis how to conduct ourselves, so that we might walk worthy the Lord unto all pleasing (Col 1:9-12). Note in those verses how Paul's prayer is focused on God, God's work, and the results God works out in believers. All glory always to God.
1 Corinthians 7:15
But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
Naturally, the question "What if they do divorce?" would arise. God is never surprised, so He answers that through Paul here. Remember the grounds of divorce that God gave before in Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:31-32
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife,
saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Most would think that fornication would be physical only, as that is what our physical minds closely associate with. But remember the author and that these words were divinely inspired. What would God consider to be fornication? Would He limit it to the physical only? Would He not also include spiritual fornication? I am convinced of this and have plenty of scripture to back that up. I will cite just two passages, but challenge every believer to search the scriptures where God considers idolatry a form of fornication.
Jeremiah 3:1-9
1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
4 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?
5 Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.
6 The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
7 And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
The context here is God's judgment against Israel (See Jeremiah 2:1-37) concerning chasing after other gods. See in the language how this harlotry "defiled the land" and how they "committed adultery with stones and with stocks." This is defining idolatry. God measured every king of Israel and Judah on whether they served the one true God or the gods of the nations around them, which He told His chosen nation not to do. Note also how because of this fornication, verse 8 speaks of God divorcing them, and the prophets and history go on to describe how Israel and Judah went into captivity to Assyria and Bablyon. To go along with this, see this witness of God against Israel:
2 Kings 17:6-18
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt,
and had feared other gods,
8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and
they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
10 And
they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:
11 And there
they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:
12
For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.
13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.
15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and
made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and
sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
God's definition of fornication includes playing the whore spiritually and chasing after other gods. So then, in the case of an unbeliever forsaking their believing spouse, the believer "is not under bondage in such cases." Now, this is backed up immediately with the reminder that God has called us to peace. We should live peaceably with all people as much as is possible and allow God to administer justice, even if the people close to us choose to reject God's grace through Jesus Christ and live according to what is right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25, Romans 1:18-32, 12:19).
This is the spiritual battle we are in: to trust in God or to trust in something else. To walk in the Spirit or in the flesh. Concerning those that trust in something else, believers are told to share the sound doctrine God has given us in His inspired word in love, which is primarily the gospel of the grace of God through Jesus Christ, that the shed blood of Christ is the atonement for sin (Rom 4:5, 5:6-11, 2 Cor 5:17-20, Eph 2:8-9, 4:15, 2 Tim 3:16-17), and we are to do this with the scriptures rightly divided (2 Tim 2:15). The spoken word of God is our weapon in this age we live (Eph 6:17 - Greek rhema), so to wield it best and be most effective, we ought to study it and meditate on it constantly, so each saint in their own ministry can "preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (2 Tim 2:24-26, 4:2).
1 Corinthians 7:16
For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
Paul emphasizes his point through a question for us to consider. We already know that we can't know for certain the spirit of another person because of what God told us in 1 Cor 2:11. Only God knows the hearts of all mankind, so we ought to trust God and live out a good testimony. The unbelieving spouse may realize their need for the truth of God and life in Christ and choose to be saved in the gospel of the grace of God. Sadly, they could also not, and endure the heaps of burning coals on their head by the testimony of the believing spouse (Rom 12:20).
If you're reading this and finding yourself in a situation where your spouse doesn't believe, I encourage you to stay strong. Stand strong in the Lord and the power of His might (Eph 6:10). God knows you are His (2 Tim 2:19) and His Spirit is in you (Eph 1:12-14). May the Lord free your spouse from the snare of sin and death.
1 Corinthians 7:17
But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
We all have a ministry before God. God has given us certain gifts and abilities for the purpose of bringing glory to Him. Paul is building off of what he just said concerning marriage, but is also setting up his reasoning for saying it. He is going to repeat this verse more concisely in verse 20 and continue the point through verse 22.
God is sovereign. A simple statement, but something we must continuously remind ourselves of. The same God who breathed out the known universe in 6 24-hour periods (Genesis 1) also has the desire to have every person saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). We should trust Him that He knows what He's doing and is coordinating each person around the world in order to bring the most people to salvation and truth as possible, or so they will choose. Therefore, whatever God has given to us individually, we ought to walk in that. When we read through Paul's epistles, he does indeed exalt God's love, grace, fidelity, power, and wisdom and that all mankind should be obedient to God in all things with joy (Phil 3:1, 4:4).
1 Corinthians 7:18
Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
These next three verses potentially say far more than just the physical. How can I say that? Well, consider the first part of this verse and try an answer how many men that were circumcised have become uncircumcised in the physical sense. The flesh that was cut off in the ritual isn't attached by Velcro and simple to replace. While I'm being facetious, consider the depth of this verse as a dispensational and doctrinal statement. But that would require a good grasp of scripture and doctrine to comprehend the depth.
With that in mind, remember that the Corinthians were carnal Christians. They were definitely saints as witnessed by God in 1 Cor 1:2, but Paul could only feed them milk and not meat (1 Cor 3:1-2). Would he then use a statement like this that could potentially carry deep dispensational and doctrinal meaning? Or is he just using a simple example of Jew compared with Gentile? Remember the culture of Paul's day and how there were essentially two kinds of people: Jew and Gentile, which can be interpreted as Circumcision and Uncircumcision (Gal 2:7, Eph 2:11-12). Under the dispensation of Law, only the Circumcision could attain righteousness, as salvation was reliant upon faith in God plus keeping the Law in its entirety, circumcision being a part of it. Either one was born Jewish or proselytized to be Jewish.
Under the dispensation of grace, there are two kinds of people again, but the terms are different. There are the saved and the unsaved. The saved are those baptized in the Holy Spirit to the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13), and is made up of all who believe in the shed blood of Christ as the atoning sacrifice (Gal 3:26-28, Rom 3:22-26). The unsaved are those that reject the truth of that good news of Christ's atoning work, and hold that truth in unrighteousness (Rom 1:18).
Now, those in Corinth were not able to understand the deeper truths of scripture, so it is my opinion that although we could look at this verse as a dispensational and doctrinal statement, I would think the original meaning would be: if you're a Jew, don't try to be like a Gentile and forsake being a Jew. If you're a Gentile, don't try to be like a Jew. This is based off of the previous verse where Paul says that everyone should walk in what God has provided them and considering the next two verses as well. Another verse to bear in mind is Galatians 3:28
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
Still, we can consider that point that Paul did reason with them for a year and a half, including several sabbath days in a synagogue until he perceived they weren't going to accept the gospel he preached (Acts 18:1-17). These saints at Corinth may have understood that there was the gospel of the Cirumcision preached by Peter to the Jews and the gospel of the Uncircumcision preached by Paul to the Gentiles (Gal 2:6-9). Even at its basic level, they could perceive that if one was a believer before the gospel of Paul was revealed, to stay in that Circumcision program with its earthly hope of the coming kingdom and not try to mix grace doctrine into Law. Alternatively if one was a believer of Paul's gospel, they should not mix Law into the grace doctrine. That concept could be spoken of here as well, so I encourage the bible student to pray and ponder these things, but ultimately remembering the point is from verse 17 to stay in what God has given you. Additionally, Paul will make known in the next verse that believers of any dispensation should focus on obeying God, because we all serve the true and living God, and God knows those that are His (2 Tim 2:19).
1 Corinthians 7:19
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Again, coming off of the last verse with the idea to walk wherein they were called, God gives us this assurance. It doesn't matter where you come from, nor what was done in the past. What matters is the keeping of the commandments of God and be saved by His grace. That's His commandment to us today: Place your faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary as your atonement from sin and death. I cited Galatians 3:28 previously, but also look at Col 3:9b-11
9b seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
It doesn't matter who or what anyone is, what really matters is what each person chooses concerning the salvation work wrought by God through Jesus Christ. Either accept the free gift of salvation or reject it.
Think again of the Corinthian church. Corinth was strategically located on an isthmus in Greece where it would have a seaport both on the East and West. It was a bustling trade town and would have had all sorts of cultures coming in and out of it. So when Paul addresses the saints which are at Corinth (1 Cor 1:2), it should be easy to understand that the church of saints in Corinth consisted both of Jews and Gentiles. Thus, Paul's point in the last few verses here is not go out of your way to change the outward appearance, but be rather concerned with obeying God and bearing a good testimony. That's also why Paul "determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified."
It may be interesting to note that the word "keeping" in the Greek has the idea of imprisonment.
1 Corinthians 7:20
Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
Have we gotten the point yet? It's okay if we don't, because God is going to give us another examle in the next few verses (Phil 3:1). This is a reiteration of verse 17 after giving us the point of focusing on obeying God. Whatever state we were called into the Body of Christ, remain there, because God has His plans for it. One person shouldn't be envious of what someone else has, because God is working all things out for the good of each saint (Rom 8:28). We may not like the circumstance, but rest assured that God can bear fruit in our weakness if we allow Him (2 Cor 12:10).
1 Corinthians 7:21
Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
In this example, Paul makes a point concerning the bond-servant. The Greek for "servant" here is the word doulos and so describes someone completely indebted to another. If there are saints that find themselves in that situation, where they owe everything to their master, God tells them not to let that bother them. It is in the imperative, meaning God is commanding, "Don't let that be a care for you." Also, if the opportunity presents itself to be free of the "doulos" status, then take advantage of that. God will give His reason in the next verse.
1 Corinthians 7:22
For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.
I hope it is clear that God wants us to understand from these last few verses that the only thing that matters is our position in Christ. In verse 21, we see God commanding us not to let it bother us if we find ourselves as a bond-servant to another. Here, He gives us the concept that although saints in that situation owe another man, they are free in the Lord. Similarly, if a man is free and becomes a saint, they are a bond-servant to Christ. What is Paul talking about? He is still emphasizing the point that earthly status is nothing compared to spiritual.
Jesus Christ came to shed His blood for the sins of the world, no one excluded. From the lowliest of low to the highest of high by earthly standards, we all share the same need of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ to purchase our way back to God's presence. No matter what situation a saint my find himself in, use the circumstance to draw closer to God and watch what God will do. In light of this, I think it is worth citing Col 3:1-4
1 If (since - Greek ei) ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Remember, the moment you place your faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ as the atonement for your sin, your status becomes "in Christ." You are no longer a citizen of earth, but of Heaven (Phil 3:20). You are no longer considered a "sinner" but a "saint" in God's eyes, because He took your sin and gave you His righteousness in that moment of faith (Rom 1:7, 1 Cor 1:2, Phil 1:1, 2 Cor 5:21). You are no longer dead in trespasses and sins, but alive in Christ (Eph 2:1-5). You now inherit all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places because you are "in Christ (Eph 1:3). I could go on, but considering even this much, why should we be so concerned with the earthly when we have all the heavenly promises coming to us in the expectation of our blessed hope: the snatching away of the Body of Christ (1 Thess 4:13-18, Titus 2:13)?
1 Corinthians 7:23
Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
This is so fitting coming off the last two verses concerning bond-servants. God bought us back from the consequences of our sin through His grace in Christ Jesus. That was quite the price to pay! God loved us so much that He "made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil 2:7-8). Also, "when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom 5:6). And "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom 5:8). This leaves little to wonder why God would have us focused on the eternal instead of the temporal and earthly. It's in this sense that we should not be the servants (Greek doulos) of mankind.
1 Corinthians7:24
Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.
When God repeats Himself, we really should be paying attention. Look back at verses 17 and 20 and then read this one again. Three times God tells us to stay where God has us. My friends, God is asking for obedience. He desires all mankind to be saved and to accurately know the truth (1 Tim 2:4), so let's ask ourselves the obvious question: Should we rely on our own reasoning on the day to day activity, or let God direct us and we obey Him with thanksgiving? It's mind numbing to think of all the intricacies God has sorted out in each person's life to give everyone abundant chances to acknowledge the truth and trust in His saving grace. Let's obey Him. Let's trust Him. Let's allow God to work mightily in us where we are at.
1 Corinthians 7:25
Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
At this time, God did not reveal to Paul a specific command in answer to this question of the church at Corinth concerning virgins (male or female). However, Paul once more asserts his authority as an apostle by God's will (1 Cor 1:1) that they (and we) should still take heed to what he is about to say. The theme of this chapter is to focus on God and what He is doing, regardless of what position we are in. No matter the circumstance, no matter our background, no matter of our marital status, all that truly matters is keeping the commandments of God (vs 19) and abiding with God here He has us (vs 17, 20, 23).
Please don't read into my words something that isn't there. I'm not saying that works are required for salvation. What are the commandments of God? First and foremost it is "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). We need to understand that we are saved from sin and death by faith apart from works (Rom 1:16, 3:21-26, 4:5, Eph 2:8-9, etc.). However, we have many commands from God through the apostle Paul. I will just sum them up with this in Titus 3:8
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God
might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
Note the conditional statement. It is imperative that one first believes in God, but then it's subjunctive that those believers "might be careful to maintain good works." Believers are given many commands so that we may have a solid testimony and be rewarded at the Bema Seat of Christ after we're in the air with our Lord and Savior (1 Thess 4:16-17, 1 Cor 3:10-15, 2 Cor 5:9-10, Rom 14:10). however, our salvation from sin and death does not hinge upon our works, it is by faith alone in the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross (Rom 5:8-11). Still, the grace of God should be the best motivator to become zealous for the good work of serving our God (Titus 2:14).
1 Corinthians 7:26
I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.
Paul's opinion is that if one is a virgin, it would be good to remain a virgin. He will say why in the coming verses, but not what he says in this verse. He describes the "present distress." The English word "distress" in this verse comes from the Greek anagke, which has the idea of a compelling need. Remember, Paul was convinced that it was possible he would be caught up to heaven with the believers of his gospel in his lifetime (1 Thess 4:13-18, note the use of "we"). To him, and it should be the same for all believers, there is a pressing need to share the gospel of the grace of God, because Jesus could sound that trumpet at any moment. It's due to this imminence that Paul thinks it good for those who have not been married to remain that way and focus on preaching the word of truth.
1 Corinthians 7:27
Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
This theme of remaining where you are just keeps coming back in this chapter. If a man is married, stay married. If a man is not married, stay unmarried. Pretty straightforward. No matter where we find ourselves, we should be setting our minds on things above and living accordingly (Col 3:1-3).
1 Corinthians 7:28
But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
Paul is going to continue sharing his opinion about marriage for the rest of this chapter, and ultimately we will see his desire is always to bring the believers back to focus on the imminence of Christ's return and to carry out their lives accordingly. Perhaps there was a question in the letter of the Corinthians to the apostle regarding young people getting married, but whatever the case, he shares that it isn't a sin to get married in this day and age. Paul is going to point out that for those that get married, there will be some "trouble in the flesh." That's something every parent can agree on.
I would caution not to put words into the apostle's mouth or pen that aren't there. God ordained marriage as the only lawful way people should have children, so some may look at this verse and think God or Paul doesn't want any more children born into the world. As we continue reading this chapter, it becomes clear that Paul's mind is set on being a part of the Rapture event in 1 Thess 4:13-18, and making sure people know what the truth of the gospel of God's grace is, that he didn't want anything to distract from sharing this message across the world. Think for a minute if all believers dropped everything for even two week's time and did nothing but go out and share the gospel with whoever they encountered. We could play the "what-if" game and think if we shared the gospel everywhere that maybe God would call the Body of Christ to the air with him. It's this idea of imminence that Paul is emphasizing, that we shouldn't worry about where we are at circumstantially, but focus on things above and preach the gospel of God's grace at every opportunity (Eph 5:17).
1 Corinthians 7:29
But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
Considering the previous verse, Paul tells the saints that the "time is short," which is why he would spare the trouble in the flesh for the saints. Also, continuing the thought that we should remain where we are at circumstantially, Paul is going to give us the details. In this verse, the married should behave as if they are not. Why? Because the "time is short." Jesus Christ could return at any moment and call the Church, the Body of Christ, up to the air to be with Him forevermore. Paul preached of this event constantly: 1 Cor 1:7-8. 15:51-52, 1 Thess 3:13, 4:13-18, 2 Thess 2:1-3, 3:4-5, Titus 2:13, etc. Therefore, even though our Lord Jesus Christ has shown supernatural patience for the last 2,000 years, we still ought to live like He could call us home at any moment. We still should be motivated to share the love of God through Jesus Christ to those who don't know Him (2 Cor 5:14-15).
1 Corinthians 7:30
And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
This list is another one of those passages why I wonder who decided where to put the verse breaks. This whole thought goes together, yet it takes 3 verses to cover. In any case, Paul continues with the thought to put the imminence of Christ's return at the forefront of our minds, that we should just remain where we are at, not worry of the temporary, and focus on the eternal. Time was short then, and time is still short now. It is a testimony to the love of God that He has endured sinful man for this long in the age of grace, that whoever believes in the shed blood of Christ is saved from sin and death and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son (Col 1:13-14).
In that regard, grief, joy, and materials should not move the saints of Christ all that much. We should remain focused on the gospel of the grace of God and sharing the message of reconciliation with every breath we breathe (2 Cor 5:17-6:2, Eph 5:15-16).
1 Corinthians 7:31
And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
Here is the conclusion of the list in verses 29-31. Perhaps some would ask, what does it mean for those that "use this world?" The Greek word for "use" in this verse is the root chraomai, which has the idea of using or taking advantage of according to Strong's definition. Thayer adds this as his primary definition:
"properly, to receive a loan; to borrow."
We would do well to remind ourselves of the following verses: Deut 10:14, Psalm 24:1, 146:5-6, Acts 17:24, Col 1:16-20, and Rev 10:5-6.
Deuteronomy 10:14
Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.
Psalm 24:1
The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Psalm 146:5-6
5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever
Acts 17:24
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands
Colossians 1:16-20
16 For by him (Jesus Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Revelation 10:5-6
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer
I hope it's abundantly clear that all things belong to God and none to mankind or anything else on this earth. As such, it should be an easy transition for us to echo the words of Job in Job 1:21, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither." The apostle Paul says something similar in 1 Tim 6:7.
1 Tim 6:7
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
In this sense, from the word of God, we can understand that any possessions we have in this world are borrowed from the Lord God. Thus, "they that use this world" are those still alive in the present earth. Paul is still addressing saints, or those that have placed their faith in the shed blood of Christ as their atonement of sin, so he is addressing believers before their body stops working or Christ calls His Church home to Heaven (1 Thess 4:16-17).
We that are still here should not "abuse" the world. The word "abuse" has the same root as "use", but with the prefix "kata" added to it. With the prefix, the word has the meaning to use too much or excessively to the point of ill use, so "abuse" is a good translation. Again and again, the apostle is reminding us of the temporary nature of this sin-cursed world, marred by man's choice (Gen 3:1-7). Let's not forget that God created everything as "very good" (Gen 1:31). Every evil in this world was brought in by mankind, and God would be just in separating us from Him forever. But this thought was so atrocious to our heavenly Father, that He couldn't even finish His thought in Genesis 3:22-23.
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: therefore...
God so loved His precious creation and its crown, mankind, that despite mankind breaking it, He provided a way and a promise of restoration through the Messiah or Christ (Gen 3:15). Ever since then, He revealed more and more of this plan, giving the world His Law through the nation Israel. During that time, to be saved from sin and death, mankind had to have faith in God and keep the
entire Law. Sadly, they rejected their Savior as a nation, despite the many infallible proofs of His resurrection (Acts 1:3) and His working through His apostles in the power of His Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). So the Lord concluded them in unbelief and ushered in this age of grace through the apostle Paul (Acts 13:2, 38-39, Rom 16:25, Eph 3:1-9, etc). God has made it as easy as possible now to be saved from sin and death because God did all the work through Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. With all this in perspective, it shouldn't be much of a stretch to use the things of this world, but not put much stock into them (abuse), "for the fashion of this world passeth away." Also, we have the surety that there awaits a far more exceeding glory for those that believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior by the cross (Rom 8:18).
1 Corinthians 7:32
But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
Once more, we see the desire of the apostle for saints. These inspired words of God may be difficult for some of us to understand in the flesh, so He explains further in the next three verses. First, the definition of "carefulness" has the idea of anxiety. God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor 14:33), and would not want us to be overly stressed in this life. Bring everything before Him in prayer and know that His grace is sufficient through all things (2 Cor 12:9, Phil 4:6-7).
The example in this verse that the apostle gives for desiring us to be without stress is that the unmarried believer is focused entirely upon God. This is why he said in verse 1 of this chapter that it is "good for a man not to touch a woman." It also backs up what he said in verses 6-8 that he would desire all were like himself and that for the unmarried and widows "it is good for them if they abide even as I." God does care for marriage and for relationships between men and women, but due to the "fullness of the times" (Eph 1:10), Paul wants us focused on God because Jesus Christ could call us home to Heaven at any moment.
1 Corinthians 7:33
But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
In contrast to the unmarried, a married man will care for the things of this world, because he desires to care for and please his wife. The idea of the word translated "please" here is to serve, satisfy, or make good (Greek aresko). A married man really ought to be concerned with the well-being of his wife and show his love for her by doing his best to provide for her needs. That in itself isn't evil (verse 28). Again, what Paul is reminding us is how temporary the things of this world are now that we have reached the fullness of times with the gospel committed to Paul. Jesus Christ's return to call all who believe in Paul's gospel home to Heaven can happen at any moment, so he would rather have us focus on that and sharing the message of reconciliation.
1 Corinthians 7:34
There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
Women are no different than men concerning their focus when married or unmarried as Paul just addressed in verse 33. The unmarried woman will focus more on God. The married woman will be concerned with earthly things in order to provide for or serve her husband. Paul desires that the saint focus on the gospel of God's grace and share the message of reconciliation with the world while maintaining a testimony that "becometh saints." (2 Cor 5:17-21, Eph 4:1-3, 5:1-7).
1 Corinthians 7:35
And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
There's no way I could come up with a better summation of the topic Paul was just addressing than this verse right here. Not that we should be surprised, because this is the inspired and inerrant word of God. Paul just shared all of this on the marriage relationship and letting us know it's "better" to remain single because then we better focus on the eternal and heavenly rather than the earthly.
Paul even let's us know in plain terms that he didn't want to be a snare or restraint upon the saints by thinking about this subject, but rather to understand that he desires the saints to "attend upon the Lord without distraction." We would do well to keep in mind that Paul was given his apostolic authority from Jesus Christ Himself (Gal 1:11-12).
1 Corinthians 7:36
But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.
To put to rest any thoughts that God is against marriage, we are reminded that marriage in the age of the grace of God is not sin. The idea of being passed "the flower of her age" in this verse is that the woman is no longer a little girl. She is mature enough to marry, so if her father desires, he can let his daughter and the man courting her marry. God is not giving us commands in this age to remain single, and it should be abundantly clear in these closing verses of chapter 7.
1 Corinthians 7:37
Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.
Once more, we're told that remaining unmarried is also a good thing, because it allows us to "careth for the things of the Lord" that much easier. Some people may not feel the need to marry nor "burn" as the apostle put it in verse 9. They are perfectly at liberty to remain unmarried and are said to "do well."
1 Corinthians 7:38
So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.
God now gives us a summation of the marriage relationship in the age of grace that we live in today. Marriage is a good thing, but being unmarried is "better" because then the person may focus more intently upon the things of God. All of this was in answer to whatever questions were posed to Paul by the church at Corinth regarding marriage (verse 1). Looking back over the chapter, we should take note that while God answers the questions of the Corinthian church, the focus is very much on the imminence of Christ's return.
Over and over again, we're told not to care about what circumstances we're in, because eternity future is on the horizon. This applies even to marriage, one of the most revered covenants despite the cultural shift in recent history. Whenever a lengthy marriage is announced, what is the response? Is it not applause and commendation? Despite the attacks on marriage, even the unbeliever knows it is something special and not just some "social construct." They may not treat it as such, but God's truth will stand (Rom 1:18-20).
Still, those who believe in Christ would do well to understand that the most important thing for us to consider in this age of grace we live is knowing who we are in Christ by studying what God tells us (2 Tim 2:15), and sharing the message of reconciliation with the lost (2 Cor 5:17-6:2...can we change this chapter break? It's another that is in a very unfortunate spot).
1 Corinthians 7:39
The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
As Paul shares his closing thought on the matter, he reminds us of the law of marriage, which has it's origin in Genesis 2:24. When a husband and wife enter into the marriage covenant, it is for life (Mark 10:2-9). Since we live in a sin-cursed world, death happens (Rom 5:12). The law of marriage does not apply to a woman if her husband were to die. She is only bound to him while he's alive. If her husband were to unfortunately die, she is no longer bound to him and is free to remarry or remain single. As God says, she is at liberty to marry whomever she desires, but with one condition from God: that this is "in the Lord."
So many problems would be avoided if Christians who were strong in their faith married those who were also were strong in their faith. Husband and wife relying on God's word as their authority is a powerful thing, but sadly also rare. If we want marriages to succeed, our first thought is to ask the author of marriage how to do so, which is God. Several times, believers are told to live with unbelievers, share the truth with them, and live out a testimony of a saint, but keeping that relationship to a minimum so as not to be influenced in ungodly things (1 Cor 5:9-13, 1 Cor 6:1-6, 2 Cor 6:14-18, 1 Tim 1:18-20). The spiritual battle we are in is intense, and not something to be taken lightly. Let us all stay strong in the Lord and the power of His might (Eph 6:10).
1 Corinthians 7:40
But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.
Finally, Paul reiterates his desire that if a wife goes through the unfortunate occurrence of her husband dying, she is better to remain a widow than to remarry. Even if it is his opinion, he reminds us he is a saint and the Spirit of God dwells within him (1 Cor 2:12-16). He also was an apostle ordained by God, even though he considered himself unfit for the position due to his background (1 Cor 15:9-10, Gal 1:11-12). Some may argue that these words aren't inspired by God because Paul is sharing his opinion. But why would they not be inspired by God? Why would God not want us to see that Paul is human and has his own opinion? This verse closes with the reminder that saints have the Holy Spirit of God in them and can therefore discern spiritual things. Would we not do well to consider the apostle's opinion in this light?
Verses 6-9 and 25-39 share Paul's opinion regarding remaining single, and we can understand easily where he is coming from. He desires all mankind to focus on the things of God, to know God's word, and to obey God, living a godly life rich in good works (Titus 3:8). Marriage is an honorable thing, but remaining unmarried is easier to focus on the eternal instead of on the earthly. Paul was convinced time was short and that Christ was about to call the Body of Christ to Heaven (1 Thess 4:16-17). In the epistle to the Ephesians, we have this command:
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
It is so important that we have Christ and our heavenly inheritance on our mind, because we aren't guaranteed a tomorrow. These bodies we live in are so fragile, and we would be wise to consider our mortality. God wants to give us praise over obedient works at the Bema Seat (1 Cor 3:10-15, 4:1-5, 2 Cor 5:10), so my challenge is: Where are we at in our personal walk? Are we walking in the Spirit or the flesh? Is our heart for pleasing God, fixated on things above an not the earth beneath? Are we doing those things that God preordained for us (Eph 2:10?) If not, what is stopping us? What better way to show our gratitude and love for God than to seek to obey and please Him in all things while we are still here on this earth?
