Paul established the church at Corinth during his second missionary journey (Acts 18 1-18, King James Version), then spent approximately three years in Ephesus (Acts 19 8 1910 20 31). The letter was written during this time in Ephesus, probably around 53 to 57 AD (First Epistle to the Corinthians, 2010).
Supporting himself financially as a tentmaker, Paul preached in the Jewish synagogue. Local Jewish leaders opposed him. After being banished from the synagogue, Paul preached and taught next door at the house of the Gentile convert Gaius. When the new Roman proconsul Gallo arrived in Corinth in A.D. 51 or 52, the Jewish leaders went before Gallo and accused Paul of propagating illegal religion. Gallo reasoned the complaint was over differences of Jewish law interpretationan area he was not responsible to pronounce judgment. This ruling provided a legal precedent for other Roman magistrates, allowing Paul to continue his apostolic mission for several years.
The immoral environment found in Corinth gravely affected the church. Division in the church and disruption of services resulted from pride and immorality and immodesty found in the church gave it a bad reputation. Division got worse as members of the church filed cases in court against one another posting a serious danger to the unity of the church. Brethrens had opposing views about what is the right course of action to follow regarding marriage, meats sacrificed to idols, use of spiritual gifts, resurrection from the dead, and collection for the saints in Jerusalem. The urgency to provide answers to all these questions besetting the church motivated Paul to write. . This letter exhorts the church to seek Christian wisdom and unity of church life, addresses specific problems in the Corinthian church life, and responds to questions posed to him in a letter from the Corinthians. Throughout the letter, Paul presents issues that are troubling the community in Corinth and offers ways to fix them. Paul states that this letter is not meant to make them feel ashamed but to admonish them as beloved children. They are expected to become imitators of Jesus and follow the ways in Christ as he, Paul, teaches in all his churches (1 Cor. 414-16). (Background of 1 Corinthians, 2010).
This will analyze 1 Corinthians 7 25-40 which focus on the subject of celibacy and marriage.
Interpretation
Some church leaders look at Paul as their model for their lives of abstinence. They even believe that he is one of the founders of Christian sexual asceticism. Is their interpretation of Pauls letter correct Does Paul teach us that we need to live a single life in order to be holy Do we commit sin if we choose to get married Shall we take his statements in these verses as commandments from God In Old Testament, a man who did not marry and raise children was thought to be in violation of the commandment of God to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth (Genesis 128). Reading Pauls letter to Corinthians will make uninformed reader suspect that he is directly advocating celibacy as a commandment of God which must be obeyed at all cost.
In verse 25, Paul makes it clear that his words are his counsel and not commandments from God. When he gives us commands he makes it clear that this is the case (1 Cor. 710). When he is just giving his opinion, he expresses it as well. Thus, he is just making suggestions on what is the best thing to do under the present circumstances in Corinth concerning celibacy and marriage.
Verse 26-28 reads
26I think that in view of the present distress it is well 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 marriage. 28 But if you marry, you do not sin, and if a girl marries she does not sin. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. (Revised Standard Version)
What does Paul mean by the present distress He clarifies it as worldly troubles in verse 28. Paul lives in a day when Christians are under persecution. For proclaiming the name of Jesus, Paul has been arrested and beaten while other followers has been put to death and imprisoned. Being married in a time like this can be an extra baggage because one needs to care for his wife and children. A married person has additional burden because he has other obligations to attend to. This can also pertain to a general distress which all Christians should expect to experience as prophesied by Jesus himself
18 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15 18-19, HYPERLINK httpwww.biblegateway.comversionsNew-King-James-Version-NKJV-Bible New King James Version)
And was experienced by early believers
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14 21-22)
It is in this respect that Paul suggests remaining single.
The chapter continues
29 I mean, brethren, the appointed time has grown very short from now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the form of this world is passing away.
What does Paul mean by the appointed time has grown very short Verse 31 explains this world, as it is now, will not last much longer (New International Version). He simply means that the end of this world is near (Rom. 13 11-12 Rev. 13). The advice intends to remind us about the shortness of time because we are prone to impatience (Luke 1245). It is also a reminder that will protect us from people who do not believe that Christ will come to save us (2 Pet. 3 3-4). We must change our own perspective to Gods perspective. Life should be viewed in terms of eternity and not in terms of its temporal characteristics. Once we changed our perspective we will not regard this world as our haven but just a part of our journey to heaven. When we look at life from Gods perspective, it becomes very short. All our actions have eternal consequences. Five areas where our perspective is changed are mentioned. They are family, pain and suffering, pleasure, possessions, and secular concerns. Family should never take priority over our devotion to God (Luke 1426). Our view of pain and suffering is different from our hedonistic world. True Christians rejoice when they suffer and are persecuted by virtue of their identification with Christ. Our concept of pleasure differs from that of this world since that we find pleasure with God, not apart from God. The pleasures of this world are temporal while our pleasure is eternal. We are also warned against materialism, of putting our trust in our possession because we do not really possess anything in the first place (1 Tim. 6 17) and instead lay up treasure in heaven (Luke 1215 Mat. 6 19-20). We must use the things of this world wisely (Luke 16 11).
Let us analyze verses 32-35
32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord 33 but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman or girl is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit but the married woman is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please her husband. 35 I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.
Paul continues to suggest staying single, not because this makes one more righteous than others but it will give the opportunity to serve God without additional distractions. When it comes to making decisions, a single person has only one person to think about. For instance, he just focuses on asking, What will I wear today Where will I live Whom should I invite to the party How can I improve myself Other questions and decisions are multiplied a hundred times when we bring an entire family into the equation. Getting married without thorough deliberation and preparation can have a calamitous effect. However, marriage is a right which can either be exercised or set aside.
The chapter concludes with these verses
36 If any one thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes let them marry--it is no sin. 37 But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. 38 So that he who marries his betrothed does well and he who refrains from marriage will do better. 39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If the husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 40 But in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I have the Spirit of God.
Paul allows the marriage of engaged sweethearts provided they are already at the right marrying age. Choosing to get married in this instance is not a case of committing sin or being righteous but a simple case of good and better. Changing ones mind regarding marriage is also permitted and does not cause a person to sin. Getting married is good but because of possible burdens that might distract a married person from serving God unreservedly, remaining single is better.
Verses 36-38 have another rendition, in New American Standard Bible it reads
36But 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.
37But 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.
38So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.
It is a part of Eastern culture that the parents choose the husband or wife for their children especially in the case of their daughters. The translation will answer the question of a father with a daughter who is already engaged if he will allow her to marry if she is at the right marrying age. Questions like, Should I follow Pauls words by refusing to let my daughter marry The answer is the father should allow her daughter to marry if he believes that it is the right thing to do without coercing her daughter. The same goes if he does not want her daughter to marry. There should be no element of coercion in exercising this freedom.
Verse 39 clearly echoes Pauls firm stand against divorce or separation. A wife should stay married to her husband until he dies. Then she is free to marry again, but only to a man who is a follower of the Lord (Contemporary English Version). However, because of the same difficulties associated with married life he suggests refraining from remarrying (verse 40).
1 Corinthians 7 25-40 do not in anyway imply that embracing the sanctity of marriage and leaving the single life is equivalent to disobeying the commandments of God. Nowhere in these verses can we find a direct statement showing that marriage is sinful and staying single makes a person more righteous than others. In fact, Paul even tells the believers in Corinth that they do not sin by acting contrary to his advice.
The verses underscored several important points that though marriage is lawful at their present distress it might be unadvisable, that marriage will result in an increase of anxiety, that they should live to God, that a man should not be oppressive and harsh towards his daughter, or towards one under his care but that, if it would be severe in him to forbid such a marriage, he should allow it.
Some assert that celibacy is the only state in which one can properly serve God. Why do we reject this teaching 1 Tim. 43 states
3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
Gods word teaches that marriage is proper (Heb. 134) For instance, Paul has the right to have a wife, but does not use his right (1 Cor. 95 76-7).
Life Application
Time is short and the Day of Judgment is fast approaching, we must make the best use of our time as Christians. The best use of our time can be determined not on the basis of what feels good but on what pleases God.
There is no religious reason why we should not marry. Contrary to what some preachers advocate, marriage will not relegate us into a second-class spiritual state. Marriage is spiritually and morally right and not inferior to singleness in any way. If we want to get married we are not prohibited from doing so but we must be prepared for marriage life knowing that when we marry the difficulty is greater because we are not the only ones who will suffer from hardship and anxieties in this life but our family as well. Once we get married, there is no way out without violating the sanctity of marriage. Marriage is not wrong, but it can be difficult because it has its own unique set of hardships Thus, it is easier to stay out than to get out. The message is clear Dont go rushing into a marriage.
Staying single on the other hand, will allow us to focus our concentration in serving God because there will be less distractions compared to the life of a married person. But staying single will only be spiritually meaningful if a man is comfortable in his decision for a single life in service to God and its entirely his own conviction and not imposed on him by others (1 Cor. 737, The Message). Paul advocates staying single from the standpoint of ones devotion to God He does not suggests believers to remain single so that they can avoid the responsibility of marriage or so that they can enjoy extramarital sex. . Being single has its good points or definite advantages such as fewer external pressures and internal problems, fewer temporal preoccupations, less distraction away from spiritual things, and more concentration on spiritual things. Married people experience marital problems, pain of divorce or death of a spouse, but single believers are free from all of these.
Although Paul mentions that being single is better, it does not mean that marriage is sinful. It is not a guarantee that simply because a person is single he can completely devote himself to God nor does is automatically mean that a married person cannot be devoted to God. The main focus of Pauls discourse is the difficulties that the single believer may encounter which may interfere with undivided devotion. Our susceptibility to distraction varies for person to person, some are more susceptible than others.
Single believers might be asking themselves, Do I have to marry or do I have to stay single The best answer is not to be bothered by this question but to concentrate on our devotion to the Lord. Enjoy our present status and at the right time God will show us the right path that we need to take.
For married Christians it is clear that the life-enduring nature of marriage is here emphatically stated by Paul, and that liberty from this obligation comes only upon the death of ones mate. When we enter the relationship of marriage we come under its divine regulation. Abandoning our family because of worldly troubles is not an option.
Whatever conditions we find ourselves in, we must channel all our energies, time and talents into serving God with the best of our ability. The question is Are we doing all in our power to serve God It does not matter if we are married, single, virgins, engaged or widowed, what matter is we must use our life for the glory of God with the best that we can.
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