CHAPTER 7

(A.D. 59)

UNMARRIED CHRISTIANS

¹Now concerning the things whereof you wrote unto me (the Apostle will now address things he was asked in a letter; the previous Chapters addressed things he had been told): It is good for a man not to touch a woman (it is not wrong for a man not to marry, providing the Lord desires this for the mans personal life).

²Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband (this is a rule, not merely permission).

MARRIED CHRISTIANS

³Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence (it refers to the husband respecting the sexual needs of his wife, and to meet them accordingly; of course, we speak of legitimate needs): and likewise also the wife unto the husband (proclaims the same duty imposed upon the wife regarding the husband).

⁴The wife has not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband has not power of his own body, but the wife (refers to the fact that the husband and wife belong to each other, meaning neither has the right to refuse normal demands).

⁵Defraud you not one the other (it seems that some married couples in that day were refraining from sexual activity, which they erroneously thought enabled them to live more spiritual lives; man seems to go from one extreme to the other!), except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer (not mandatory, but given as a suggestion); and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency (the idea is that the Believer not unnecessarily place himself or herself into a self-tormenting repression beyond what God demands).

⁶But I speak this by permission, and not of Commandment. (The Holy Spirit, through Paul, leaves the details of lives, whether celibate or married, to the individual consciences, though with large-hearted wisdom and charity. He would emancipate them from human and unauthorized restrictions.)

THE UNMARRIED

⁷For I would that all men were even as I myself (is not said by Paul to denigrate marriage as some have claimed; in effect, he is saying that he wished for the Coming Resurrection, when all would be as he was then). But every man has his proper Gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that (speaks of different types of Ministry).

⁸I say therefore to the unmarried and widows (advice evidently given in response to a question), It is good for them if they abide even as I (is explained in Verse 26, where he says, for the present distress, speaking of the hostility of Rome).

⁹But if they cannot contain, let them marry (refers to the sex drive): for it is better to marry than to burn (refers to burning with passion).

REGULATIONS

¹⁰And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord (means that this is not mere permission as in Verse 6, but rather a Commandment), Let not the wife depart from her husband (pertains to departing on grounds which were not Scriptural; in other words, the husband being unsaved did not give the wife the right to divorce him on those grounds):

¹¹But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband (refers to her getting a divorce or else Paul would not have restricted her to remain single, not remarrying unless it was to her former husband): and let not the husband put away his wife (places the same restriction on the husband as it does the wife; the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle, gives women the same rights as men).

¹²But to the rest speak I, not the Lord (doesnt mean this is not inspired! the Apostle is merely saying that Jesus did not teach anything about what to do with mixed marriages, i.e., Believers and unbelievers): If any brother has a wife who believes not (not a Christian), and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away (such a situation does not provide grounds for divorce).

¹³And the woman which has an husband who believes not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him (same as the previous Verse).

¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is Sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is Sanctified by the husband (means that the Believer, by virtue of being one flesh with his or her unbelieving spouse, is not considered living in an unlawful relationship; Sanctified means that God looks at the home as a Christian home and marriage, even though one or the other partner is unsaved): else were your children unclean; but now are they holy (looked at by the Lord as being born in a Christian home, despite the fact that either the Mother or Dad is unsaved).

¹⁵But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart (speaks of desertion, and desertion for the sole purpose of the Cause of Christ). A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases(means there is nothing the Believer could have done to stop the unbelieving spouse from departing, and in that case, the Believer is free to remarry): but God has called us to peace. (An unbelieving husband or wife who doesnt want to keep the marriage together destroys all peace, which creates an untenable situation.)

¹⁶For what knowest thou, O wife, whether you shall save your husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether you shall save your wife? (Everything should be done to keep the marriage together, believing that eventually the unsaved spouse will come to the Lord, which may be their only opportunity.)

¹⁷But as God has distributed to every man (refers to the rule that the circumstances of our lives are regulated by the Providence of God, and must not be arbitrarily altered on our own caprice), as the Lord has called every one, so let him walk (the Lord allocates our way, so dont try to change the position unless it is obviously wrong, or theres nothing you can do about the change). And so ordain I in all Churches (the instructions given are applicable to all Believers everywhere and for all time).

¹⁸Is any man called being Circumcised? (Jews) let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? (Gentiles) let him not be Circumcised.

¹⁹Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing (Paul is saying that Christ has fulfilled all the old Levitical Law, so it is no longer binding), but the keeping of the Commandments of God. (Those Commandments are found in Mat. 22:36-40. They can only be kept by the Believer understanding that all power and strength come through the Cross, which must ever be the Object of our Faith. That gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work in our lives, helping us to do that which needs to be done.)

²⁰Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. (The idea pertains to the state or position one is in when one comes to Christ, respecting positions or particular jobs that are honorable.)

²¹Are you called being a servant? care not for it (actually refers to a slave; the Holy Spirit can make His Home in the heart of a slave just as well as He can anyone else): but if you may be made free, use it rather (refers to freedom as a preference, if such can be obtained; otherwise, serve God as a slave; slaves were the majority of the population in those days).

²²For he who is called in the Lord, being a servant (slave), is the Lords freeman (in the Lord such a one is free, despite their station in life; thats all that really matters): likewise also he who is called, being free, is Christs servant (means that a person who is not a slave becomes a Bond Slave of Christ).

²³You are bought with a price (refers to the ransom price which was the Precious Shed Blood of Jesus at Calvarys Cross); be not ye the servants of men. (Liberation by Jesus Christ not only frees us from sin, but also from the fear of man and what man can do to us.)

²⁴Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. (The third time Paul says this [Vss. 17, 20]; the Holy Spirit places everybody in Christendom on the same level.)

VIRGINS

²⁵Now concerning virgins I have no Commandment of the Lord (meaning that the Old Testament or the Lord in His earthly Ministry did not say anything about this question; yet what He will now say is definitely inspired of God): yet I give my judgment, as one who has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. (Paul seems to imply here that he had been celibate all his life, and the Lord had given him Grace as it regards the sex drive.)

²⁶I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress (persecution by Rome), I say, that it is good for a man so to be. (He is speaking primarily of Preachers and the hardships they would encounter regarding a family concerning the present distress.)

²⁷Are you bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed (as stated, he is primarily speaking to Preachers). Are you loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. (In other words, if you arent married, it might be best that you stay that way. But understand that Paul was speaking only of that particular time, which as well would have bearing on certain future times.)

²⁸But and if you marry, you have not sinned (speaks of the men whose wives had deserted them because of accepting Christ and Preaching the Gospel; it is not a sin for that man [or woman] to remarry); and if a virgin marry, she has not sinned (refers to young ladies who had thought to remain so for the balance of their lives, but found they were in love with a young man, etc.). Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh (refers to the present distress, i.e., persecution): but I spare you (wants to spare them some problems if he can!).

MARRIED CHRISTIANS

²⁹But this I say, Brethren, the time is short (we must make the most of the time we have and not unnecessarily burden ourselves, thereby, hindering our life for the Lord): it remains, that both they who have wives be as though they had none (Christians should sit loose to earthly interest; the Lord is to come first in all things);

³⁰And they who weep, as though they wept not (all earthly things are transient; we must remember that!); and they who rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they who buy, as though they possessed not;

³¹And they who use this world, as not abusing It(we are just passing through): for the fashion of this world passes away (it is like a melting vapor, therefore, Christians shouldnt anchor in it).

RESPONSIBILITIES

³²But I would have you without carefulness (we are not to be burdened down with care). He who is unmarried cares for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord (refers once again to Preachers of the Gospel, and especially considering the present distress):

³³But he who is married cares for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. (Once again, the present distress concerned what Nero was about to do, which would result in many Christians losing their lives.)

³⁴There is difference also between a wife and a virgin (concerns only the manner of availability for the Lord). The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be Holy both in body and in spirit (Paul is not speaking to all Christian women, only those who are called to Ministry, and more specifically only those for which this would be the Will of God): but she who is married cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband (actually means that her interest is divided between the Lord and her husband, whereas that of an unmarried woman is only of the Lord, or at least it is supposed to be!).

³⁵And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you (means that his words are not binding, but are meant to serve as advice and counsel; each individual is to seek the Lord respecting his own life and Ministry), but for that which is comely, and that you may attend upon the Lord without distraction (whatever the Will of the Lord might be in each individual case).

³⁶But if any man think that he behaves himself uncomely toward his virgin (does not speak of a sweetheart as it seems here, but rather the Father of this young lady), if she pass the flower of her age (was considered to be twenty years old at that time; as such, she must now be allowed to make her own decision concerning marriage, etc.), and need so require, let him do what he will, he sins not (due to the daughter now being an adult, she is free to make her own decisions, with the Father no longer responsible): let them marry.

³⁷Nevertheless he who stands stedfast in his heart, having no necessity (the daughter doesnt desire to marry; therefore, the Father could continue with his dedication respecting her), but has power over his own will, and has so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well (concerns his dedication of her to the Lord, which is her desire as well, with the understanding that he will bear the expense of caring for her all of his life).

³⁸So then he who gives her in marriage does well (if that is what she wants); but he who gives her not in marriage does better (is not meant to state that it is better morally, but rather better relative to the Work of God).

CHRISTIAN WIDOWS

³⁹The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord (to marry another Christian).

⁴⁰But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment (remain single): and I think also that I have the Spirit of God (places Pauls advice out of the realm of mere human judgment and into the realm of the Divine).