The Epistles · Chapter 7 of 16

1 Corinthians 7

Answering the Corinthians' questions, Paul gives measured counsel on marriage, singleness, and staying faithful in one's calling. Marriage is honorable and mutual; singleness is a good gift for undistracted devotion. Believers married to unbelievers should remain if peace allows. Paul stresses that the time is short and urges each to abide with God wherever they were called.

What happens in 1 Corinthians 7

Responding to written questions, Paul affirms both marriage and celibacy. To avoid immorality each should have a spouse, rendering mutual affection and not withholding intimacy except briefly for prayer. He wishes all shared his gift of singleness but recognizes each has his own gift. The unmarried and widows may remain single or marry if they cannot contain. To the married he gives the Lord's command against divorce, and counsels believers with unbelieving spouses to stay if the partner consents, since the household is sanctified and peace is God's call.

He teaches that each should remain in the condition of his calling, whether circumcised or servant, for the servant is the Lord's freeman. Because the time is short and this world's fashion passes, he urges undistracted devotion, holding earthly ties loosely. Marriage is not sin, but singleness spares trouble and frees attention for the Lord.

1 Corinthians 7 in context

Some Corinthians, reacting against their culture's excess, apparently taught that spirituality required abstaining from marriage altogether. Paul answers their letter with balanced pastoral wisdom, distinguishing the Lord's direct commands from his own Spirit-guided judgment.

Written amid what he calls the present distress and the shortness of time, his counsel weighs marriage and singleness by one measure: undistracted devotion to the Lord.

Main themes of 1 Corinthians 7

1 Corinthians 7 (KJV)

1Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 3Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 4The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. 5Defraud 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 tempt you not for your incontinency. 6But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. 7For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. 8I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. 9But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. 10And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. 12But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 15But 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. 16For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? 17But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. 18Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. 19Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. 20Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. 21Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 22For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. 23Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 24Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. 25Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. 26I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be. 27Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. 28But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you. 29But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; 30And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; 31And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. 32But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: 33But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 34There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. 36But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry. 37Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. 38So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better. 39The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. 40But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

Verses to carry from 1 Corinthians 7

“For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.”1 Corinthians 7:7

“But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.”1 Corinthians 7:17

“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.”1 Corinthians 7:23

Reflection

Wherever God has called me, married or single, bound or free, can I abide there with him rather than restlessly wishing for another life? The time is short. Today I can hold my circumstances loosely and give my truest attention to the Lord who bought me.

A prayer from 1 Corinthians 7