1 Corinthians 7:25-40. What does it mean??

Vinny22 · Aug 12, 2024

25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
36 If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. 37 But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. 38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.
39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God

Gideon300 · Aug 13, 2024

"Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is." There are tremendous advantages to being married, but in certain circumstances, it's not so good. Intense persecution meant that the life expectancy of a Christian was pretty short in the time Paul spoke of. That's even harder to deal with if you have a wife and family to take care of.

PennEd · Aug 13, 2024

Vinny22 said:

25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
36 If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. 37 But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. 38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.
39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God

Can you state what your issue is with this passage?

Vinny22 · Aug 13, 2024

PennEd said:

Oh sorry I’m unclear. Is he telling people not to get married?? Or that marriage distances people from God?

PennEd · Aug 13, 2024

Vinny22 said:

Well, God said it's not good for man to be alone.

Paul is not saying don't get married. He's saying if you don't feel the need or desire to marry that can be a good thing, because you can more readily dedicate your whole life to Jesus.

But I think the Catholic Church has taken this way too far in forbidding priests to marry.

Many joined thinking that would alleviate their lustful thoughts. of course it didn't. Many of them should have married, rather than burn with lust.

p_rehbein · Aug 13, 2024

This passage of Scripture is also a perfect example that not everything Paul wrote/said is to be considered a commandment from God. Clearly, God made man and woman to marry and become one flesh....... The reason it is critical for people to understand when Paul is speaking commandments from God or giving his advice.

Webers.Home · Aug 13, 2024

.
● 1Cor 7:25+28 . . Now about virgins: if a virgin marries, she has not
sinned

The Greek word translated "virgins" basically refers to girls not yet married.
Here in American we assume virgins are girls not yet sexually active but in
that ancient culture, it was more about a girl's age and/or marital status
rather than her private life.

There's an ancient temple in Greece called the Parthenon; which was at one
time a sort of shrine to the goddess Athena (a.k.a. Minerva). Apparently it
was common for Athena's followers to donate their young girls to her
service.

I'm guessing that the Christians in ancient Corinth, influenced by Greek and
Roman culture, were curious whether they were supposed to donate their
young girls to Christ's service; viz: make nuns of them; which of course
would seal them into celibacy and thus preclude the possibility of ever
having a man and a family of their own.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 13, 2024

.
● 1Cor 7:26-28 . . Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for
you to remain as you are. Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you
unmarried? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned;
and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned.

The "present crisis" probably relates to circumstances that make it difficult
and/or inadvisable to settle down and raise a family. (e.g. Jer 16:1-4 and
Matt 24:19-22)

However, marriage, overall, doesn't displease God; and best of all, the
Corinthian Christians didn't have to donate their maidens to Christ as nuns;
rather, the girls were perfectly at liberty to settle down with a man.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 13, 2024

.
● 1Cor 7:36 . . If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he
is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to
marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get
married.

We have a saying in America that goes like this: So and so married what's
her name and made a decent woman out of her. Well, most grown-ups know
what that means without me having to say so. The point is: if a Christian
man finds himself on the brink of exceeding the limits of propriety with his
best girl; it's time to either break up or tie the knot.

And then too there's the so-called biological clock that stalks women during
their productive years. It's cruel, unthinkable, and utterly selfish and
psychopathic of a man to keep a girl on hold during those years if and when
he's fully aware that she's longing to settle down and have a family of her
own. A man who does that has no clue as the meaning of words like love
and honor.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 13, 2024

.
● 1Cor 7:39 . . A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if
her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must be in
The Lord.

When people sound-bite a verse like that one out of context, they run the
risk of coming to some very false conclusions; and one of those is that
Christians can never, under any circumstances, divorce and remarry while
their spouses are alive. Well, obviously they can, under certain conditions.
(e.g. Matt 5:32) In other words: an unfaithful husband is a dead husband,
i.e. he's reckoned deceased.

However, a Christian ex-wife has to be careful not to re-marry outside her
faith as that would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. (cf.
2Cor 6:14-18)
_

Webers.Home · Aug 13, 2024

.
● 1Cor 7:5 . . Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a
time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together
again, that Satan not tempt you by means of your lack of self control.

I think it goes without saying that spouses have an inalienable right to
expect their need for companionship to be satisfied in marriage; and if one,
or both, is feeling lonely and/or marginalized at home, then they're being
deprived their privileges and will be vulnerable to unfaithfulness when
someone comes along with whom they click.

I heard a story some time ago about a rather conniving Christian woman
who wanted a divorce from her Christian husband; but seeing as how God
only allows death or adultery to dissolve the marital bond; she began
deliberately avoiding her husband in order to force him to think about
finding an alternative; and when he did; she proceeded to divorce him on
the grounds of infidelity. That way, in her mind's eye, she was the victim
and he the villain. (chuckle) What people won't do to circumvent the laws of
God.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 13, 2024

.
● 1Cor 7:8-9 . . Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for
them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they
should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn.

Paul said it's good to remain single; but he didn't say it's best.

The Greek word translated "burn" basically means to kindle, to ignite, to
glow, and/or to be inflamed. I seriously doubt Paul meant to convey the
thought that the believers who lacked self control at Corinth were in grave
danger of the flames of Hell since he had already assured them in 1Cor 6:9-
-11 that they were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of The Lord
Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Paul was one of those kinds of men with a very low-powered libido. But not
everyone is like him; nor is everyone cut out to live alone.

Webster's defines "celibacy" as (1) the state of not being married, (2)
abstention from sexual intercourse, and (3) abstention by vow from
marriage. Celibacy then, isn't limited to zero carnal activity; it includes zero
marriage; even platonic unions.

Not long ago, a Catholic priest here in Oregon quit the priesthood after
serving more than 30 years in order to get married because he couldn't
stand being alone anymore. He wasn't especially looking to get naked with
somebody, he just wanted a companion; which is exactly how normal guys
are designed.

"The Lord God said: It's not good for Adam to be solitary" (Gen 2:18)

The problem with a vow of celibacy is that although it may hinder a priest
from getting married, it does nothing to prevent him from pining for a
female companion. 1Cor 7:9 should suffice to silence the mouths of ascetics
who preach it's holy to abstain from every form of earthly pleasure; and also
the mouths of those who preach it's a sin to marry solely to obtain someone
to sleep with.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 13, 2024

.
● 1Cor 7:10-11a . . Unto the married I command-- yet not I, but The Lord
--let not the wife depart from her husband: but and if she depart, let her
remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband.

Divorcing a spouse for any cause other than infidelity is unacceptable. (Mat
5:32) However, separation is a different issue and is sometimes essential for
the safety and welfare of abused women.

● 1Cor 7:11b . . And let not the husband put away his wife.

You know, we really can't expect a man to continue living with a woman who
routinely slams the poor guy with demeaning ridicule and denigrating
remarks and/or constantly rakes him over the coals with relentless fault
finding and cruel sarcasm, and maybe even pours scalding water on her
husband while he's sleeping or burns his face with a steam iron.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 13, 2024

.
● 1Cor 7:12-13 . . If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be
pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which
hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her,
let her not leave him.

It's not all that unusual for marriages to start off on common ground, and
then later on to become religiously divided; like for instance when one of the
spouses gets converted at a Luis Palau crusade, or both start out as
Christians and one switches over to Buddhism. As long as the situation
doesn't cause intolerable friction in the home, the couple should stay
together.

● 1Cor 7:14-15 . . For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and
the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children
would be unclean, but now they are holy.

According to Matt 5:32 and Matt 19:9, divorce and remarriage are holy only
if one of the spouses has been unfaithful. So; if a believing spouse divorces
their unbelieving spouse solely on the grounds of religious differences, and
remarries; then as far as the New Testament is concerned, any children
produced in the second marriage will be illegitimate.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 13, 2024

.
● 1Cor 7:15 . . But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a
sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

In this situation, Christians are neither required, nor encouraged, nor under
even the slightest obligation to attempt reconciliation; rather, "let him
depart" strictly forbids getting back together with the unbeliever.

The unbeliever's departure is a golden opportunity, to permanently escape a
difficult situation that Christ's followers would be foolish to let slip through
their fingers.
_

Bruce_Leiter · Aug 13, 2024

Vinny22 said:

25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
36 If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. 37 But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. 38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.
39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God

Always interpret a text with the verses around it (in context). Start with verse one, and you will see that Paul is commending the gift of singleness, the way he is; but, of course, he emphasizes that getting married is okay too. Being single has its advantages for ministry so that we can concentrate on our ministry to others.

For example, after my wife died, I thought that I would be open to having a wife again. However, God impressed on me from this passage that I should remain single, and he has given me that gift in order to write and publish more books (growingtoknowGod.com).

Pilgrimshope · Aug 16, 2024

Vinny22 said:

He’s talking about marriage . It’s better for gods kingdom if a person is not married because they can fully dedicate themselves to Gods service rather than thier wife and children.

“An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband”

But everyone isnt made for that like Paul was. He’s telling them it’s not wrong to get married but also it’s not preferable in the kingdom given the seriousness of the matter of Gods kingdom . Of your single when you come to Christ think about staying that way if you’re married don’t look to part from it but honor it .

“I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But thos who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.”

i assume like now a lot of Christian’s are preoccupied with finding a mate I think Paul’s addressing the matter clearly here but it’s important to understand Paul’s not like us he’s speaking from Gods point of view so he is t speaking from normal himan feelings of loneliness or lack of companionship ect like so many feel in Christ from the flesh

The bibles always telling us Gods thoughts on things as himans we naturally want a mate it seems natural even a design of God for woman and man to be one flesh . But the spiritual things of the gospel are different than the world and the flesh nature

Paul’s being careful to make this also known that it’s not for everyone

“His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19:10-11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

same thing Paul’s saying it’s not for everyone so if a person marries it’s not a sin or anything it’s just oauo revealing that our lives should be about Gods kingdom and not our own desires. Marriage isn’t going to be part of his kingdom

Pilgrimshope · Aug 16, 2024

p_rehbein said:

Paul’s always speaking from Gods kingdoms point of view and not the worlds

“Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:25-30‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:1

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1 Corinthians 7:25-40. What does it mean??

Vinny22

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