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.

1 Corinthians 7:25

Chapter 7 of 1 Corinthians contains Paul’s answers to questions from Corinth concerning marriage.  Due to what he calls “the present distress” (7:26) which was almost certainly persecution taking place against Christians during this period, the apostle stresses that some of what he says in this chapter is nothing more than advice given under inspiration about whether to marry during these difficult times.  He had already given some of this advice earlier in the chapter (7:6-9).  Now he does so again “concerning the betrothed” and whether they should marry while in the midst of severe persecution (7:25-38, 40).  While giving these recommendations, Paul repeatedly clarifies that his suggestions are not actual commands from God which the Corinthians were obligated to obey (7:25, 28, 35, 40).  They would be free to disregard his counsel without it being considered sin in God’s eyes.

The apostle recommends, “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…” (7:26-28a).  In other words, stay married if you are married and single if you are single during these difficult times.  If you decide to get married anyway, that’s fine; you aren’t sinning by doing so.

Paul now gives the reasons why he advises this:  “…Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that” (7:28b).  He elaborates by pointing out that “the appointed time has grown very short” (7:29a), likely meaning that the severe persecution is about to start.  Therefore, “(f)rom now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 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, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it.  For the present form of this world is passing away” (7:29b-31).  In other words, persecution may force you to choose between following Christ and the spouse with whom you just started a life.  If so, act as if you weren’t married at all by choosing to follow Jesus.  If doing so means that your spouse is killed, then stay loyal to Jesus anyway.  Act as if you had no family, no sorrow over their loss, no happiness if they were spared.  Act as if you had no money or possessions which your persecutors might threaten to take away unless you reject Christ.  Basically, choose to stay loyal to Christ regardless of what is threatened to be taken from you in this world.  You won’t keep it in the end, because this life is temporary anyway.

Staying this committed to Christ would not be easy if the governing authorities were threatening to take the life of your spouse.  We can therefore see why Paul advises against starting a family at this time.  This is why he writes, “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.  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” (7:32-35).  His point is not that single Christians are universally and inherently more spiritually focused and devoted than married Christians.  Rather, he is pointing out that in times of severe persecution married Christians will have more pressure put upon them to renounce Jesus than single Christians.

We’ll continue our study of this section next week, Lord willing.

— Jon