Why did Paul say it's better for a man not to marry?

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Exoaria

Guest
#1
#1
Genesis 2:18 "The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone."

This is a simple question, I haven't got anything to articulate about it. God created women so that humankind would not be lonely. Paul annoys me in a few subtle ways like this, though.

Why does Paul seem to say that it's better for a man not to marry in 1 Corinthians, although it's not bad if he does. Clearly God said that it is not good for man to be unmarried if he is lonely.
 
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SpiritofFire

Banned
#2
Jul 26, 2013
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Paul is not talking about marriage between men and women. He is referring to how people cling to different aspects of earthly wisdom. One chooses christianity, another Islam as a sort of wife.
 
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kenisyes

Guest
#3
#3
He says it's because of the current trials in the world later on.
 
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nathan3

Guest
#4
#4
They had to travel. If your teaching God's word around the world, then at that time, it would be better not to marry. It would be hard on the wife and the marriage .

So better not to marry in that case.

Paul continues if you cant control yourself and want to marry, its better to marry then to burn in desire for a women. Then in that case marry.

That is the subject matter. Paul traveled the world and gave 100% of his life to Christ. In that case , if some one wanted to do what he was, then he said its better to be like in and not marry.

It is good advice.
 
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Exoaria

Guest
#5
#5
nathan3 said:
They had to travel. If your teaching God's word around the world, then at that time, it would be better not to marry. It would be hard on the wife and the marriage .

So better not to marry in that case.

Paul continues if you cant control yourself and want to marry, its better to marry then to burn in desire for a women. Then in that case marry.
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But the people in Corinth were living lives in a stable location?
 
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john832

Senior Member
#6
May 31, 2013
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#6
kenisyes said:
He says it's because of the current trials in the world later on.
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Exactly.

1Co 7:26 I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.
 
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nathan3

Guest
#7
#7
Exoaria said:
But the people in Corinth were living lives in a stable location?
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The subject in this case is going abroad to teach. Travel at that time was very difficult and dangerous . And no cell phones. It would be months or years, before you would see anyone again, if you lived...

I don't understand what you mean by , people in Corinth living in a stable location ?
 
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Exoaria

Guest
#8
#8
nathan3 said:
The subject in this case is going abroad to teach. Travel at that time was very difficult and dangerous . And no cell phones. It would be months or years, before you would see anyone again, if you lived...

I don't understand what you mean by , people in Corinth living in a stable location ?
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The people living in Corinth weren't necessarily travelling at all. Paul was writing to the church.
i don't understand why Paul would assume that people living in stable (but sinful) lives would be travelling everywhere.
 
notuptome

notuptome

Senior Member
#9
May 17, 2013
15,050
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#9
Paul is recognizing that for him not marrying is a good thing. Paul had much insight into what was ahead for him. This would have been very burdensome for any wife plus it would have been even more load for him if he had the care of a wife to fulfill. For some men who are called of God to specific ministries it is better that they do not marry. Marriage can be a bad thing if it makes a man prefer his wife to serving the Lord. The disciples that came to the Lord with all the excuses as to why they could not follow Him is your scriptural example of what Paul is citing here. Luke 14:15-27

For the cause of Christ
Roger
 
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nathan3

Guest
#10
#10
Exoaria said:
The people living in Corinth weren't necessarily travelling at all. Paul was writing to the church.
i don't understand why Paul would assume that people living in stable (but sinful) lives would be travelling everywhere.
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I think that is a assumption. All we got to go on is the subject. I hope I helped just a little, I cant explain it better then i have.
 
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nathan3

Guest
#11
#11
For those interested at a closer look at 1 Corinthians 7:

1corin7
 
RedTent

RedTent

Banned
#12
Oct 31, 2011
8,200
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#12
When we pull certain verses out in order to make them the rule we should follow, it is like a nutritionist saying that protein is most necessary for our body. Then people reading this says we should not eat fruit and quotes what he says about protein to prove it. Over and over I read of people doing this with Paul.
 
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Elin

Banned
#13
Jan 19, 2013
11,909
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#13
Exoaria said:
Genesis 2:18 "The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone."

This is a simple question, I haven't got anything to articulate about it. God created women so that humankind would not be lonely. Paul annoys me in a few subtle ways like this, though.

Why does Paul seem to say that it's better for a man not to marry in 1 Corinthians, although it's not bad if he does. Clearly God said that it is not good for man to be unmarried if he is lonely.
Click to expand...
Because like many at the time, he thought the perilous times of the end were near.

And actually the destruction of Jerusalem was near.

Marriage would only make it harder to do what they would need to do at that time.
 
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presidente

Senior Member
#14
May 29, 2013
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#14
SpiritofFire said:
Paul is not talking about marriage between men and women. He is referring to how people cling to different aspects of earthly wisdom. One chooses christianity, another Islam as a sort of wife.
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He's talking about I Corinthians 7. He's talking about literally getting married there.
 
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presidente

Senior Member
#15
May 29, 2013
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#15
Exoaria said:
Genesis 2:18 "The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone."

This is a simple question, I haven't got anything to articulate about it. God created women so that humankind would not be lonely. Paul annoys me in a few subtle ways like this, though.

Why does Paul seem to say that it's better for a man not to marry in 1 Corinthians, although it's not bad if he does. Clearly God said that it is not good for man to be unmarried if he is lonely.
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Adam was literally alone. Since God made Eve, there have been a lot of people on the world, and there still are. You can live celibate without being alone like Adam was before Eve was made. I don't see a real contradiction there.

Paul acknowledges that one has a gift after this manner and another after that. Celibacy and marriage are both gifts.
 
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john832

Senior Member
#16
May 31, 2013
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#16
Elin said:
Because like many at the time, he thought the perilous times of the end were near.

And actually the destruction of Jerusalem was near.

Marriage would only make it harder to do what they would need to do at that time.
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Persactly.
 
Agricola

Agricola

Senior Member
#17
Dec 10, 2012
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#17
SO you have been captured and tortured for days to denounce Christ and to admit that Its all fake and he did not do the things he claimed and to convert to a true god and religion.

THen your wife is brought in with your children, the guard threatens that they will all be raped non stop for hours on end by other prisoners and guards and you will be made to watch, then if still do not renounce Christ, they will be slowly mutilated and tortured, being kept alive for days on end and you have to listen to their screams and begging to die.

This is why it is best for someone going around as an evangelist or someone actively spreading the word of Christ to remain single.

OF course its not any different in many other countries around the world. This kind of persecution of Christians is happening now as we speak. North Korea, Pakistan, Vietnam, Iraq, Iran , Somalia to name just a few.

Open Doors UK & Ireland - Country Profiles - Serving Persecuted Christians Worldwide
 
iamsoandso

iamsoandso

Senior Member
#18
Oct 6, 2011
8,048
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#18
RedTent said:
When we pull certain verses out in order to make them the rule we should follow, it is like a nutritionist saying that protein is most necessary for our body. Then people reading this says we should not eat fruit and quotes what he says about protein to prove it. Over and over I read of people doing this with Paul.
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indeed aren't you glad Christ is the bridegroom and we are the bride?,,,,,
 
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SpaceCowboy

Guest
#19
#19
He was talking in context of serving the Lord. It's better for a man not to marry if he's serving God because if he's unmarried he'll just care for the things of God, how he may please the Lord. If he's married he'll care for his wife, how he may please his wife.
 
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Graybeard

Guest
#20
#20
SpaceCowboy said:
He was talking in context of serving the Lord. It's better for a man not to marry if he's serving God because if he's unmarried he'll just care for the things of God, how he may please the Lord. If he's married he'll care for his wife, how he may please his wife.
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exactly what I was going to post!
 
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