"Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.
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.
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. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;
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;
those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
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.
But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife—
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.
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.
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.
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.
So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better.
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.
In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 7:27-40
Here Paul is speaking to the Corinthians who are in crisis it appears at the time.
All of the commentators I’ve read on this note that the advice is not a direct order from Jesus it is Paul’s judgement although he doesn’t deny he is writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The Commentators all agree that Paul’s recommendations do not apply to all time and to all situations.
The Corinthian church was undergoing persecution and pressures from one of the most immoral cities in the world at that time.
Paul’s recommendations to them is to especially when it come to marriage to stay as they were. If single stay single. If married stay married.
He notes there are various pressures on both the married and unmarried. Marriage in particular has it’s own stresses and strains. A person that is married has to look out for their family and therefore cannot devote as much time to the Lords work.
He dose not forbid marriage in fact he says that if a person feels they need to get
married they don’t sin. Neither does a person who chooses to stay single sin.
Paul states,
“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.”
This also I believe applies to husbands. Paul makes it clear earlier in Corinthians that the two are equal in the marriage. Therefore it is only logical that a man would be bound to his wife as long as she is alive.
He notes the wife after the death of her husband is free to remarry anyone but adds that “he must belong to the Lord.” again something that I believe should apply to the husband also.
It’s only good advice to marry someone within your faith because you have the same mind and beliefs.
To marry someone who is not a Christian may cause one to stray from the faith.
Think about it.
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