10.  Marriage II: Singleness (1Co 7:17-40)

Explanation

Context:  After speaking to those married or formerly married, Paul continues his emphasis on the guiding principle in marriage: "Stay as you are." He then speaks to those who are not married and explains own reasons for singleness.

• 7:17-24    Statement of the principle, using analogy of circumcision and slavery.
• They should remain in whatever social setting or status (here, married or unmarried) they were at the time of their call since God's call to be in Christ transcends such settings so as to make them essentially irrelevant.
• That does not mean that in a culture that provides opportunity one should not seek to better oneself (v.21). It is a call to live out one's calling in whatever situation one is found.

• 7:25-38    To virgins: it is good to remain unmarried.
• v.25-28    Celibacy is the better option but marriage is a perfectly valid alternative.
• v.29-35    Paul offers two reasons for his preferrence for celibacy: (1) v.29-31 eschatological framework: In light of the imminent second coming, to marry is to add additional troubles in the present age that is soon to pass away, so why marry? (2) v.32-34 service to God: The married man or woman is "distracted" by worldly affairs away from the constant devotion to Christ available to the unmarried, so celibacy is the better option.
• v.36-38    The two options, to marry or to refrain, are both open to them.

• 7:39-40    To married women and widows: the married are bound to the marriage; when widowed it is good to remain that way but they have the same two options, to marry or to refrain.

7:18
Being Jew or Gentile simply means nothing to God.

7:19
Marriage is nothing; and celibacy is nothing. These things belong to the category of the irrelevant. Although circumcision counts for nothing, obedience to the will of God does.

7:21
Do not let your social condition be a concern to you.

7:22
Neither slavery nor freedom counts for anything to the one who is called into fellowship with Christ. In Christ, a Christian is both free and slave.

7:25
3 views about the meaning of "virgins":

(a) giving virgin daughter in marriage [but the terms father, guardian, daughter, etc. never appear in the text],
(b) refer to both men and women who are committed to one another in a "spiritual marriage", living together but without sexual relation, practised from 2nd to 5th century.
(c) some young betrothed women who along with their fiances were being pressured by some Corinthians not to marry as if going through with the marriage would constitute "sin" (v.28,36).

7:26
“present crisis”: exact meaning unclear, seems to refer to real affliction the Corinthians are experiencing, possibly persecutions. “I think”: the new reason does not carry moral weight; it is only Paul’s opinion.

7:27
“Are you bound to a woman? Stay that way, do not seek to be loosed. Are you free from a woman? Stay that way, do not seek a wife.” “loosed”: a technical term for discharging someone from the obligations of a contract

7:28
The question of marrying or not marrying lies totally outside the category of sin. Those who do not accept this advice do not in fact commit sin. However, they would have anxiety from marriage.

7:29
Christians should have a totally new perspective as to their relationship with the world in light of the end of this age: the time is short, this world is passing away. While a Christian lives in the world just as the rest—married, sorrowing, rejoicing, buying, making use of it—but none of these has domination over the Christian and none of them determind his life. In the 5 illustrations, the attitude of “as if not” frees us from being controlled. Paul is calling for a radically new perspective of their relationship with the world.

In terms of a Christian’s entire existence, it makes no difference whether one is married or celibate.

7:30
Christians do not react drastically to emotions (joy or sadness). Christians do not buy to possess.

7:31
Christians use material wealth but are “not engrossed” or “absorbed” in it.

7:32
I want you to be without “concern” (anxiety about marrying or not) even as you must “concern yourselves” with reality in the present age.

7:33
The two alternatives are parallel; the real difference is that the married man’s concern “is divided” (v.34, divided between the Lord and his wife)—less opportunity for service; but it does not mean that the one is a superior existence but just a different existence.

7:34
“the virgin” is singled out (from the unmarried woman) because she is the object of the following passage (v.36-38); ESV translates this as “betrothed woman”; “in both body and spirit” may mean “holy in everyway”, in view of the cultural ideal of the “chaste woman”

7:35
“not to restrict you” — no one is bound by Paul’s teaching in this area. Paul’s preference here is not based on “spiritual” grounds but on pastoral concern. He gave reasons for preferring celibacy but does not say that this is the most appropriate way of life. Both can still have undivided devotion to the Lord.

7:36
The passage is likely about the man’s bethrothed woman, not “virgin” daughter. The two are under the pressure from Corinthian ascetists not the marry (see comment on v.25 above).

7:37
In no less than four different ways he repeats that such a man must be fully convinced “in his own mind.” (a) he “has settled the matter in his own mind”, (b) he “is under no compulsion”, (c) “he has authority concerning his own will” meaning no one else is forcing this action on him, (d) he “has made up his own mind.” This strongly suggests that outside influence might lead him to take such an action. He is told to take control of his own actions.

7:38
He has not sinned if he marries; indeed, he “does well” although he who does not marry her will do even better because of the above two reasons (in the “context section).

Discussion

• What should we teach about celibacy?

• Celibacy is a spiritual gift (v.7). Both options (to marry or to refrain) are open and are legitimate; marriage is not sinning (v.28,36). Celibacy should be chosen for a good reason, such as to realize the potential of a greater focus on Christ and his work (v.32-34).
• A serious problem is the sexual imbalance in today's church where females outnumber males.

Application

• Paul urges believers to live "as if not", that is, as fully in the world but not controlled by its systems or values. We are not to regard marriage or material wealth as the ultimate goals of life. As much as possible, we should live unhindered by the cares of this world, not getting involved with burdensome mortgages, investments, or debts that might keep us from doing God's work. (v.29-31)

• Often we are so concerned about what we could be doing for God somewhere else that we miss great opportunities right where we are (v.20).

• Roman Catholicism insists on celibacy for its clergy while some Protestant groups will not ordain the single because marriage is the norm and singles are treated as second-class citizens; both are wrong.