1 Corinthians 7:25-28 (ESV)
Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that.
In chapter seven of this letter to the Church, Paul is outlining his teachings on the marriage relationship, especially as opposed to remaining single. He has some basic principles he wants them to follow. Three are in the following verses and these three correlate with the one more, in the above section.
#1 - One principle Paul is emphasizing is to not seek to “change” your status once you are a believer. Many people were coming to Christ and their spouses were not. Paul gives a basic principle he wants everyone to follow:
1 Corinthians 7:12 (ESV)
To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.
#2 - In Paul’s mind, a second principle is mentioned in regard to someone who loses his/her spouse. To Paul it was “better” for them to remain as a widow and not marry again:
1 Corinthians 7:40 (ESV)
Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
#3 - Paul wishes, if possible, everyone was like him, single and focused on the things of the Kingdom of God and not how to please his/her spouse. This a paramount truth to Paul. He was not condemning marriage, he was just being the realist and knew that if you are married you MUST concern yourself about the things of your spouse and your mind will be divided. Note:
1 Corinthians 7:6-7 (ESV)
Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
1 Corinthians 7:32-34 (ESV)
I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.
What is going on in Paul’s mind. The above verses (25-28) might give us some clue as to Paul’s motivation and thought pattern for what he is writing. He is writing to them this way because of some “present distress.” Paul was, most likely, speaking about the present and impending persecution on the church. He was very much in tune to the world’s system and saw the difficulty of managing the Christian walk in the midst of the World’s highways. Paul is NOT forbidding them to marry. He just was willing to recognize the tension between marriage and living your life for Christ. Christ demands our full devotion. But, especially in the world’s system and thoughts about marriage, so too there is a demand for full devotion to one’s spouse. Paul recognizes that and simply states that if you are married, stay that way. But, if you are free, let that go and be fully devoted to Christ. Paul, single himself, is so committed to devotion to Christ, he has no other obligations. He is not saying it is bad to be married. He is just saying it is better, in a Christian walk while serving Christ, to be single. Being single and devoted to Christ is not for everyone. Married or single, as Paul states, is a gift from God. In light of the impending doom of persecution, Paul was teaching that circumstances (as well as other factors) determine our marriage status. The world has a mindset about marriage. Paul is simply telling us there are other factors that should be considered when determining if we should marry, stay married, or remain single.
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