1
CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 7
OBSERVATION
STAGE
The purpose of the observation stage is
to maintain focus on the text at hand within the normative rules of
language, context and logic 
which
limits the observer to the content offered by the letter of 1
Corinthians especially the previous chapters. This will serve to
avoid going on unnecessary tangents
elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the framework for a
proper and objective comparison with passages located elsewhere in
Scripture utilizing the same normative rules of reading /
interpretation.
Remember that something elsewhere may be
true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.
Manuscript
Evidence from The New Testament And Translation Commentary,
Philip W. Comfort, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Ill.
****** EXCERPT
FROM 1 COR CHAPTER 6 ******
OR
MOVE TO FIRST VERSE OF CHAPTER SEVEN 
[(1 Cor 6:12-20) Commentary On 1 Cor 6:15-20]:
(1 Cor 6:12 NASB) '''All things are lawful for me,
but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I
will not be mastered by anything.
(1
Cor 6:13 NASB) Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but
God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality,
but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.
(1 Cor 6:14 NASB) Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power,
(1
Cor 6:15 NASB) Do you not know that your bodies are members
of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them
members of a prostitute? May it never be!
(1 Cor
6:16 NASB) Or do you not know that the one who joins himself
to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "The two shall
become one flesh."
(1 Cor 6:17 NASB) But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
(1 Cor 6:18 NASB) Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the
body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.
(1 Cor 6:19 NASB) Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who is
in you, Whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
(1
Cor 6:20 NKJV) For you were bought at a price; therefore
glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.'''
In
1 Cor 6:15, Paul paints an horrific picture: "Do you not know that your bodies are members
of Christ? Shall I then take
away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? [His
emphatic answer is] 'May it never be!' [For the temporal world as it is
since the Fall will all be done away with]. So author and apostle Paul continues to write of what believers are
responsible for relative to their temporal bodies - mind, body and soul.
So in 1 Cor 6:16, Paul wrote '''Or
do you not know that the one who joins himself
to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "The two shall
become one flesh." ''' This implies that there is an effect - in this
case a deleterious effect which both individuals have upon one another
when they have intercourse when it is outside the bounds of marriage,
i.e., immoral. Perhaps the most evident effect of immoral behavior is
the one that is upon
the mind / ones thinking which thinking is in opposition to the mindset
of God and His Righteousness, even self-destructive emotionally and
spiritually. For example, while committing immoral acts, ones
emotions will distract one from maintaining a productive
temporal / spiritual life misdirecting it toward the immorality one is
committing instead of focusing upon and walking in, (not according to),
the Light of Jesus Christ . At the very
least, time spent in immoral behavior could have been best spent in
enhancing ones spiritual life and one's value toward earning rewards in
heaven at the Judgment Seat of Christ .
Whereupon
in 1 Cor 6:17 Paul wrote, "But the one who joins himself to the Lord is
one spirit with Him," in the sense of the believer who directs his mortal
life toward faithfulness / responding positively toward studying and
obeying the directions of God's Word, especially the epistles of the
Greek [New Testament] bible leading to a oneness in spirit, i.e.,
a spiritual harmony One [God the Father] with another [His child, the
believer - the absolutely Righteous and infinite God with His
flawed, finite child, insofar that it is limited by the finite capacity
of the believer in limited harmony with the infinite capacity of God his Father
which provides the
most beneficial position for one's eternal existence, allowing for the
grace of God to eternally bless his child all the more.
Then
in 1 Cor 6:18 which reads, "Flee immorality. Every other sin that
a man commits is outside the
body, but the immoral man sins against his own body," addresses the
depreciating spiritual / eternal value to the believer while he is
committing immorality - especially immorality which involves ones physical body.
Finally,
in 1 Cor 6:19-20, Paul writes as follows:
(1 Cor 6:19 NASB) "Or do you not
know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who is
in you, Whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
(1
Cor 6:20 NKJV) For you were bought at a price; therefore
glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's;'''
In
1 Cor 6:19 Paul writes to the believer that he should know that his
body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who resides in him, Whom he has as
a gift from God Who gave the Spirit to the believer to be forever in
him; and thereby the believer is no longer his own self but he is not
the possession - the eternal possession - of God. These
two verses address the future experience we will have in eternity,
i.e., our eternal destiny for which all believers are to mainly
focus
upon: their eternal destiny; and not have their chief focus upon the
temporal past or present or even
future. That said, temporal matters are to be attended to in
order to enhance one's eternal destiny; not the least of which is to
maximize the potential of their bodies in order to best serve the
Lord out of gratitude and for eternal rewards - as Scripture commands.
That means healthy diet, exercise, rest, leading a moral lifestyle,
proper study of Scripture
to learn and share with others - even to regularly place oneself in position to
share that learning with others. For Paul reminds us that we should
know that the body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit
referring to the Spirit's occupying of the believer's human spirit in
order to enhance the believer's eternity all the more as the
believer responds positively to the Spirit's leading .
And as it states in 1 Cor 6:20, we believers are to act in accordance
with our eternal position in Christ as given to us via the indwelling
Holy Spirit out of gratitude for the price which we were bought
with by
Jesus Christ on the cross in payment for our sins of the whole world.
[(1 Cor 6:15-20) Bible Knowledge Commentary On 1 Cor 6:15-20]:
"6:15-17. So too
the work of the Spirit (cf. 12:13) has affected Christians' present
destiny and joined them to Christ (6:15). Could a Christian practice
immorality without grieving Christ? (cf. 12:26) Never!
The union
of two people involves more than physical contact. It is also a union
of personalities which, however transient, alters both of them (6:16).
Paul quoted Genesis 2:24 (The two will become one flesh) not to affirm
that a man and a prostitute are married but to indicate the gravity of
the sin (cf. Eph. 5:31-32).
A Christian's union with Christ likewise affects both him and the Savior, and one cannot act without affecting the other.
6:18.
Corinthian Christians, when faced with immorality, should respond as
did Joseph (Gen. 39:12) - they should run. Flee from sexual immorality.
Immorality was a unique sin but not the most serious (cf. Matt. 12:32).
It was, however, an offense against the sinner and those with whom he
was related.
It is possible that the statement All other sins a
man commits are outside his body (the word "other" is a translator's
addition and is not represented by any word in the Gr. text) should be
taken as a third slogan (cf. 1 Cor. 6:12-13) bandied about by some in
Corinth. If so, then Paul's rejoinder (he who sins sexually sins
against his own body) is a straight-forward denial. The Greek
construction is similar to that in verse 13.
6:19-20. Among
those grieved was the Holy Spirit Who indwells every Christian (Who is
in you; cf. 12:13; 1 John 3:24). Also God the Father is grieved, for He
seeks honor (Matt. 5:16), not shame, from those who are bought at a
price (cf. 1 Cor. 7:23), that price being "the precious blood of
Christ" (1 Peter 1:19)."
[(1 Cor 6:15-20) Expositor's Commentary On 1 Cor 6:15-20]:
'''Every
action we contemplate should be tested by two questions: "Is it
beneficial?" and "Will it overpower and enslave me and so have a
detrimental effect on the church and my testimony for Christ?" Hodge
(in loc.) entitles this section "Abuses of the Principle of Christian
Liberty" but the passage includes far more than that. The main thrust
of these verses argues against sexual immorality and for the glorifying
of God in the Christian's body.
15-17 A
further argument that the Christian's body is for the Lord is that
God's people are members of his mystical body (cf. 1 Cor 12:27). So
Christians may not unite their bodies with that of a prostitute. For
they should understand that sexual relations involve more than a
physical act - they join the two persons together (v. 16; quoting from
Gen 2:24; cf. Matt 19:5). Since Christians have been joined in union to
the Lord, they dare not form another union with a prostitute. Verse 17
states the case even more strongly: the one who cleaves (kollomenos) to
a prostitute is one body with her, but the one who cleaves (kollomenos)
to the Lord is united to him spiritually. In saying this, Paul is not
making the union of normal marriage mutually exclusive of the union of
God with his people. In Ephesians 5:21-32 Paul teaches that the human
marriage union is valid and is to be viewed in the light of the
Christian's higher union with the Lord - the wife to be subject to her
husband "as to the Lord" and the husband to love his wife "as Christ
loved the church" What Paul argues against in 1 Corinthians 6:15-17 is
that the unholy union with a prostitute is a wicked perversion of the
divinely established marriage union.
Notes on v. 15
15 The negative optative μὴ γένοιτο (me genoito) indicates a strong
wish - literally tr. "may it not be," more freely rendered, "Never!" "By
no means!" "Perish the thought!" Robertson calls this use of the
optative the volitive, which stresses the wish, the will (A.T.
Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of
Historical Research, 5th ed. [New York: Harper and Brothers, 1923], pp.
936, 937)."18 Paul goes on to say that
the one who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body - that
is, by weakening and perverting the very life process, as well as human
character. In contrast, other sins are "outside the body."
19,
20 Now Paul talks positively about how the Christian should view his
body. First, he should consider that his body, including his whole
personality, is the temple - the sacred dwelling place - of God, the Holy
Spirit (cf. the Shekinah glory in the tabernacle, Exod 40:34). Second,
the Christian has received the Spirit from God to help him against sin.
Third, the Christian has no right to pervert and misuse his body, for
he is not his own master but has been purchased by God for a price (v.
20). That price, though not mentioned here, is the blood of Jesus
Christ (Eph 1:7; 1Pet 1:18, 19 et al.). The picture is of a slave of
sin (Rom 6:17; cf. 1Cor 7:23) being purchased from the horrible system
of slavery.
The conclusion of the matter is that the Christian
is to glorify God in his body. Because "body" and "temple" are both
singular, some understand the teaching to be that not only each
believer's body is a temple, but the whole body of believers is a
temple (Grosheide, in loc.). However, since in the context Paul is
writing about individuals and since the individual Christian is indwelt
by the Holy Spirit, it is best to understand v. 19 to mean that each
individual Christian's body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. (Naos is
the temple itself [cf. John 2:20, 21] in distinction from hieron, the
entire temple area.)
"You were bought" is in the aorist tense,
pointing back to Christ's redemptive work on the cross (Matt 20:28).
There may be implications of the Christian's having been freed from
becoming overpowered by sin (Rom 6:17, 18) and Satan (Col 1:13) and
being benevolently enslaved to Christ (Rom 1:1) and to righteousness
(Rom 6:18) in reflection of the Corinthian situation in which the
"slave was from the time of his manumission the slave of the god"
(Craig, in loc.)'''
Notes
16 The ὀἴδατε (oidate, "know") in vv. 16, 19 goes
beyond just knowing a fact. It implies recognition and understanding.
The negative οὐκ (ouk) with a question implies in the argument a
positive reply. The verb κολλάω (kollao, "cleave") in this participial
form, which can be taken as a middle as the context suggests, stresses
the sexual offender's personal initiative and responsibility "he joins
himself to" the prostitute.
Whereas the Gen 2:24 quotation uses
σαρξ (sa/rx, "flesh") in LXX, Paul uses the word σῶμα (soma, "body"),
but the same idea is in mind: the physico-spiritual life of the
individuals is involved.
18 The present tense (durative action)
of φεύγετε (pheugete), meaning "be fleeing from," suggests that
constant vigilance against sexual immorality is called for.
20
The words "and in your spirit, which are God's," found in KJV, are not
supported by many of the best ancient MSS and are not necessary nor
central to Paul's argument regarding the Christian's use of his body.
The words may have been added by scribes in later MSS, first in the
margin and then in the text, to complete the thought on the nature of
man as body and spirit and "to soften Paul's abruptness" (B.M. Metzger,
A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament [New York: United Bible
Societies, 1971], p. 553).
****** END OF EXCERPT
FROM 1 COR CHAPTER 6 ******
I) [1 Cor 7:1-40]:
(1 Cor 7:1 NASB) Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
(1
Cor 7:2 NASB) But because of immoralities, each man is to
have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.
(1 Cor 7:3 NASB) The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
(1
Cor 7:4 NASB) The wife does not have authority over her own
body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have
authority over his own body, but the wife does.
(1 Cor
7:5 NASB) Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for
a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together
again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of
self-control.
(1 Cor 7:6 NASB) But this I say by way of concession, not of command.
(1
Cor 7:7 NASB) Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself
am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner,
and another in that.
(1 Cor 7:8 NASB) But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I,
(1
Cor 7:9 (NASB) But if they do not have self-control, let them
marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
(1
Cor 7:10 NASB) But to the married I give instructions, not I,
but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband
(1
Cor 7:11 NASB) (but if she does leave, she must remain
unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband
should not divorce his wife.
(1 Cor 7:12 NASB) But to
the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an
unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.
(1
Cor 7:13 NASB) And a woman who has an unbelieving husband,
and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.
(1
Cor 7:14 NASB) For the unbelieving husband is sanctified
through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her
believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now
they are holy.
(1 Cor 7:15 NASB) Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the
sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to
peace.
(1 Cor 7:16 NASB) For how
do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you
know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
(1 Cor 7:17 NASB) [Nevertheless], as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in
this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches.
(1 Cor 7:18 NASB) Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised.
(1
Cor 7:19 NASB) Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is
nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.
(1 Cor 7:20 NASB) Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called.
(1
Cor 7:21 NASB) Were you called while a slave? Do not worry
about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that.
(1
Cor 7:22 NASB) For he who was called in the Lord while a
slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free,
is Christ's slave.
(1 Cor 7:23 NASB) You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.
(1 Cor 7:24 NASB) Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.
(1 Cor 7:25 NASB) Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an
opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.
(1
Cor 7:26 NASB) I think then that this is good in view of the
present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is.
(1
Cor 7:27 NASB) Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be
released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
(1 Cor 7:28 NASB) But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has
not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to
spare you.
(1 Cor 7:29 NASB) But this I
say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those
who have wives should be as though they had none;
(1 Cor 7:30 NASB) and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice,
as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did
not possess;
(1
Cor 7:31 NASB) and those who use the world, as though they
did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing
away.
(1 Cor 7:32 NASB) But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is
concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
(1 Cor 7:33 NASB) but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
(1 Cor 7:34 NASB) and his interests
are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned
about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and
spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the
world, how she may please her husband.
(1 Cor 7:35 NKJV) And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on
you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without
distraction.
(1 Cor 7:36 NASB) But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry.
(1 Cor 7:37 NASB) But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has
authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to
keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well.
(1 Cor 7:38 HCSB) So then he who marries his virgin does well, but he who does not
marry will do better.
(1 Cor 7:39 NASB) A wife is bound as long as
her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be
married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.
(1 Cor
7:40 NASB) But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as
she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God."
A) [(1 Cor 6:19-20 & 7:1-2) Commentary On 1 Cor 7:1-2]:
(1 Cor 6:19 NASB) "Or do you not
know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who is
in you, Whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
(1
Cor 6:20 NKJV) For you were bought at a price; therefore
glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's;'''
(1 Cor 7:1 NASB) "Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
(1
Cor 7:2 NASB) But because of immoralities, each man is to
have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband."
In
1 Cor 6:19 Paul writes to the believer that he should know that his
body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who resides in him, Whom he has as
a gift from God Who gave the Spirit to the believer to be forever in
him; and thereby the believer is no longer his own self but is he not
the possession - the eternal possession - of God? These
two verses address the future experience we will have in eternity,
i.e., our eternal destiny for which all believers are to mainly
focus
upon: their eternal destiny; and not have their chief focus upon the
temporal past or present or even
future. That said, temporal matters are to be attended to in
order to enhance one's eternal destiny; not the least of which is to
maximize the potential of their bodies in order to best serve the
Lord out of gratitude and for eternal rewards - as Scripture commands.
That means healthy diet, exercise, rest, leading a moral lifestyle,
proper study of Scripture
to learn and share with others - even to regularly place oneself in position to
share that learning with others. For Paul reminds us that we should
know that the body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit
referring to the Spirit's occupying of the believer's human spirit in
order to enhance the believer's eternity all the more as the
believer responds positively to the Spirit's leading .
And as it states in 1 Cor 6:20, we believers are to act in accordance
with our eternal position in Christ as given to us via the indwelling
Holy Spirit out of gratitude for the price which we were bought
with by
Jesus Christ on the cross in payment for our sins of the whole world.
Therefore, Paul turns in chapter 7 to marriage in 1 Cor 7:1-2 which reads,
(1 Cor 7:1 NASB) "Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
(1
Cor 7:2 NASB) But because of immoralities, each man is to
have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband."
1) [(1 Cor 7:1) Manuscript Evidence]:
(1 Cor 7:1 NASB) "Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman."
WH NU p46, Sinaiticus, B, C, 33, 1739 have "concerning the things you wrote"
TR, A, D, F, G, Psi, Maj have "concerning the things you wrote to me"
The
WH NU reading has the testimony of the earliest manuscripts, as well as
that of 33 and 1739. The addition in TR makes explicit what is implicit
in the text - namely, that Paul was referring to a letter that the
Corinthians had sent to him.
So
it is evidently up to the individual believer whether to be married or
not - as led by the Holy Spirit and depending upon circumstances
orchestrated by the sovereignty of God, but in accordance with the
volition of the individual. In one case Paul makes the case that it is
good for a man not to touch a woman in the sense of sexual intercourse,
with the presumption of being married, implying that he might better
serve the Lord with less divided attention to his /
her responsibilities to the spouse. On the other hand, Paul
emphatically states that "because of immoralities in society, each man
is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband so
that temptations might not impede or even destroy the individual's
service to the Lord. This second choice might be made because of one
being too distracted by the temptations of this world, especially
sexual temptations, which would distract one from ones service to
the Lord. Either choice - to be married or stay single evidently
depending
upon the individual's circumstances as sovereignly implemented by God
yet as directed by that individual's volition,
and by the leading of the Holy Spirit, yet as determined by the
volition of the
individual, and never contradicting God's foreordination and decrees .
2) [(1 Cor 6:19-20; 7:1-2) Compare Expositor's Bible Commentary On 1 Cor 7:1-2]:
(1 Cor 6:19 NASB) "Or do you not
know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who is
in you, Whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
(1
Cor 6:20 NKJV) For you were bought at a price; therefore
glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's;'''
(1 Cor 7:1 NASB) "Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
(1
Cor 7:2 NASB) But because of immoralities, each man is to
have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.""Christian obligations in marriage (7:1-16)
1
As to the question of the church on the pros and cons of being married,
Paul may seem to agree completely with those who argued for a celibate
life, and this in contrast to Genesis 2:18, "It is not good that the
man should be alone" (RSV) and the usual Jewish view in favor of the
married state. (The rabbis considered that marriage was an "unqualified
duty for a man" [Craig, in loc.].) But Paul's statement of 7:1 is not
to be taken absolutely; it is his suggestion specifically for Corinth
because of some present crisis there that he refers to in 7:26 (cf.
7:29, 35). Part of this crisis may have been connected with possible
times of persecution they might have to suffer for the Lord.
It is
difficult to hold, as some do, that Paul here is teaching against
marriage because he felt the second coming of Christ was necessarily
near (Craig, in loc., and Parry, in loc.). If that were his position,
he would naturally have argued against marriage in his other letters
also. In Ephesians 5 and 1 Timothy 3 he speaks in favor of marriage.
Further, in 1 Timothy 4:1-3 Paul states that "forbidding to marry" is
one of the signs of the approaching end-time apostasy, and in Hebrews
13:4 it is said that "marriage should be honored."
[Note
from biblestudymanuals.net: Paul's epistles no where indicate that the
Second Coming of Christ
was near; especially since the Rapture would have taken out the
church before the Second Coming 7 years earlier and thus being married
or not being married on account of the imminency of the Second Coming
would have been an issue because the church would not have been on the
earth at the time of the Second Coming. It would have been caught up
into heaven 7 years before the commencement of the 7 year Tribulation
Period, .
Secondly neither the Rapture nor the Second Coming were imminent
because none of the events of the 7 year tribulation period which
beginning of that period was co-imminent with the Rapture had occurred
and still have not occurred to this day .
So marriage would not have been an issue during the first century
AD because of the Rapture or the Second Coming being imminent. And we have
had more than 2,000 years taking place with no indication of an
approaching Rapture / Second Coming]
2 cont.) [Expositor's Bible Commentary, cont.]:
"As Hodge has
remarked, distresses and crises are connected with both the first and
second comings of Christ and, we could add, in the time in between (1
Corinthians, in loc.; cf. Matt 24:3-14; 1 Peter 1:10-12). However,
reference to "crises" (7:26) need not be pressed to mean that the
Corinthian Christians should not get married because the Lord was to
come shortly.
2-7 Having said that it would be good under the
present circumstances not to get married, Paul hastens to add that the
general rule for marriage should apply. The reason, especially true at
Corinth, is the prevalence of sexual immorality - porneias is plural - and
they also might be tempted to fall into this sin. Since the temptation
might affect either sex, Paul specifies that each man is to have his
own wife and each woman her own husband.
So that there will not be
abnormal situations in the Christian marital status that may lead to
sexual immorality (v. 5), the apostle gives instruction as to the
normal sexual behavior and attitude that the Christian man and wife
should have (vv. 3-6), and in doing so he argues against a forced
asceticism."
3) [(1 Cor 6:19-20; 7:1-2) Compare Bible Knowledge Commentary On 1 Cor 7:1-2]:
(1 Cor 6:19 NASB) "Or do you not
know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who is
in you, Whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
(1
Cor 6:20 NKJV) For you were bought at a price; therefore
glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's;'''
(1 Cor 7:1 NASB) "Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
(1
Cor 7:2 NASB) But because of immoralities, each man is to
have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.""A. Counsel concerning marriage (chap. 7)
1. Marriage And Celibacy (7:1-9)
Paul
had spoken in chapter 6 on the dangers of sexuality outside of
marriage. Then he turned to the duty of sexuality within marriage.
Probably abandonment of marital duties on the part of some in Corinth
had contributed to the immorality he had just described.
7:1.
The phrase not to marry may be an overtranslation of the Greek phrase
"not to touch a woman." Paul probably intended it as a euphemism for
sexual intercourse (cf. Gen. 20:6; Prov. 6:29). This too may have been
a slogan for some in Corinth (cf. 1 Cor. 6:12-13) who argued that even
those who were married should abstain from sexual intercourse. All that
Paul said, however, was that celibacy was a good state and not to be
depreciated.
7:2.
However, marriage with sexual intercourse was much more common. For an
individual to try to maintain a celibate state apart from the
enablement of God (cf. v. 7) would lead to immorality. For that reason
Paul encouraged people to marry."
B) [(1 Cor 7:1-9) Commentary On 1 Cor 7:3-9]:
(1 Cor 7:1 NASB) "Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
(1
Cor 7:2 NASB) But because of immoralities, each man is to
have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.
(1 Cor 7:3 NASB) The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
(1
Cor 7:4 NASB) The wife does not have authority over her own body, but
the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority
over his own body, but the wife does.
(1 Cor 7:5 NASB) Stop
depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may
devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will
not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
(1 Cor 7:6 NASB) But this I say by way of concession, not of command.
(1
Cor 7:7 NASB) Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am.
However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and
another in that.
(1 Cor 7:8 NASB) But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I,
(1
Cor 7:9 NASB) But if they do not have self-control, let them marry;
for it is better to marry than to burn with passion;" [presuming one's
sex-life is sufficient to satisfy ones needs]
1) [(1 Cor 7:3) Manuscript Evidence for 1 Cor 7:3]:
(1 Cor 7:3 NASB) "The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband."
WH
NU p11, p46, Sinaiticus, A, B, C, D, F, G, Psi, 33, 1739, cop have "the
husband [must] fulfill his [marital] duty to his wife."
TR, Maj, syr has "the husband [must] give his wife the kindness that is due [her]"
The
WH, NU reading is strongly supported by the manuscript evidence. The
varient reveals that some translator or scribe tried to soften Paul's
command that a husband had an obligation to satisfy his wife
sexually.
So
in view of the fact that the world of the Corinthian believers was
largely immoral which especially included sexual immorality - as well
as the world of today almost everywhere, Paul recommended one not be married:
(1 Cor 7:1 NASB) "Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman."
or because of such immoralities:
(1
Cor 7:2 NASB) "But because of immoralities, each man is to
have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband."
Each
to have his own spouse is thus recommended because of immoralities
which evidently were very influential in the Corinthian society - and
evidently influential throughout the ages unto today. These
recommendations were not commanded by Paul, (cp 1 Cor 7:6 NASB: "But
this I say by way of concession, not of command.")
Whereupon in 1 Cor 7:3, Paul
wrote about the duties that husbands and wives have toward one another
especially in view is sexual intercourse with one another:
(1 Cor 7:3 NASB) The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
(1
Cor 7:4 NASB) The wife does not have authority over her own body, but
the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority
over his own body, but the wife does."
2) [(1 Cor 7:5) Manuscript Evidence for 1 Cor 7:5]:
(1 Cor 7:5 NASB) "Stop
depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may
devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will
not tempt you because of your lack of self-control."
WH, NU, p11(vid), p46, Sinaiticus*, A, B, C, D, F, G, psi, 1739, cop have "you may devote yourselves to prayer
variant/ TR, Sinaiticus2, Maj, syr have "you may devote yourselves to fasting and to prayer"
The
addition, which is late, reflect the ascetic tendencies of certain
scribes influenced by the monastic movement. Paul would probably not be
calling for one form of abstinence - fasting - in the same passage
where he is clearly speaking against sexual abstinence.
Furthermore,
Paul wrote in 1 Cor 7:5 in consideration that the believers in Corinth
were indeed depriving one another of sexual intercourse which put their spouses in jeopardy of
being tempted because they are characterized themselves as lacking in
self-control:
(1 Cor 7:5 NASB) Stop
depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may
devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will
not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Paul
stated that spouses should agree to have intercourse at certain / regular times
with one another to accommodate one another's needs so that they will
not jeopardize one another into temptation because of their lack of
control as Paul declared they had. Even in this day and place, this is
good to follow Paul's commands.
But
in 1 Cor 7:6 Paul writes of the final analysis relative to this
matter: he indicates that believers are to take Paul's words
advisedly, i.e., by way of concession not by way of command:
(1 Cor 7:6 NASB) "But this I say by way of concession, not of command."
Paul then wrote in 1 Cor 7:7-9, "Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am.
However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and
another in that.
(1 Cor 7:8 NASB) But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I,
(1
Cor 7:9 NASB) But if they do not have self-control, let them marry;
for it is better to marry than to burn with passion;" [presuming your
sex-life is sufficient]"
3) [(1 Cor 7:9) Manuscript Evidence for 1 Cor 7:9]:
(1
Cor 7:9 NASB) "But if they do not have self-control, let them marry;
for it is better to marry than to burn with passion;" [presuming your
sex-life is sufficient]"
TR, NU, p46, Sinaiticus2, B, C2, D, F, G, Psi, 1739, Maj have the aorist verb rendered "to marry"
This
is a change from previous editions of the Nestle text (and from WH,
which read the present verb "gamein," based on Sinaiticus*, A, C*, 33.
The latter word suggests "living in a state of marriage;" whereas the
former connotes nothing more than "getting married." As such, the Greek
word, "gamesai" is more natural in the immediate context. It is better
to get married than to burn."
So
in 1 Cor 7:9 which reads in the NASB, "But if they do not have self-control, let them marry;
for it is better to marry than to burn with passion; [presuming your
sex-life is sufficient]," Paul wrote of his own personal experience - he was single and celibate.
He chose to remain
unmarried and celibate, indicating that for him it potentially offered
him a better
scenario to remain more faithful which implied that this might be the
case a believer's service to
God. So when one is single / without a spouse, ones attention and
responsibilities are not so divided because the single / celibate
believer has more and greater opportunity to better serve the Lord. Yet
Paul indicated that each believer received different gifts with
which to serve God with his own personal choices. So there indeed was
an allowance
for the personal volition of each believer to enter into how he might
chose
to conduct his life
before God.
On
the other hand, God is sovereign. He has foreordained, decreed and
implemented all
things; yet never does God override the volition of man. So man
will choose what he will choose, but it will never contradict what God
has already foreordained, decreed and implemented . So Scripture commands each individual believer to an ongoing and diligent study of God's
Word so that he
might conduct his / her life in accordance with God's commands via
the leading of the Holy Spirit within and the
circumstances which God has provided for His child in order to
choose to make godly choices - even making provision for
forgiveness of sins through confession of known sins and purification
from all temporal sins up to that confession when His
child makes the wrong choice which he will constantly make, ( ).
4) [(1 Cor 7:1-9) Bible Knowledge Commentary On 1 Cor 7:3-9]:
(1 Cor 7:1 NASB) "Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
(1
Cor 7:2 NASB) But because of immoralities, each man is to
have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.
(1 Cor 7:3 NASB) The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
(1
Cor 7:4 NASB) The wife does not have authority over her own body, but
the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority
over his own body, but the wife does.
(1 Cor 7:5 NASB) Stop
depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may
devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will
not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
(1 Cor 7:6 NASB) But this I say by way of concession, not of command.
(1
Cor 7:7 NASB) Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am.
However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and
another in that.
(1 Cor 7:8 NASB) But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I,
(1
Cor 7:9 NASB) But if they do not have self-control, let them marry;
for it is better to marry than to burn with passion;" [presuming your
sex-life is sufficient]
"7:3-4.
Paul stressed the equality and reciprocity of the husband and wife's
sexual relationship by emphasizing the responsibilities of each to
satisfy the other.
7:5.
Some in Corinth were trying to practice celibacy within marriage.
Apparently this refraining from sex within marriage was a unilateral
decision of one partner, not a mutually agreed-on decision (vv. 3-4).
Such a practice sometimes led to immorality on the part of the other
mate (v. 5b; cf. v. 2). Paul commanded that they stop this sort of
thing unless three conditions were met: (a) The abstention from sexual
intercourse was to be a matter of mutual consent on the part of both
husband and wife. (b) They were to agree beforehand on a time period at
the end of which normal intercourse would be resumed. (c) This
refraining was to enable them to devote themselves to prayer in a
concentrated way.
7:6.
Paul presented this possibility for temporary abstention from sexual
intercourse in marriage as a concession if the preceding stipulations
were met. He did not want his advice construed as a command. The
suggestion that Paul was referring to marriage itself as a "concession"
is unlikely in view of Genesis 1:28, the first command to mankind in
the Bible, and in view of Paul's Jewish background where marriage was
obligatory for all men except the sexually impotent (Mishnah Niddah
5.9).
7:7.
Paul, however, did not want any stigma to be attached to the single
state, so he affirmed, as he had done earlier (v. 1), that celibacy was
good. Paul, in fact, thought it to be an excellent state, and wished
that everyone could see the benefits of celibacy from his point of
view. He realized, however, that marriage or remaining single was more
than a matter of weighing alternative benefits; each was a gift from
God. It is God who enables each Christian to be married or single (cf.
Matt. 19:12).
7:8-9.
What Paul wrote in verses 1-2 he now pointedly applied to those in
Corinth who were unmarried but were sexually experienced (cf.
"virgins," v. 25). The unmarried included divorced persons of both
sexes as well as widowers, with widows mentioned separately (cf. vv.
39-40). For these Paul affirmed the suitability of remaining single, if
they had the appropriate enablement from God (v. 7). Paul, no armchair
theologian, anticipated the practical question of how a person can know
whether he or she is able to remain celibate. Paul gave his judgment;
if one lacks sexual control, he does not have the gift of celibacy, and
should marry."
5) [(1 Cor 7:1-9) Expositor's Bible Commentary On 1 Cor 7:2-9]:
(1 Cor 7:1 NASB) "Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
(1
Cor 7:2 NASB) But because of immoralities, each man is to
have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.
(1 Cor 7:3 NASB) The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
(1
Cor 7:4 NASB) The wife does not have authority over her own body, but
the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority
over his own body, but the wife does.
(1 Cor 7:5 NASB) Stop
depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may
devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will
not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
(1 Cor 7:6 NASB) But this I say by way of concession, not of command.
(1
Cor 7:7 NASB) Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am.
However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and
another in that.
(1 Cor 7:8 NASB) But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I,
(1
Cor 7:9 NASB) But if they do not have self-control, let them marry;
for it is better to marry than to burn with passion;" [presuming your
sex-life is sufficient]
"2-7
Having said that it would be good under the present circumstances not
to get married, Paul hastens to add that the general rule for marriage
should apply. The reason, especially true at Corinth, is the prevalence
of sexual immorality - porneias is plural - and they also might be tempted
to fall into this sin. Since the temptation might affect either sex,
Paul specifies that each man is to have his own wife and each woman her
own husband.
So
that there will not be abnormal situations in the Christian marital
status that may lead to sexual immorality (v. 5), the apostle gives
instruction as to the normal sexual behavior and attitude that the
Christian man and wife should have (vv. 3-6), and in doing so he argues
against a forced asceticism. He argues that they should have normal
sexual relations and he strengthens his argument by stating that the
bodies of the marriage partners belong to each other. The verb
exousiazo literally means "has rights over"; that is, "has exclusive
claim to," which has already been shown in the teaching of 1
Corinthians 6:16, "the two will become one flesh." Having stated the
principle in v. 4, Paul adds the command that husbands and wives are
not to withhold these normal marital rights from each other, except by
mutual consent and agreement, and that only for a specified purpose and
a specified period of time (v. 5). This he says is so that they may
spend time in prayer - i.e., that as those who are also united to
Christ (6:17), they may exercise their rights and privileges in
communing with God. But when this separate time of prayer is over, the
married pair are to come together again, lest Satan tempt one or the
other partner with sexual immorality because of their possible lack of
sexual self-control. Paul recognizes the strong but normal sexual drive
in the human being (cf. Gen 1:28, "be fruitful... fill the earth").
The
present tense of the verb apostereite ("deprive") in the prohibition in
v. 5 indicates that some at Corinth were practicing a kind of celibacy
within marriage. The construction may be translated, "Do not deprive
one another (as you are doing)," or "Stop depriving one another."
Through the word kairon, "time" - i.e., a specific period of time - the
apostle impresses on Christians the limitation of time to apply for
marriage partners to agree to be parted from one another.
Paul
is quick to point out that Satan, the enemy of Christians (1 Peter
5:8), is present to motivate the people of God to use even good and
normal human processes wrongly and so to displease God.
When
Paul states (in v. 6) that he says "this" not by direct command (from
the Lord) but by permission or concession (syngnomen), it is not clear
what the "this" refers to (cf. Hodge, in loc.). Some refer it to v. 5,
"come together again," but this thought is in a subordinate clause and
does not fit the context that husband and wife were to be separated
only for a limited time. Others refer it to the whole of v. 5, with the
inference that they could separate for other reasons than that given in
v. 5 and for unlimited periods, but this is against the commands of vv.
3, 4. So it is better to understand "this" to refer to v. 2, indicating
that though marriage is desirable and is according to God's creation
plan, it is not mandatory. That this is Paul's meaning is evident from
v. 7 where he says he really wishes all men were single like him.
However, he recognizes that God gives each man his own gracious gift
(v. 7). Some are given the desire or the inclination to be married, and
some have the power to refrain from marriage. Charisma ("gift of
grace") seems to mean the wholesome inclination given by God either to
pursue marriage or to refrain from it.
8,
9 Paul gives advice to the single, whom he now classifies as the
unmarried and the widows. It is, he states, good or advisable (kalon,
cf. v. 1) for them to remain in their single state for the reasons
spelled out in 7:26, 32-35. (Observe that in another situation Paul
counsels the younger widows to marry [1Tim 5:14].) But now he hastens
to add a postscript. If the situation is such that these persons cannot
control their sexual desires, they should marry. The explanation (gar,
"for") Paul gives is that it is better to get married than be inflamed
with sexual desire, which is hard to control outside of marriage.
Pyrousthai, related to pyr ("fire"), means "burn" or "be enflamed," and
is here used figuratively of sexual desire."
C) [(1 Cor 7:10-16) Commentary On 1 Cor 7:10-16]:
(1
Cor 7:10 NASB) "But to the married I give instructions, not I,
but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband
(1
Cor 7:11 NASB) (but if she does leave, she must remain
unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband
should not divorce his wife.
(1 Cor 7:12 NASB) But to
the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an
unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.
(1
Cor 7:13 NASB) And a woman who has an unbelieving husband,
and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.
(1
Cor 7:14 NASB) For the unbelieving husband is sanctified
through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her
believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now
they are holy.
(1 Cor 7:15 NASB) Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the
sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to
peace.
(1 Cor 7:16 NASB) For how
do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you
know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?"
So
Paul writes in 1 Cor 7:10-16 on the matter of marriage - instructions / commands which
come through the apostle Paul but express instructions from the Lord,
with believers in view, beginning with dissolving or not
dissolving ones marriage in 1 Cor 7:10-11: "But to the married I give
instructions, not I,
but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband. So the wife
is not to leave her husband, (but if she does leave, she must remain
unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband
should not divorce his wife." Paul
gives instructions to
married people qualifying those intructions as being not from himself
but commands from
the Lord; yet at the same time allowing for circumstances wherein there
is a divorce with no particulars stipulated. Yet these are the Lord's
instructions, not just suggestions from Paul. These instructions are
commands in 1 Cor 7:11 and elsewhere in Scripture on the particular subject of divorce: the
wife should not leave her husband which is qualified by:
"but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be
reconciled to her husband. Likewise if she does leave, she must remain
unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband, and that the husband
should not divorce his wife.
Paul also writes in 1
Cor 7:12-14 "to the rest I say, not the Lord" in the sense that this is
Paul's admonition, not necessarily a command from the Lord to the rest
of those who are
affiliated with the church at Corinth and elsewhere, i.e., to
those believers who are are married to unbelievers as
follows:
(1 Cor 7:12 NASB) "But to
the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an
unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.
(1
Cor 7:13 NASB) And a woman who has an unbelieving husband,
and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.
(1
Cor 7:14 NASB) For the unbelieving husband is sanctified
through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her
believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now
they are holy."
1) [(1 Cor 7:14) Manuscript Evidence for 1 Cor 7:14]:
(1
Cor 7:14 NASB) "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified
through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her
believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now
they are holy."
All three editons TR, WH, NU, p46, Sinaiticus*, A, B, C and in all English versions have "for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife."
Some
Western witnesses such as D, F, G, syr(h) add "the believing" to "wife"
to make explicit what is already implicit in the text: The wife has to
be a believer in order to sanctify her unbelieving husband. So
if a believer has a spouse who is an unbeliever and that unbelieving
spouse
consents to live with the believer, then Paul declares that the believer should not
divorce the spouse. This is applicable for both men and women. No
distinctions are made. And Paul gives the explanation that the
unbelieving
spouse who remains in the marriage is thereby sanctified in the sense
of set apart under God's protection and
blessings afforded to the believing spouse as well as any children
that come
from that union. Paul stipulates that outside of the umbrella of the
marriage with an unbeliever, the children are unclean, but inside they
are holy, i.e., set apart to God - His blessings and protection.
So
continuing on in 1 Cor 7:12-14, which reads, (1 Cor 7:12 NASB) "But to
the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an
unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. (1
Cor 7:13 NASB) And a woman who has an unbelieving husband,
and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. (1
Cor 7:14 NASB) For the unbelieving husband is sanctified
through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her
believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now
they are holy." - Paul was giving personal advise and not a command from the Lord to the
congregation at Corinth; and for that matter to all believers including
those who were unbelievers who were married to believers who consent to live
with their believing spouses. Believers were not to divorce their
unbelieving spouses who consented to live with them. There
is one possibility here that might have special significance:
suppose a believer may have recently become a believer, and the
spouse so far has
not become a believer. There are other possibilities as well which might be
applicable. In any case,
Paul is giving his advice but in relatively strong terms. Note
that this is stipulated as
if there is the possibility that a believer has an option to
divorce his spouse, but
Paul strongly advises against it.
b) [(1 Cor 7:15) Manuscript Evidence for 1 Cor 7:15]:
(1 Cor 7:15 NASB) "Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the
sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to
peace."
WH, NU, Sinaiticus*, A, C, cop(bo) have "God has called you"
TR, P46, Sinaiticus2, B, D, F, G, Psi, 33, 1739, Maj, syr, cop(sa) have "God has called us"
Although
the two pronouns "umas" and "emas" were often confused for one another
in the course of textual transmission (because they look alike and were
pronounced similarly), in this case "emas" ("us"), is the more
difficult reading and better attested. It is more difficult to imagine
Paul saying that God had called "us" to peace with respect to
maintaining or breaking marital relations, when he himself was
obviously excluded from such issues. But Paul had a habit of being
inclusive in his exhortations.
On
the other hand, in 1 Cor 7:15-16, Paul writes relative to the
opportunities and responsibilities of the believer toward his / her unbelieving spouse
relative to his / her salvation unto eternal life: "Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the
sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to
peace. For
how
do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you
know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?" Of course this
implies that it is indeed the Christian's responsibility especially to share gospel to his / her spouse.
Note
that the phrase rendered, "but God has called us to peace," actually
begins 1 Cor 7:16, the next verse, rather than being a part of 1 Cor 7:15. For Paul affirms with this
phrase, ""but God has called us to peace," that God has called
Christians to live in peace with one another regardless of whether or
not one was a believer or whom one was married to. So it indeed could be understood as a separate
sentence begining the next but related context.
The same conjunction (de = but) which introduced the exception at the
beginning of this verse was repeated by Paul, probably to indicate
another shift in thought and a return to the main point in this
section, namely, the importance for the Christian spouse of preserving
the marriage union and living "in peace" with the non-Christian.
2) [(1 Cor 7:10-16) Bible Knowledge Commentary On 1 Cor 7:10-16]:
(1
Cor 7:10 NASB) "But to the married I give instructions, not I,
but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband
(1
Cor 7:11 NASB) (but if she does leave, she must remain
unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband
should not divorce his wife.
(1 Cor 7:12 NASB) But to
the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an
unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.
(1
Cor 7:13 NASB) And a woman who has an unbelieving husband,
and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.
(1
Cor 7:14 NASB) For the unbelieving husband is sanctified
through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her
believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now
they are holy.
(1 Cor 7:15 NASB) Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the
sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to
peace.
(1 Cor 7:16 NASB) For how
do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you
know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?"
"Paul's
advice to married Christians is summed up in verse 24 after he
addressed, in turn, individual Christians married to one another (vv.
10-11), Christians married to non-Christians (vv. 12-16), and other
external physical and vocational states for Christians (vv. 17-23).
7:10-11.
Paul's direction to Christians married to one another was like that of
Jesus Himself (Mark 10:2-12): as a rule, no divorce (cf. Matt. 5:32).
The difference in language between separate (chōristhnai) on the part
of the wife (1 Cor. 7:10) and divorce (aphienai) on the part of the
husband (v. 11) was probably due to stylistic variation as the word
translated "separate" (chōrizō) was commonly used in the vernacular as
a term for divorce (William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 4th ed. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press, 1957, p. 899). When problems occurred in a Christian
marriage, the resolution was to be sought in reconciliation (cf. Eph.
4:32), not in divorce.
7:12-13. The rest referred to Christians
who were married to non-Christians. Jesus, in the course of His
ministry, never had addressed this issue (cf. vv. 10, 25). But Paul,
with no less authority (cf. v. 25) did. Some divorces may have been
initiated because of the command of Ezra to the Israelites in Jerusalem
after the Exile (Ezra 10:11) to divorce themselves from pagan spouses.
Paul affirmed that the same principle should operate in a
believer-unbeliever marriage as in a marriage of two Christians: as a
rule, no divorce. A Christian husband must not divorce (aphietō) an
unbelieving wife, and a Christian wife must not divorce (aphietō) a
non-Christian husband.
7:14. Divorce was to be avoided because
the Christian spouse was a channel of God's grace in the marriage.
Within the "one flesh" relationship the blessing of God which came to
the Christian affected the family as a whole (cf. Jacob in Laban's
household [Gen. 30:27] and Joseph in Potiphar's [Gen. 39:5]; also cf.
Rom. 11:16). It is in this sense that the unbelieving spouse was
sanctified and the children were holy.
7:15. However, there were
exceptions to the rule of no divorce. If the unbeliever insisted on a
divorce, he was not to be denied (the word trans. leaves is chōrizetai,
the verb used in v. 10). Should this occur, the Christian was not bound
to maintain the marriage but was free to marry again (cf. v. 39). Paul
did not say, as he did in verse 11, that the Christian in this case
should "remain unmarried." (However, some Bible students say that not
being "bound" means the Christian is not obligated to prevent the
divorce, but that it does not give freedom for remarriage.)
The
second part of this verse in which Paul affirmed that God had called
Christians to live in peace could be understood as a separate sentence.
The same conjunction (de, but) which introduced the exception at the
beginning of this verse was repeated by Paul, probably to indicate
another shift in thought and a return to the main point in this
section, namely, the importance for the Christian spouse of preserving
the marriage union and living "in peace" with the non-Christian. (For a
similar digression in a discourse on the general rule of no divorce,
see Matt. 19:9.) Paul's point was that a Christian should strive to
preserve the union and to keep the peace, but with the understanding
that marriage is a mutual not a unilateral relationship.
7:16. Paul
then stated a second (cf. v. 14) and crucial reason why a Christian
should stay married to a non-Christian. God might use the Christian
mate as a channel of blessing (cf. v. 14), leading ultimately to the
point where the unbelieving spouse would believe the message of the
Cross and experience salvation (cf. 1 Peter 3:1-2)."
3) [(1 Cor 7:10-16) Expositor's Bible Commentary On 1 Cor 7:10-16]:
(1
Cor 7:10 NASB) "But to the married I give instructions, not I,
but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband
(1
Cor 7:11 NASB) (but if she does leave, she must remain
unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband
should not divorce his wife.
(1 Cor 7:12 NASB) But to
the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an
unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.
(1
Cor 7:13 NASB) And a woman who has an unbelieving husband,
and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.
(1
Cor 7:14 NASB) For the unbelieving husband is sanctified
through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her
believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now
they are holy.
(1 Cor 7:15 NASB) Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the
sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to
peace.
(1 Cor 7:16 NASB) For how
do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you
know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?"
"10-16
Paul's next major concern relates to Christians and divorce. What he
states in v. 10 "to the married" (gegamekosin) is by "command"
(parangello) - not his own, but the command of the Lord. For he has
stated above that for the unmarried to remain so was a "good" thing if
a person could control his sexual desires. But for a married couple to
stay together is not just "good" - it is commanded by the Lord. How
specifically Paul is citing the words of Jesus depends on whether at
this time he had access to the notes of one of the gospel writers or to
one of the Gospels themselves.
Paul could have had access to
notes on the Gospels or to a Gospel itself, acquired from the apostles
when Paul visited the Jerusalem area in the earlier part of his
ministry (cf. Acts 9:26-28; 11:30; 15:1, 2). That such material, as
well as any accurate oral tradition regarding Jesus, was available is
seen from the statement given by Luke, Paul's close companion, that
there were gospel accounts being drawn up and that he, Luke, had
obtained accurate information from the eyewitnesses of the gospel
events (Luke 1:1-4). Furthermore, the formula for the Lord's Supper in
1 Corinthians 11:23ff. certainly gives evidence that Paul acquired
accurate information from an oral or written source concerning Jesus'
teaching.
The burden of Christ's command was that the married
were not to be divorced (Matt 5:32; 19:3-9; Luke 16:18) - a principle
Paul summarizes from both sides of the marriage partnership - the woman
is not to be separated from (or, possibly, separate herself from; cf.
note on v. 10) her husband, and the husband must not divorce his wife
(v. 11). There seems to have occurred at Corinth such a separation of a
wife from her husband, for Paul says, "If she does [separate], she must
remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband." The change of
verb tenses emphasizes the direction of Paul's thinking. She is to
remain unmarried (present tense continuous action) like the other
unmarried (v. 8), or, better, she is to be "reconciled" to her husband
(aorist tense, accomplished action). The stress of the passage on maintaining
the marriage bond unbroken definitely strengthens the injunction for
separated marriage partners to become reconciled.
In vv. 12-16
Paul adds instructions beyond those given in Scripture by the Lord Jesus -
instructions having to do with mixed marriages, where one partner has,
since marriage, become a Christian. Paul addresses himself to this
problem and later to the subject of virgins marrying (7:25-40) when he
says, "To the rest [to the others with marital questions] I say
this...."
The factual indicative condition in v. 12 (as in v.
13), "If any brother has a wife who is not a believer [as some do]...,"
shows that there were mixed marriages in the Christian community in
this pagan city. Since Paul preached in Corinth for over a year and a
half (Acts 18:11, 18), with many turning to the Lord, we may conclude
that while he was still with them many marriages became mixed
marriages. Had he at that time given them advice about this? Doubtless,
he had. But the problem then was probably not so acute for the
unbelieving partner when the other partner was a new Christian. The
unbelieving one may have thought this stand for Christ was a passing
fad or a superstition. As time went on, however, the condition in many
Corinthian homes became more serious. In spite of Paul's teaching about
Christian living and the sanctity of the home (cf. Eph 4-6), the
unbelieving partners in some instances were threatening to leave their
Christian husbands or wives. So Paul was confronted with the question,
"What should the Christian marriage partners do?" We should note first,
in the light of 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 (cf. Ezra 10:10), that Paul
would not have allowed an already professing Christian to marry an
unbeliever. But on the question of what should be done by a husband or
wife who has turned to the Lord after marriage, Paul is decisive (vv.
12, 13). If the unbelieving partner is content or willing to live with
the Christian, then the Christian must not divorce the partner - for
the sake, Paul implies, of the marriage bond God has ordained. The
present tense prohibition, me aphieto, stresses that the marriage
relationship is not to be broken at any time. The literal meaning is
"He [she] is not to be attempting at one point or another to divorce
her [him]."
Rather (v. 14), the Christian partner should think
of the truth that the Lord can use him as a godly, holy influence in
such a mixed family relationship and in helping that family to be
consecrated (set apart) to God. The word hagiazo ("to sanctify") does
not refer to moral purity - Paul is certainly not teaching that the
unbelieving partner is made morally pure. What the word emphasizes is a
relationship to God, a claim of God on the person and family to be set
apart for him (cf. Acts 20:32; 26:18). The perfect tense of the verb
hegiastai stresses that, being in a Christian family, the unbeliever
has already become and continues to be a part of a family unit upon
which God has his claim and which he will use for his service. The same
is true of children born in such a family. That God has laid his hand
on the Christian means that God has laid his hand on the children, and
set them apart for himself. They are holy (hagia, "set apart for God")
and not "unclean" - that is, not spiritually separated from God, as was
and is the case in unbelieving families. The Bible's teaching elsewhere
about the Christian parent and his covenant children set apart for God
is also relevant to this passage. Consider Genesis 17:1-14, where the
children of God's people of the OT are included among God's covenant
people, and Acts 2:38, 39, where it is emphasized that God's promise
applies to the children of believers, whether of those who are "near,"
the Jews, or those "afar off," the Gentiles (cf. Eph 2:12, 13).
Covenant children are to be counted a part of God's people and should
be nurtured in the Christian faith and in the fear of the Lord (Eph
6:4).
Dealing with the actual situation at Corinth, Paul
realizes that in some instances the unbelieving marriage partner will
not stay. So he teaches that in such an event (v. 15) the believer must
let the unbelieving partner go - "If [in fact - an actual condition]
the unbeliever leaves, let him do so." At this point, Paul adds two
reasons: First, in this case the believer is not "bound," for the
unbeliever by willful desertion (the other legitimate reason for
divorce besides sexual immorality [Matt 19:9]) has broken the marriage
contract. The Greek perfect form of the verb is graphic - i.e., "the
Christian brother or sister is not in a bound condition as a slave." A
second reason for allowing an unwilling partner to leave is that God
has called his people to live in peace, which would not be possible if
the unbelieving partner were forced to live with the believer. Try to
live with the unbelieving partner in the peace that God gives
(Philippians 4:6, 7), but do not attempt to force the unbeliever to
stay.
The force of v. 16 tempers any tendency to foster or
encourage a rupture in the marriage. For Paul is teaching that the
believer is to try to keep the mixed marriage together in the hope that
the testimony of the believer will be used by God to bring the
unbeliever to Christ. The factual condition of v. 16 suggests there is
a good hope that God in his providence will do just that."
D) [(1 Cor 7:17-24) Commentary On 1 Cor 7:17-24]:
(1 Cor 7:17 NASB) "[Nevertheless], as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called
each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches."
1) [(1 Cor 7:17a) Manuscript Evidence for 1 Cor 7:17a]:
(1 Cor 7:17a NASB) "[Nevertheless], as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called
each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches."
The
scribe of P46 originally wrote the aorist verb "EmErisEn" rendered
("assigned"), which is also the reading in Sinaiticus2, (A), C, D, F,
G, Psi, Maj. Then the scribe himself corrected this word by changing
the sigma to kappa: "EmEriken," rendered "has assigned." He should have
also added a "mu"= "m" at the
beginning of the word to make it "mEmEriken, the perfect tense of the
verb. (NA27 incorrectly cites P46 as reading "mEmEriken," although that
was probably the scribe's intention.) This correction reveals that the
scribe probably knew of both readings; thus, both variants are very
early. The perfect tense was perpetuated in the Alexandrian tradition:
Sinaiticus*, B, 1739, while the aorist turned up in many later
manuscripts. TR, NU print the aorist, while WH preferred the perfect.
The difference in meaning is that the aorist emphasizes the one-time
action of God's distribution of gifts to the various members of the
church, while the perfect emphasizes the long-lasting effect of this
distribution.
2) [(1 Cor 7:17b) Manuscript Evidence for 1 Cor 7:17a & b]:
(1 Cor 7:17 NASB) "[Nevertheless], as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called
each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches."
WH
NU P46, Sinaiticus, A, B, C, D, F, 33, 1739, syr, cop(p) have "as the
Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each one."
1st variant / TR, Maj, syr(h) have "as God has assigned to each one, as the Lord has called each one"
2nd variant / Psi, 1881 have "as God has assigned to each one, as God has called each one"
The
manuscrpt evidence overwhelmingly suppports the WH NU reading. The
first variant, found in the majority of the manuscripts, is a change
influenced by a similar passage, Ro 12:3. The second variant is an
extension of the first. The first variant became part of the TR, and so
it was translated in KJV and NKJV.
In 1 Cor 7:17 which reads, (1 Cor 7:17 NASB) "[Nevertheless], as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called
each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches," the
Greek words "ei me," literally, "if not" are best translated, "but" or
"nevertheless" [NIV] which both best convey the concept that Paul is
expanding his thought of the Christian's call to other areas besides
that of marital status. So the Christian should live for the Lord
wherever the Christian is in his life and in all areas of his
life. This, Paul
says, is the principle that he directed, i.e., established to be followed as the Lord has called each believer in all the
churches (cf. Eph 5:21-6:9; Col 3:18-4:1) - a principle that
transcends all boundaries, and is applicable to all believers anywhere and anytime.
(1 Cor 7:18 NASB) Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised.
[In
1 Cor 7:18 Paul continues the train of thought from the previous verse
wherein believers whose circumstance is such that they have already been circumcised, i.e., believers
who are Jews - are not to then choose to
become "uncircumcised," in the sense of become like Gentiles attempting to change their circumstances. Nor
should believers who are Gentiles, the uncircumcised then choose to become circumcised in
the sense of to become like Jews.
Note that the Judiazers often
insisted that water baptism was indeed part of becoming a Christian [cf. Acts 15:1-5; Gal 3:1-3; 5:1; Gal 2:3-5 ]
(1
Cor 7:19 NASB) Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is
nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.
(1 Cor 7:20 NASB) Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called.
[In
1 Cor 7:19-20, Paul brings
home his point that ones circumstances in life, for example, if one is
a Jew or a Gentile is nothing relative to the value of eternal matters
- the believer's grand eternal destiny. On the other hand what
matters in the temporal life relative to temporal blessings and rewards
in the eternal life is the keeping of the commandments of God; which for Paul meant being
controlled by the Spirit (cf. Rom. 2:25-29). Although keeping the
commandments of God is a measure of the believer's faithfulness as well
as the operation of the grace of God to perfect the believer's
inevitable failure day by day to be perfect in his mortal life; it is
not the means by which one may gain eternal life, (Rom 2:25, 29; Gal 5:6). What matters is that every Christian should realize he is
Christ's slave and needs to render obedience to Him. Every vocation
then becomes Christian service performed for the Master (cf. Eph.
6:5-8). By repetition, this verse
emphasizes the principle in v. 17 which are as follows:
(1 Cor 7:17 NASB) "[Nevertheless], as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called
each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches."
In 1 Cor 7:17, the
Greek words "ei me," literally, "if not" are best translated, "but" or
"nevertheless" [NIV] which both best convey the concept that Paul is
expanding his thought of the Christian's call to other areas besides
that of marital status: So the Christian should live for the Lord
wherever the Christian is in his life and in all areas of his
life. This, Paul
says, is the principle that he directed, i.e., established to be followed as the Lord has called each believer in all the
churches (cf. Eph 5:21-6:9; Col 3:18-4:1) - a principle that
transcends all boundaries, and is applicable to all believers anywhere and anytime.
In the New Testament the Greek word rendered "has called" is used of God's
effectual call of His people to salvation (cf. Rom 11:29; Heb 3:1), but
here in this context [in 1 Cor 7:17] it must be taken to include one's station in life; i.e., His circumstances.
(1
Cor 7:21 NASB) Were you called while a slave? Do not worry
about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that.
[In
1 Cor 7:21, Paul continues to address the believer's present
circumstances when he becomes a believer and as he continues in his
temporal life as a believer. Whereupon, Paul asks a key question that
presents a believer who is in an extreme temporal life circumstance of slavery being
called in the
sense of being called by God to believe in Christ unto eternal life.
His was in a very lowly position in life in which to live out the temporal
life especially now that he has become a Christian. So if the slave did
inevitably believe and became saved unto eternal life ,
nevertheless that individual was a slave when he became saved unto
eternal life, so what is to become of him? Paul writes,
"Do not worry about it" in the sense of that he was to leave his
present
temporal circumstance in the hands of his Savior, Jesus Christ and not
worry
about it. Paul
is not speaking
against human betterment or social service, but he is stressing that
the believer is to live for the Lord without anxiety in his
present situation. If he was a slave when he became a Christian, Paul
writes that he
should live on as a Christian even though he might remain a slave -
still subject to the society he lives in during his temporal life. For Paul indicates that his life is now in the hands of his
Savior and that believer, albeit a slave in his temporal life -
nevertheless his eternity
- is now to be in view as he walks with Jesus moment to moment. On the
other hand, Paul
writes within the same verse, "Were you called while a slave? Do not worry
about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that." Note that Scripture
does not teach that
being a Christian guarantees material or social betterment or change for the better or worse. On the
other hand, all things have been decreed by God, circumstances are
sovereignly implemented in accordance with God's purpose for each of His children; yet nothing is done to override man's
volition to go for or against whatever God has led his child toward or against .
(1
Cor 7:22 NASB) For he who was called in the Lord while a
slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free,
is Christ's slave.
So in 1 Cor 7:22, relative to the matter of the Christian living for the Lord
wherever the Christian is in his life and in all areas of his
life - his station, circumstances, etc., which Paul addressed beginning in 1 Cor 7:17-21: Paul writes in 1 Cor 7:22, "For
he who was called in the Lord while a
slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free,
is Christ's slave." So in view is Paul's redirection of the believer's
life from focusing on his temporal circumstances as a slave to a new
focus upon his relationship with the Lord as
the Lord's freedman. This implies that the circumstances of ones
temporal life - no matter how menial or glorious in this temporal
world, it pales in
comparison to what is in store for the believer in eternity who is a
freedman of the Lord / slave to Christ.
In
1 Cor 7:23-24, which reads, "You
were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. Brethren, each
one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called;" Paul
continues the train of thought that now
that
the believer is a freedman of the Lord / slave to Christ, he
is not
to revert to his old circumstance as a slave to men in the temporal
life; he is
encouraged to consider his new position to which he was called as a
freedman yet
slave to the Lord Jesus Christ - an interesting apparent contradiction,
yet supernatural corroboration. For to be a freedman from temporal
enslavement through faith in Christ is to become a slave to Christ in
the most wonderful relationship life one could ever afford: eternal
life serving Christ without being subjected to evil or being evil
oneself only righteous with unimaginably wonderful enjoyable
circumstances forever - without end!. And he is to remain with God with
respect for and to his
new and eternal position and destiny and act accordingly. For the believer was bought with a price, i.e., Christ's propitiation
/ payment for his sins securing the believers redemption .
3) [(1 Cor 7:17-24) Expositor's Bible Commentary]:
(1 Cor 7:17 NASB) "[Nevertheless], as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called
each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches.
(1 Cor 7:18 NASB) Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised.
(1
Cor 7:19 NASB) Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is
nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.
(1 Cor 7:20 NASB) Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called.
(1
Cor 7:21 NASB) Were you called while a slave? Do not worry
about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that.
(1
Cor 7:22 NASB) For he who was called in the Lord while a
slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free,
is Christ's slave.
(1 Cor 7:23 NASB) You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.
(1 Cor 7:24 NASB) Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called."
"17
The expression ei me ("nevertheless") at the beginning of this verse
presents problems of interpretation. To take it as "unless," "except
that," makes it difficult to relating the verse to what Paul has just
said about the Christian who is married to an unbeliever, that he may
possibly lead his partner to the Lord. It is best to translate the "ei
me" as "but" (NKJV / KJV) or "nevertheless" (NIV), meaning that Paul is
expanding his thought of the Christian's call to other areas besides
that of marital status. The Christian should live for the Lord wherever
he is. This, Paul says, is the principle that he orders to be followed
in all the churches (cf. Eph 5:21-6:9; Col 3:18-4:1) - a principle that
transcends all boundaries.
18, 19 The apostle's first
application of this principle is to the religio-national distinctions
related to being Jews or Gentiles, being circumcised or uncircumcised.
In a Gentile situation like that in Corinth, some Christian Jews may
have tried to obliterate the OT covenant mark of circumcision (cf.
1 Macc 1:15). On the other hand, Judaizers tried to force circumcision
on the Gentile Christians (cf. Acts 15:1-5; Gal 3:1-3; 5:1). Paul
argues that this outward sign of circumcision with its stress on the
Jew versus the non-Jew now has no significance. If a person was a
circumcised Jew when he was saved, he should not become uncircumcised.
If he was an uncircumcised Gentile, he should not be circumcised in
order to become Jewish. Circumcision and uncircumcision now make no
difference (Rom 2:25, 29; Gal 5:6), but keeping God's command is
essential (v. 19; cf. John 14:15).
20 By repetition, this verse
emphasizes the principle in v. 17. In the NT, klesis [to call] is used of God's
effectual call of his people to salvation (cf. Rom 11:29; Heb 3:1), but
here [in 1 Cor 7:17 & 20] it must be taken to include one's station in life.
21-23 ... But Paul's stress is on one's not being "troubled" as a
Christian in his social situation, and the all ei kai can just as well
be translated "but if also" or "although also." So then the meaning
would be "But if also you can gain your freedom, you had better take
that opportunity," or, as NIV has it, "although if you can gain your
freedom, do so." Observe, however, that the Bible teaches that
Christianity does not guarantee material or social betterment but makes
it a matter of individual responsibility (cf. Ps 73; Acts 11:29; 20:35).
Verse
22 refers to v. 21a. Paul is saying, "If you were a slave when God
called you, don't let it trouble you - you are the Lord's freedman. If
you were free when called, remember you are Christ's slave." The
spiritual antithesis is striking. The Lord has freed the Christian from
the penalty of sin (2 Cor 5:21) and from Satan and his kingdom (Col
1:13) and bound us as "slaves" to himself (Rom 1:1).
Verse 23
points up the priority of Christ's authority over the Christian. In all
earthly service he is to realize that his obedience and service is to
Christ, not men. The reason is that God bought us with the price of
Christ's blood (1Cor 5:7; 1Pet 1:18, 19). So because on this higher
level we are slaves to Christ, we are not to become mere slaves of men.
We serve faithfully in our earthly position, but we serve as slaves of
Christ (cf. Eph 6:5-9, Col 3:24, 1Tim 6:2).
In Verse 24 Paul
repeats the command of vv. 17, 20 but adds the phrase para theo
("before God"), as though he is saying, "God is looking on you and is there
with you to help you."
4) [(1 Cor 7:17-24) Bible Knowledge Commentary]:
(1 Cor 7:17 NASB) "[Nevertheless], as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called
each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the curches."
(1 Cor 7:18 NASB) Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised.
(1
Cor 7:19 NASB) Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is
nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.
(1 Cor 7:20 NASB) Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called.
(1
Cor 7:21 NASB) Were you called while a slave? Do not worry
about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that.
(1
Cor 7:22 NASB) For he who was called in the Lord while a
slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free,
is Christ's slave.
(1 Cor 7:23 NASB) You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.
(1 Cor 7:24 NASB) Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called."
"7:17.
The general principle which Paul affirmed in dealing with decisions
affecting a Christian's marital status was again stated three times
(vv. 17, 20, 24; cf. also v. 26): in brief, "stay put." The call to
conversion radically altered an individual's spiritual relationship but
need effect no changes at all in physical relationships that were not
immoral.
7:18-19. The external
operation of circumcision or the obliteration of the same (cf.
[apocryphal] 1 Maccabees 1:15-16) was a matter of little importance
compared with keeping God's commands, which for Paul meant being
controlled by the Spirit (cf. Rom. 2:25-29).
7:20-23. Likewise,
a Christian's vocational situation is a matter of little consequence
(if status can be changed, well and good; if not, it is not a matter
for worry). What matters is that every Christian should realize he is
Christ's slave and needs to render obedience to Him. Every vocation
then becomes Christian service performed for the Master (cf. Eph.
6:5-8).
7:24. The fact that God had called each one to a vocation
and sought from each one faithful service in that calling elevated and
sanctified both the work and the worker. A Christian could then "live
in peace" (v. 15) in his calling and carry it out as one responsible to
God."
E) [(1 Cor 7:25-40) Commentary On 1 Cor 7:25-40]:
1) [1 Cor 7:25]:
(1 Cor 7:25 NASB) "Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an
opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy."
In
1 Cor 7:25, Paul addresses the subject of women, evidently of
marriageable age, who are not yet married. Note that the presumption is
that they are virgins. Author Paul stipulates that he has no command of
the Lord, but he gives his opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord
is trustworthy. So the weight of his opinion is something that is to be
trusted and seriously taken under advisement, albeit not by direct
teaching from the Lord Jesus Himself, but nevertheless part of the inspired Word of God.
a) [(1 Cor 7:25) Expositor's Bible Commentary]:
(1 Cor 7:25 NASB) "Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an
opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy."
"25-35
Paul argues that "because of the present crisis" it is better for a man
or woman to remain in their present state, whether married or single
(v. 26). He advises this because there is such a short time to do the
work of the Lord (v. 29); and anyway the material conditions of this
world are changing and disappearing—"this world in its present form is
passing away" (v. 31). Paul introduces certain corrective statements
lest the Corinthians draw false conclusions from the main principle. In
saying that they should stay married, he insists that marriage itself
is not a matter of right or wrong (v. 28). Paul also argues that the
real problem they face in their present world situation is the proper
expenditure of their time and energies. He is desirous that they devote
their energies to the service of the Lord, and this they can do better
if they are unmarried (vv. 32-34). But he hastens to add that he does
not mean to hamper them in such a way as to keep them from marrying—he
only wants to help them. His advice, he implies, is not an argument for
the superiority of celibacy or the obligatory nature of it (v. 35).
25
Here the apostle makes it clear that he is not relying directly on a
command from the Lord—i.e., from Jesus—as he was, for example, in Acts
20:35. Rather, he says that he is giving his own opinion on the matter,
but that his opinion is to be taken seriously because by the Lord's
mercy he is trustworthy and they should therefore listen to him. So he
is not suggesting that his command is any less inspired but is only
calling attention to the fact that what he is presenting is not derived
from a direct teaching of Jesus himself."
b) [(1 Cor 7:25) Bible Knowledge Commentary]:
(1 Cor 7:25 NASB) "Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an
opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy."
"3. Marriage And Ministry (7:25-38)
The
basic principle Paul had been setting forth (viz., to continue in one's
present position) was then applied to those who had never married.
Apparently this was in response to a question put to him. Paul urged
them to remain single, for three reasons: (a) an impending time of
distress for Christians (vv. 26-28), (b) the imminent return of Christ
(vv. 29-31), and (c) the opportunity for undistracted service for
Christ (vv. 32-35).
7:25. Virgins here were sexually inexperienced
people who had never married. Jesus had never specifically addressed
the propriety of marriage per se (cf. Matt. 19:10-12, 29) but Paul gave
his judgment on the issue which they could take as trustworthy counsel.
(He of course was writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and
hence his "judgment" was as authoritative as Christ's words; cf. 1 Cor.
7:40.)
2) [1 Cor 7:26-28]:
(1
Cor 7:26 NASB) "I think then that this is good in view of the
present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is.
(1
Cor 7:27 NASB) Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be
released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
(1 Cor 7:28 NASB) But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has
not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to
spare you."
So
in 1 Cor 7:26, Paul writes "I
think then that this is good in view of the
present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is," in the
sense that because of the distress of his time in the first century [and for anytime],
that it is best not to increase the already stressful life of one
living in this world in the first century and evidently in any age by
changing ones marital status or other circumstances in ones life
without good / godly cause. This is evidently so as not to
increase the already stressful life of one living in this world.
Paul presents his point in a gentle, undemanding yet authoritative way
giving the individual the opportunity to consider his / her
circumstances to make a godly choice under his own auspices - of course under the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Nevertheless, Paul provides several circumstances and potential / godly solutions that might guide one
to make a godly choice which follow in the next two verses:
In 1 Cor 7:27 Paul wrote, "Are
you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be
released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife." Paul's
'tone' is a
bit more abrupt perhaps to reinforce taking a serious consideration of
such changes in ones life / responsibilities which might add
stress to an already stressful life - with a view to the time of the
first century under the rule of the Roman empire and the region in
which Corinth is located which has its own pagan culture and religions
to contend with relative to leading a godly Christian
life. On the other hand, Paul's words might apply to believers of
all ages and regions around the world relative to their own particular
stresses in life. In other words, Paul is saying, "remain
married if you are married; single if you are single."
a) [(1 Cor 7:28) Manuscript Evidence for 1 Cor 7:28]:
(1 Cor 7:28 NASB) "But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has
not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to
spare you."
A
few Western manuscripts (D, F, G), changed the expression rendered "but
if you marry," supported by excellent witnesses (P15, P46,
Sinaiticus, A, B, C, etc.) to "but if indeed you take a wife").
Then
in 1 Cor 7:28 which reads, "But if you marry, you have not sinned;
and if a virgin marries, she has
not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to
spare you," author and apostle Paul makes it clear that marital
relationships bring with them obligations to one another which might
add trouble or additional difficulties in times of persecution as the
believers in Corinth might be experiencing in the first century,
as other
kinds of responsibilities might do as well in already troubled times in
other times in history.
So
Paul is trying to spare a believer from bringing upon himself / herself
additional
responsibilities which might complicate things when inevitable troubles
come, which he indicates in this passage are coming in their time, (ref. 1 Cor 7:29-31). Furthermore, Paul indicates that additional responsibilities may themselves be all the more troubling in their already troubled world. Paul is implying that when persecution / troubled times come as Paul indicated would in that time of the first century,
its onslaught could be handled more aptly by single rather than by married
persons, (ref. 1 Cor 7:29-31). On the other hand, Paul indicates
that the one who chooses to marry and the one who chooses to remain
single is free to make his or her choice, and it would not be a sinful one, but
one of personal choice afforded to individuals in this church age when they are
qualified to marry in accordance with God's Word.
b) [(1 Cor 7:26-28) Expositor's Bible Commentary]:
(1
Cor 7:26 NASB) "I think then that this is good in view of the
present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is."
(1
Cor 7:27 NASB) Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be
released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
(1 Cor 7:28 NASB) But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has
not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to
spare you."
"26,
27 Each person should remain as he now is "because of the present
crisis." What this is he describes in v. 27. In other words, remain
married if you are married; single if you are single.
28
Here Paul hastens to make it plain that there is nothing sinful in
marriage, whether entered into by a widow, a widower, or by a virgin.
His main motive in dissuading the unmarried from marriage is to spare
them the hardship and suffering in physical life ("in the flesh") that
accompanies times of trouble and persecution."
c) [(1 Cor 7:26-28) Bible Knowledge Commentary]:
(1
Cor 7:26 NASB) "I think then that this is good in view of the
present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is."
(1
Cor 7:27 NASB) Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be
released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
(1 Cor 7:28 NASB) But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has
not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to
spare you."
"7:26-28.
The present crisis may have referred to persecution then being suffered
by the Corinthians (cf. John 16:33; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Peter 4:12) or to an
experience of suffering which Paul anticipated would shortly befall
them (in which case the words could be trans. "impending crisis"). In
view of his silence in the letter about any present suffering on their
part the latter point of view (and trans.) is preferred. (Cf. 1 Cor.
4:8 which intimates a perceived state of well-being or even positive
euphoria.) Still, when persecution came, as Paul felt it surely would,
its onslaught could be handled more ably by single than by married
persons. However fearsome the thought of martyrdom (cf. 13:3) might be
to a single person, it was doubly so to a married person responsible
for a spouse and children. With these conditions in view marriage would
not be wrong (if you do marry, you have not sinned), but it would be
inexpedient.
3) [(1 Cor 7:29-31) Commentary On 1 Cor 7:29-31]:
(1 Cor 7:29 NASB) "But this I
say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those
who have wives should be as though they had none;
(1 Cor 7:30 NASB) and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice,
as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did
not possess;
(1
Cor 7:31 NASB) and those who use the world, as though they
did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing
away."
In 1 Cor 7:29a & b which reads [underlined], "But this I
say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those
who have wives should be as though they had none;
Paul indicates that the time has been shortened for the first
century believers in Corinth [and believers everywhere and in every age
according to God's sovereignty / man's volition] limiting opportunities
for all believers to conduct their lives in service to the Lord. For
Paul indicates that there will be difficulties which will come upon the
believers in Corinth in the first century [and for all believers
everywhere
and in all times each in his own circumstance by the sovereignty of God
and the volition of man] which will impede, even curtail opportunites
to
witness for the Lord and be of service to Him in their temporal
lifetimes. And this even
includes persecution as indicated in 1 Cor 7:29-31 by Paul for the
Corinthians in their time and other believers in their times. So the
time for doing the Lord's work is now - and it is / will be shortened
opportunities. For the powers
that are in control of the world, yet as limited by the sovereignty of
God, will shut down opportunities for believers to serve God in any way
that they
can impede believers. This does not mean that Paul was
speaking of the Rapture or the Second Coming of Christ, as some might
contend; for many years have transpired without either the Rapture or
the Second Coming occurring. Hence for
the time remaining, Paul admonished the Corinthian believers not to be
overwhelmed by the social and material problems of the world but to
live as for the Lord as they utilize temporal circumstances primarily
to serve eternity and not give precedence to enjoying the temporal
life. Instead he was calling for a commitment to eternal matters and a
corresponding detachment from the institutions, values, and substance
of this world which were passing away (1 Cor 7:31). Such a commitment
was more easily made and enacted by a single person.
a) [(2 Cor 4:18) Compare 2 Cor 4:18]:
(2
Cor 4:18 NASB) "while we look not at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are
temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Then in 1 Cor 7:29c, which is underlined reads, "But this I
say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those
who have wives should be as though they had none;" i.e., because times are going to be rough, one who has a wife must
conduct himself as if he were not married in the sense of putting their
service to the Lord in priority to their relationship with their wife.
Whereupon, in 1 Cor 7:30-31, which verses read (1
Cor 7:30 NASB) "and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice,
as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did
not possess; (1
Cor 7:31 NASB) and those who use the world, as though they
did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing
away," admonish believers not to weep over temporal matters so much as
if they did not weep; or rejoice over temporal matters to such an
extent as if they had not ever rejoiced about anything; or buy things
to such an absorbed extent as if they possessed nothing; or use the
temporal things in the world as though they had not made full use of it
all the time. The point being that they are not to be so fully
enmeshed, dominated, absorbed with the temporal world / temporal things
that
it takes away from considering anything eternal. But believers are
to focus primarily upon eternal matters, utilizing temporal things to
enhance ones focus upon the eternal which begins with the proficient
& proper study of Scripture . Although
the temporal, physical life is so much better perceived / observed by
us in our limited mortal bodies with our 6 senses to work with, than with our perceptions of the eternal world because we are
not so well equipped to understand the spiritual / eternal things of
the universe as believers will be so equipped in our resurrection bodies - now only having what Scripture says; we are
nevertheless instructed to focus on eternal matters, utilizing things
in the temporal world to serve God with a view to eternity wherein our
experience in our resurrection bodies will in the future be so much the greater to be able to serve
Him and enjoy eternity. So Paul indicates that should the temporal life
bring sadness, Paul writes to live beyond it, do not be bound by it. If things are
joyous, do not be engrossed in them. Those who are blessed with
material possessions are not to cling to them, as though they were to
have them always.
Note that 1 Cor 7:31b [underlined] stipulates "and those who use the [temporal] world, as though they
did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing
away;" in the sense that the current heavens and earth will be destroyed and there will be a new heavens and a new earth .
b) [(1 Cor 7:29-31) Expositor's Commentary On 1 Cor 7:29-31]:
(1 Cor 7:29 NASB) "But this I
say, brethren, l the time has been shortened, so that from now on those
who have wives should be as though they had none;
(1 Cor 7:30 NASB) and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice,
as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did
not possess;
(1
Cor 7:31 NASB) and those who use the world, as though they
did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing
away."
"29-31
The apostle explains that the time for doing the Lord's work is short
and is coming to an end. This does not necessarily mean that he is
speaking of the second coming of Christ, for Paul may have been
anticipating severe persecutions and a resulting curtailment of freedom
to witness. So for the time remaining Paul admonishes them not to be
overwhelmed by the social and material problems of the world but to
live as for the Lord. By "those who have wives should live as if they
had none" (v. 29) he means, "Live for the Lord in marriage." If life
brings sadness, live beyond it, do not be bound by it. If things are
joyous, do not be engrossed in them. Those who are blessed with
material possessions are not to cling to them, as though they were to
have them always. The reason for this challenge is that the material
things (this is the meaning of schema, v. 31, "the present form") of
this world are changing and disappearing (cf. Col 3:12-14)."
c) [(1 Cor 7:29-31) Bible Knowledge Commentary On 1 Cor 7:29-31]:
(1 Cor 7:29 NASB) "But this I
say, brethren, l the time has been shortened, so that from now on those
who have wives should be as though they had none;
(1 Cor 7:30 NASB) and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice,
as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did
not possess;
(1
Cor 7:31 NASB) and those who use the world, as though they
did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing
away."
"7:29-31.
The second reason Paul felt the single state was advantageous was the
potential it offered for detachment from temporal situations. The
phrase the time is short ... was also a summary philosophy of life for Paul who lived
not for the temporary but for the eternal (cf. 2 Cor. 4:18). This
detachment from temporal matters should characterize all Christians but
it was more complex for the married (cf. Mark 13:12) for whom,
nonetheless, devotion to their Lord should occupy first place in life
(Luke 14:26). Paul certainly was not recommending abandoning marital
duties (cf. 1 Cor. 7:3-5).
Instead he was calling for a commitment
to eternal matters and a corresponding detachment from the
institutions, values, and substance of this world which was passing
away (v. 31). Such a commitment was more easily made and enacted by a
single person."
4) [(1 Cor 7:32-35) Commentary On 1 Cor 7:32-35]:
(1 Cor 7:32 NASB) "But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is
concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
(1 Cor 7:33 NASB) but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
(1 Cor 7:34 NASB) and his interests
are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned
about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and
spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the
world, how she may please her husband.
(1 Cor 7:35 NKJV) And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on
you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without
distraction."
a) [(1 Cor 7:33-34) Manuscript Evidence for 1 Cor 7:33-34]:
(1 Cor 7:33 NASB) "but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
(1 Cor 7:34 NASB) and his interests
are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned
about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and
spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the
world, how she may please her husband."
WH,
NU, P15, B, cop(sa) have "how he can please his wife, (34) and he is
divided. And the unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the
things of the Lord."
variant 1 / P46, Siniaticus, A, 33, 1739,
1881, Origen (according to 1739) have "how he can please his wife, (34)
and he is divided. And the unmarried woman or unmarried virgin is
concerned about the things of the Lord."
variant 2 / TR, D(2),
F, G, Psi, Maj have "how he can please his wife. (34) There is a
difference between the wife and the virgin; the unmarried woman is
concerned about the things of the Lord."
The critical
apparatus of the NA(27) and of UBS(4) lists a few more variants than
the ones noted above, but these three readings represent the major
textual differences. In context, a fuller rendering of the NU text is
as follows: "But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this
world - how he can please his wife - (34) and he is divided. And the
unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs." The
first variant has a repetition of "the unmarried;" it is perhaps the
result of scribal expansion. However, other scribes could have found it
redundant and therefore deleted the second phrase rendered "the
unmarried." Both of these readings, however, connect the phrase "and he
is divided" with the end of 7:33. As such, the text means that a
married man is divided in his interests - between the Lord and his
wife. The second variant (in the TR) alters the meaning significantly
by bringing 7:33 to a close with the words "how he may please his wife"
and then beginning 7:34 with a word about how there is a distinction of
motives between a wife and a virgin.
4 cont) [(1 Cor 7:32-35) Commentary On 1 Cor 7:32-35 cont.]:
(1 Cor 7:32 NASB) "But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is
concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
(1 Cor 7:33 NASB) but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
(1 Cor 7:34 NASB) and his interests
are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned
about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and
spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the
world, how she may please her husband.
(1 Cor 7:35 NKJV) And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on
you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without
distraction."
So
in the matter of 1 Cor 7:32-35 relative to serving the Lord best which has in view limiting ones
focus to things which will maximize ones service to the Lord, one must
have an
undivided interest in circumstances in
this temporal life which will best serve the Lord. This is not
to say that one must abandon being focused upon living in the temporal
life such as
meeting ones temporal needs for food, shelter, clothing,
rest, exercise,
fellowship, etc.; but one must spend time doing such temporal /
essential things in a manner in which will keep the temporal life in a
maximized
condition in order to serve the Lord and less to serve ones personal
temporal desires outside of that service. So having a focus
upon being married or
unmarried is, according to Paul not so well advised for the believer of
this age if he is to serve the Lord; but he does not rule it
out - it's up to the individual. For Paul writes
in 1
Cor 7:32-35 NASB, "But I want you to be free from concern [about other
things that do not enhance ones service to the Lord]. One
who
is unmarried [= a believer who is unmarried who is diligent about being faithful to the Lord is in view] is
concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the
Lord," evidently because he is not required to also focus upon the temporal circumstances of his spouse.
Paul
also writes of the man who is a believer who is married, relative to
the matter of serving the Lord in 1 Cor 7:33-34a which is underlined:
(1
Cor 7:33 NASB) "But one who is married is concerned about the
things of the world, how he may please his wife, (1 Cor
7:34a NASB) and his interests
are divided."
Whereupon Paul writes in 1 Cor 7:34b of women who are not married, underlined as follows: (1 Cor
7:34b NASB) The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned
about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and
spirit;"
So
here in 1 Cor 7:34b, the woman who is not married and the virgin who is
not married, if they stay that way they may have a better opportunity
to be "holy both in body and spirit," i.e., faithfully serving the Lord
without spending time on divided interests in this temporal world, thus
her interests are not divided relative to serving the Lord.
So
in 1 Cor 7:34b, Paul focuses again upon the believer not having the
responsibility toward the temporal care of another through marriage
which would divide the believer's endeavors / interests between serving
the Lord and taking care of a spouse.
Then in 1 Cor 7:34c, which reads, "but one who is married is concerned about the things of the
world, how she may please her husband,"
Paul again points to "one" - in this case a believer who is a
woman who is married. And he writes that she is to be concerned about
the things of the world, i.e., temporal things, relative to how she may
please her husband, implying leaving less to be concerned about serving
the Lord. Her life is to be one of having divided interests.
Finally, Paul summarizes these points in 1 Cor 7:32-34 in 1 Cor 7:35 NKJV as follows: "And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on
you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without
distraction."
Notice
that author Paul gives the believer an option to choose marriage or not
with the proviso that he / she is "to promote what is appropriate and to secure
undistracted devotion to the Lord." This Paul's message to the
Corinthian believers evidently encourages the
believer to decide on being married or not with Paul's leaning toward
staying
single most likely with the Corinthian believers' particular
circumstances in mind, since he has addressed this letter to them
firsthand with a view to the difficulties they are facing or will face
relative to their being faithful in the Christian life. Albeit, the
reader might take under advisement within their own particular
circumstances.
b) [Compare 1 Cor 9:3-5]:
(1 Cor 9:3 NASB) "My defense to those who examine me [Paul] is this:
(1 Cor 9:4 NASB) Do we not have a right to eat and drink?
(1 Cor 9:5 NASB) Do we not have a right to take
along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the
Lord and Cephas?"
c) [(1 Cor 7:32-35) Expositor's Bible Commentary]:
(1 Cor 7:32 NASB) "But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is
concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
(1 Cor 7:33 NASB) but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
(1 Cor 7:35 NKJV) And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on
you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without
distraction."
"32-35
Paul goes on to argue that if they want marriage, they must realize
that it brings extra cares. And he wants them to be free from concern.
They must observe that married persons, whether men or women, have
their attentions centered on the desires and needs of their spouses
(vv. 33, 34). In saying that the unmarried woman or virgin is concerned
with how she may please the Lord (v. 34), Paul implies that the married
person is apt to neglect this Christian duty. Since the apostle upholds
the right and privilege of marriage even for himself (1 Cor 9:3-5), he
must here be advising against marriage because of particular abuses and
tensions at Corinth. He gives the advice, he says, for their own profit
or benefit (symphoron), not to restrain them or put them in a noose
(brochos). Rather, he wants them to live properly in complete and
undivided devotion to the Lord (v. 35)."
d) [(1 Cor 7:32-35) Bible Knowledge Commentary]:
(1 Cor 7:32 NASB) "But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is
concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
(1 Cor 7:33 NASB) but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
(1 Cor 7:35 NKJV) And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on
you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without
distraction."
"7:32-35.
Paul's third reason [for remaining single] was a development of the second. The single state
has potentially fewer encumbrances and distractions than the married
state, so it more easily facilitates a spirit of undivided devotion to
the Lord. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned His followers
against letting concern for the material aspects of this life distract
them from devotion to God (Matt. 6:25-34). The poor widow (Mark 12:44)
gave all her material sustenance to God as an act of singular devotion.
A married man or woman with a needful concern for the well-being of his
family would have been less likely to do that. The situation
illustrates Paul's point that the single life with its greater
simplicity in obligations allows a potentially greater commitment of
time, resources, and self to the Lord than would be possible for a
married person dutifully carrying out the marital and familial
obligations attached to that state."
5) [(1 Cor 7:36-40) Commentary On 1 Cor 7:36-40]:
(1 Cor 7:36 NKJV) "But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin,
if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he
wishes. He does not sin; let them marry.
(1 Cor 7:37 NKJV) Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no
necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart
that he will keep his virgin, does well.
(1 Cor 7:38 HCSB) So then he who marries his virgin does well, but he who does not
marry will do better.
(1 Cor 7:39 NASB) A wife is bound as long as
her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be
married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.
(1 Cor
7:40 NASB) But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as
she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God."
Author
Paul returns to the subject of remaining single with a male believer
who is a virgin and a woman who is a virgin especially in view when he
wrote in 1 Cor 7:36 NKJV as follows:
"But
if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin ["his" in
the sense of being bethrothed to a woman who is a "virgin," with
the presumption that he too is a virgin because he is bethrothed to
her] if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him
do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry," with the
implication that he is not faulted for choosing to marry his
bethrothed, both of whom are virgins, as is proper for believers.
Notice the word rendered "them" conveys the context of a man and a
woman who are bethrothed to be married, and not a father who gives away
his daughter to be married, as some contend.
a) [(1 Cor 7:38) Manuscript Evidence on 1 Cor 7:38]:
WH, NU, P15(vid), Sinaiticus*, A, P, 33, 1739, syr (P46, B, D "autou" instead of "eautou) have "the one marrying his own virgin"
variant / TR Siniaticus(2), Psi, Maj have "the one giving [her] in marriage"
The
WH, NU reading is supported by the best manuscript evidence (with one
variation of the pronoun). Nonetheless, this expression has been very
problematic for interpreters, who have seen it either as [a] way of
saying that a fiance marries his virgin fiancee or of saying that a
father gives away his virgin daughter in marriage. The ambiguity is
taken away in TR, which conveys the notion of a father giving away his
virgin daughter in marriage. This is reflected in KJV and NKJV, as well
as in NASB and [in the] margins of other modern versions.
5 cont) [(1 Cor 7:36-40) Commentary On 1 Cor 7:36-40 cont]:
(1 Cor 7:36 NKJV) "But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin,
if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he
wishes. He does not sin; let them marry.
(1 Cor 7:37 NKJV) Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no
necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart
that he will keep his virgin, does well.
(1 Cor 7:38 HCSB) So then he who marries his virgin does well, but he who does not
marry will do better.
(1 Cor 7:39 NASB) A wife is bound as long as
her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be
married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.
(1 Cor
7:40 NASB) But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as
she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God."
So Paul goes on in 1 Cor 7:37 & 38 to clarify this matter that he touched upon in 1 Cor 7:36 as
follows:
(1 Cor 7:37 NKJV) "Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no
necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in
his heart that he will keep his virgin, ["keep her" in the sense of
marry her] does well," indicating that it is permissible for one to
marry or not - a personal choice]
(1
Cor 7:38 HCSB) So then he who marries his virgin does well,
but he who does not marry will do better."
So in 1 Cor 7:38 Paul concludes that the
one who marries his bethrothed who is a virgin as well does well, but should he
not marry, he will do even better - in the sense of serving the Lord
that much the more due to having greater opportunity and circumstances
to do so provided he follows through in faithfulness to those
opportunities and circumstances that the Lord provides for him.
b) [(1 Cor 7:39) Manuscript Evidence for 1 Cor 7:39]:
(1 Cor 7:39 NASB) "A wife is bound as long as
her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be
married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord."
WH, NU, P15(vid), P46, Sinaiticus*, A, B, D*, 0278, 33, 1739 have "a woman is bound"
variant1 / TR, Sinaiticus2, D(1), F, G, Psi, Maj, syr have "a woman is bound by law"
variant2 / K, cop(bo) have "a woman is bound by marriage"
The
WH NU reading is fully supported by a wide range of witnesses; in a
fuller context it is rendered, 'a woman is bound as long as here
husband lives." Both variants are gap-fillers created by scribes who
wanted to tell their readers just exactly how a woman was bound to her
husband. The first variant was influenced by Ro 7:2; the second is a
natural filler.
c) [(1 Cor 7:40) Manuscript Evidence for 1 Cor 7:40]:
(1 Cor
7:40 NASB) "But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as
she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God."
Most
manuscripts read, "and I think I have the Spirit of God." P15 and P33,
however, have a different title here: "Spirit of Christ." The title
"Spirit of Christ" is far less common than "the Spirit of God;" the
former appears only in Ro 8:9 and 1 Pet 1:11, the latter in many NT
verses. It would be much more likely that scribes changed "the Spirit
of Christ" to "the Spirit of God" than vice versa. In this chapter Paul
has made the point of separating his advice from the Lord's directives
(see 7:10, 25). Nonetheless, he claims that his advice concerning
virgins and the unmarried is to be heeded because he has the Spirit of
God / Christ. Having made the Lord (that is, the Lord Jesus Christ) the
source of reference throughout this chapter, it would be natural for
Paul to conclude with an affirmation of his possesson of "the Spirit of
Christ" rather than "the Spirit of God."
But these arguments, based on internal evidence, cannot outweigh the fact that all other manuscripts read, "the Spirit of God."
To repeat on the previous context before coming to vv. 39-40, So in 1 Cor 7:38 Paul concludes that the
one who marries his bethrothed who is a virgin as well does well, but should he
not marry, he will do even better - in the sense of serving the Lord
that much the more due to having greater opportunity and circumstances
to do so provided he follows through in faithfulness to those
opportunities and circumstances that the Lord provides for him.
So the same theme, Paul adds in 1 Cor 7:39-40 as follows:
(1 Cor 7:39 NASB) "A wife is bound as long as
her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be
married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.
(1 Cor
7:40 NASB) But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as
she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God."
So
in 1 Cor 7:39 above, Paul indicates that a wife is bound to stay married as long as her
husband lives - believers are in view - but
if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to
whom she wishes; BUT "only in the Lord" in the sense that she must not
marry an unbeliever or a believer who might be unequally
yoked with her in the Lord.
And
then in 1 Cor 7:40 above, Paul presents his opinion in this matter: that a woman
who is a believer is happier if she remains as she is, in the sense of
happier serving the Lord if, after her husband dies, she remains single rather than to remarry,
even to not marry at all. Hence she can serve the Lord all the better
and happier. Whereupon, Paul writes "
and I think that I also have the Spirit of God," which he wrote to
affirm His authority, i.e., that his words in this letter are not only
of value because of who he is but "also" because they have been
inspired by the Spirit of God. This last phrase evidently indicates
that there was some question as to his authority as representing God
from some within the congregation of believers at Corinth. Nevertheless, his words apply to believers throughout the age and beyond.
d) [(1 Cor 7:36-40) Expositor's Bible Commentary On 1 Cor 7:36-40]:
(1 Cor 7:36 NKJV) "But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin,
if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he
wishes. He does not sin; let them marry.
(1 Cor 7:37 NKJV) Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no
necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart
that he will keep his virgin, does well.
(1 Cor 7:38 HCSB) So then he who marries his virgin does well, but he who does not
marry will do better.
(1 Cor 7:39 NASB) A wife is bound as long as
her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be
married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.
(1 Cor
7:40 NASB) But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as
she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God."
"36-40
Paul teaches that a virgin of marriageable age must be treated
honorably, whether she becomes married or not. It may be right for her
either to marry or remain single.
"36 But who is meant by "he" is in
v. 36, the father of the virgin or the man who is engaged to her? Some
have even interpreted the second view to mean that the virgin was a
"spiritual" bride who lived with the man as a virgin. This latter view
presents problems in the light of the Scriptures that teach that a man
is to cleave to his wife and they are to be one flesh (Gen 2:24) and to
"be fruitful" (Gen 1:28). The decision as to whether the "he" is father
or fiance turns on the meaning of gamizo ("marry") in v. 36.
Frequently, verbs ending in izo are causative. If this is so here, then
the translation "he who causes or gives his virgin to be married" would
mean that "he" indicates the father, who in ancient times arranged for
his daughter's marriage. But another viable view is that gamizo is not
causative here, but is equivalent to gameo ("to marry"). If so, then
"he" refers to the man who is considering the possibility of marrying
his fiancee. Two arguments speak in favor of the second interpretation.
First, v. 38b has no object expressed for the verb gamizo and so the
verb can better be translated "marry," not "cause to marry." Second,
gameo ("marry") is used in the plural in v. 36, "They should get
married," where one might expect the singular form of gamizo if Paul
meant to say, "Let him give her in marriage."
So the teaching is
that if the situation in Corinth seems to be unfair to a particular
virgin and especially if (ean with the subjunctive) she is passing her
prime marriageable years, then the fiance should go ahead and marry
her. The word hyperakmos literally means "beyond the peak" of life, and
so can be translated "if she should be getting along in years." Paul
adds that there is no sin in their getting married (v. 36).
NOTES ON vv. 36-40
36 The indicative
condition of fact (v. 36a) assumes that such a situation really exists.
Ἀσχημονεῖν (aschemonein, "to act improperly") in the light of what is
implied by the clause "if she is getting past her prime of life" is
best interpreted as meaning that the man could be treating his fiancee
dishonorably by depriving her of the privilege of the marriage she
desires. Paul seems to be making a play on words in using aschemonein,
"to act improperly" when he has just used εὔσχημον (euschemon, "live
in a right way, v. 35).
37, 38
In contrast, the man who feels no need to get married has done the
right thing too. (The words "who is under no compulsion" refer to
outward pressure to marry, such as some prior engagement contract or
the pressure of a master on a slave.) However, Paul favors the man who
does not marry (v. 38).
39, 40 In climaxing the discussion, Paul
states that marriage is a life-long contract. If a woman marries, she
is to cleave to her husband (Gen 2:24) till he dies. But when he dies,
she is free to marry anyone she chooses, so long as he is a Christian.
But, Paul says, the woman will be happier—freer from hardship and
care—if she remains unmarried. This is his judgment for the Corinthian
situation. When he says, rather modestly, "And I think that I have the
Spirit of God," he means that in writing this also he is inspired by
the Holy Spirit as were the other writers of Scripture. It is possible
that some in Corinth were claiming inspiration; if so, Paul is
contrasting himself with them in a veiled way.
"A woman is bound"
(v. 39, dedetai, perfect tense) is a strong expression for the unbroken
ties of marriage. The passive gamethenai ("to be married"; NIV, "to
marry") indicates the women's consent to the new marriage relationship.
The phrase monon en kurio ("only in the Lord") means that the woman
should marry only a Christian. The NIV translation "but he must belong
to the Lord" brings this out.
e) [(1 Cor 7:36-40) Bible Knowledge Commentary On 1 Cor 7:36-40]:
(1 Cor 7:36 NKJV) "But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin,
if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he
wishes. He does not sin; let them marry.
(1 Cor 7:37 NKJV) Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no
necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart
that he will keep his virgin, does well.
(1 Cor 7:38 HCSB) So then he who marries his virgin does well, but he who does not
marry will do better.
(1 Cor 7:39 NASB) A wife is bound as long as
her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be
married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.
(1 Cor
7:40 NASB) But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as
she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God."
"7:36-38.
The interpretation and translation of this passage is difficult, as the
alternate marginal translation indicates. The issue revolves around
whether the indefinite pronoun anyone (v. 36) refers to a father or to
a prospective bridegroom. The niv translators, following most modern
commentators, have adopted the latter point of view but have included
the traditional interpretation in the margin. The strength of the
bridegroom view lies in the fact that it permits a consistent subject
for the verbs used throughout the passage, a strength which the niv
translators forfeited by making the virgin the subject of the phrase
getting along in years. This decision was possibly prompted by the need
to explain why the bridegroom might be thought to act improperly (i.e.,
his delay in consummating the marriage may, with her advancing age,
adversely affect her chance of ever getting married). The bridegroom
view, however, faces a lexical difficulty in the meaning of two verbs
(gameō and gamizō) for marriage. In order to sustain the bridegroom
view it is necessary to understand the terms as virtual synonyms,
meaning "to marry." But gamizō usually means "give in marriage," and
gameō means simply "marry," as these words do in the other New
Testament passages where they occur together (Matt. 24:38; Mark 12:25).
This distinction in meaning continued to be recognized even in the
second century. (Apollonius Dyscolus Syntax 3. 153). So it seems that
the marginal reading is to be preferred.
Paul, then, gave advice
to a father who in the first-century culture exercised great
decision-making authority in matters affecting his family. A father may
have decided that his daughter should not marry, possibly due to
reasons similar to those Paul had mentioned in 1 Corinthians 7:25-34.
But in coming to this decision, the father had not reckoned with the
fact that his daughter might not be able to remain single. She might
not possess the gift of celibacy (v. 7). If so, Paul recommended that
the father should not feel obligated to hold to his previous commitment
but instead let his daughter marry. However, the father should feel
free to follow through on his conviction to keep his daughter single
(v. 37) if three conditions were met: (a) He had a settled and firm
conviction about the propriety of her celibacy. (b) He was in a
position where he was free to exercise his authority, that is, he was
not a slave in which case the master could determine the daughter's
destiny. (c) He was under no compulsion from evidence which suggested
that his daughter was not able to remain single but required marriage
instead. If these conditions were met, then the father did well not to
give her in marriage."
4. Remarriage And Widows (7:39-40)
7:39-40.
Paul's earlier counsel to widows (vv. 8-9) was to remain single. In
that previous context, however, he acknowledged the fact that not all
were equipped to do so. The only constraint Paul placed on a widow who
sought remarriage was the obligation to marry another Christian (he
must belong to the Lord) - an obligation which though previously
unstated, he no doubt meant to apply to all who sought marriage
partners. That point alone, however, affected a widow's options. Within
that condition she might choose whom she wanted and find with that
husband great happiness, though Paul added that in his judgment she
would be happier if she remained single. This advice was not only from
Paul's heart but also guided by the Spirit of God, who equipped both
single and married Christians (v. 7) for their respective roles."
Continue to 1 Cor chapter 8 
