The Unmarried and the Married.

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: 1 Corinthians 7:25-40

 

1 Corinthians 7:26-27

 I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. ²⁷ Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

(ESV)

 

Commitment is a rare commodity in our culture as evidenced by the high rate of divorce. Many avoid this commitment by either choosing to remain single or cohabitating together without any marriage commitment. The latter option is dangerous, especially in a relationship where children are involved because without any commitment to marriage, one can easily leave when the going gets tough, leaving the children without one of their parents. 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 provides guidelines for marriage from Paul which are wise guidelines to follow to preserve the sanctity of marriage and the value of the marriage commitment.

 

Paul begins the passage by letting us know what he is about to share is not a commandment from the Lord but his judgments that are trustworthy by the Lord’s mercy (1 Corinthians 7:25). Paul’s judgments begin with the statement that due to the present distress it is best if one remains in the marital state he or she is currently in (1 Corinthians 7:26-27). However, if a man or a betrothed women marries they have not sinned but will have worldly troubles Paul wishes to spare them from (1 Corinthians 7:28). Paul then makes what could be interpreted as a contradictory statement for he says men with wives should live as if he has none because the appointed time has grown short (1 Corinthians 7:29). He continues his thought by saying that those mourning should live as though not mourning, those rejoicing as if they were not, and those who buy as if they had no goods (1 Corinthians 7:30). Paul concludes this thought by saying that those dealing with the world should live as if they had no dealings with it for the present form of the world is passing away (1 Corinthians 7:31).

 

Paul desires that the Corinthians be free of anxiety such as the anxiety of an unmarried man or a betrothed or unmarried woman having anxiety about how to please the Lord. He also wants married people to be free from the anxiety of how to please their spouse with their interests divided between pleasing the Lord and their spouse (1 Corinthians 7:32-34). Paul says these things for their benefit not to lay a restraint on anyone but, to promote good order and undivided devotion to the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:35).

 

Anyone unable to restrain their sexual passions and not behaving properly toward his betrothed should marry, with it not sin (1 Corinthians 7:36). However one who has his passions under control and the determination to keep his betrothed as his betrothed also does well (1 Corinthians 7:37). One who marries does well and one able to refrain from marriage does better (1 Corinthians 7:38). A wife whose husband dies is free to marry another but in Paul’s judgment is better off if she remains a widow with Paul believing his judgments are from the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 7:39-40).

 

The Corinthians culture was a culture full of immorality with some of that immorality infiltrating the Church (1 Corinthians 5; 6:12-20). In the context of this immoral culture, there were probably questions regarding whether one who now believes in Jesus as his or her savior should remain married or unmarried and if betrothed, whether to marry. However, in this text, the Apostle Paul makes it clear he is not giving a commandment from the Lord but offering his judgment on the matter based on his knowledge of Corinthian culture.

 

One puzzling statement in this text is what Paul says in the second part of 1 Corinthians 7:29 where he tells men with wives to live as though they had none. One could interpret this to mean it was okay for men to divorce their wives but that contradicts what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:27 where he told married men not to seek freedom from their wives. Addressing perceived contradictions in scripture requires looking at the context of the scriptures. Both scriptures occur in the context of Paul offering his judgment regarding questions about the best marital status for believers in the immoral culture of Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 7:28, Paul states that those choosing to marry will have worldly troubles, troubles Paul wants to spare them of.

 

Paul then states that the appointed time has grown short in the first half of 1 Corinthians 7:29. The appointed time spoken of by Paul could be the same appointed time spoken of by Peter in Acts 3:19-21, which refers to the return of Christ to restore all things. Paul urged the Church in Thessalonica to comfort one another with the word of Jesus's return to take the Church to heaven with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Paul is not telling married men it is okay to divorce their wives but when viewed in the context of the return of Christ for His Church, urging married men to, along with their wives, act like the Lord is returning soon, focusing their lives on serving Christ while remaining married.

 

The current culture is immoral like that in Corinth but in the information age and the easy access to pornography, the temptation to commit adultery by looking at another woman is easily available. Not only is the easy access to pornography a temptation to commit adultery but it is also a time robber, robbing a believer of time they could and should spend in prayer and study of the Word of God. Therefore, the Church should apply the judgment of Paul regarding the unmarried and married in an immoral world. In addition, if the appointed time for the return of Christ was close in the time of Paul, it is even closer now, so I urge both married and unmarried believers to find comfort in the return of Christ and focus on serving Christ.

 

If you are reading this and have not prayed to accept Jesus as your personal savior, I urge you to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.