1 Corinthians 7 - Study the King James Bible

Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

Verse 1
The apostle now proceeds to consider the subjects on which the Corinthian church had asked his instructions in their letter to him. The first is the question of marriage. In very early times, a disposition manifested itself in the church to make a virtue of celibacy.--It is good; it is in itself very well. This seems to have been said in concession to those who argued for celibacy, as in what follows he enjoins the married state on all. (1 Corinthians 7:2.)

Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

Verse 3
The meaning of the passage is, that they are not to nullify the marriage tie by living in separation.

The 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.

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 tempt you not for your incontinency.

Verse 5
Defraud ye not, &c,; that is, in respect to the obligations of the marriage state.--For your incontinency, to your incontinency, that is, to lead you into sin.

But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.

Verse 6
By permission, and not of commandment; that is, he does not absolutely require marriage in all cases. Those who desired to marry were at perfect liberty to do so; they were not to be forbidden. The antithesis is in 1 Corinthians 7:10, where he says that, if any were already married, they were absolutely required to continue in that state.

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.

Verse 7
Even as I myself; that is, single. (See 1 Corinthians 9:5.) The preference which Paul seems to express here for a single life, in the cases of those for whom such a life was safe, has been made by the Roman Catholic church the ostensible foundation of the rule by which they enjoin celibacy in the clergy. History, however, shows that the real ground on which that practice is sustained, is that, by such a system, a body of men is perpetuated in the various countries over which that church extends, who, being bound to the social community by few ties, are the more effective and subservient as instruments of ecclesiastical power. Unmarried priests are like unmarried soldiers, which every military commander prefers.

I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

10.

And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

11.

But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

12.

But 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.

Verse 12
That believeth not; who is not a Christian.

13.

And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

14.

For 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.

Verse 14
Now are they holy; that is, the children of the church are holy, being brought within its pale by being of Christian parentage on either side.

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.

Verse 15
Is not under bondage. The meaning seems to be that the Christian is not bound in such cases, that is, in those mentioned above (1 Corinthians 7:12-14,) to sunder the domestic tie, but may live in peace with an unbelieving partner.

16.

For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

17.

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.

Verse 17
Hath distributed to every man; hath given him his lot.

18.

Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

Verse 18
Let him not become uncircumcised; let him remain a Jew. It was a great question in the early church, whether a Gentile convert must embrace Judaism as well as Christianity. A council was held at Jerusalem on this question, as described in Acts 15:1-29.

19.

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

20.

Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

21.

Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.

Verse 21
Care not for it; be not unhappy and depressed on account of it, that is, on account of your condition of bondage.--Use it rather; seek it, prefer it. Freedom in is better if you have opportunity to acquire it.

22.

For 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.

23.

Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

Verse 23
Be not ye the servants of men; a general caution addressed to all, against too great subserviency to human authority, suggested by the subject which the apostle had been discussing.

24.

Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

25.

Now 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.

26.

I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.

Verse 26
The present distress; time of distress, that is, of impending persecution and calamity. This expression indicates that the inclination of the apostle's mind towards a preference for celibacy, manifest in this chapter, had reference to the circumstances of danger and persecution peculiar to those times.--So to be; to be single.

27.

Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

28.

But 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.

Verse 28
Shall have trouble. Marriage would obviously increase the distress and suffering in a time of persecution.--I spare you; I wish to save you as far as possible from the sufferings to which you will be exposed.

29.

But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;

30.

And 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;

31.

And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

32.

But 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:

Verse 32
Without carefulness; free from the anxious cares which, in such times as those, must attend the charge of a family.

33.

But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

34.

There 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.

35.

And 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.

Verse 35
Not that I may cast a snare upon you; expose you to temptation by constraining you to live unmarried.

36.

But 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.

Verse 36
That he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin; his virgin daughter; that is, that he wrongs her by putting a constraint upon her inclinations to enter into the marriage state. The general sense of the passage (1 Corinthians 7:36-38) is, that, if the father find the affections of a daughter so fixed, that to prohibit her marriage would be an injury to her, it is proper to allow the marriage to take place; though it would be better for her, in such a time of persecution and trial, if she would consent to remain single.

37.

Nevertheless 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.

38.

So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.

39.

The 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.

Verse 39
Only in the Lord; only to one who is a Christian. The Christian widow was not to marry a heathen idolater. It has sometimes been maintained that this direction forbids a Christian female, at the present day, to marry any one not truly pious; but this is a very wide extension of its meaning. As, in all Christian lands, and among all forms of communion, the young females who give evidence of sincere piety, far outnumber those of the other sex, and that from the influence of causes permanent and universal, the doctrine that they must not marry beyond the limit above prescribed, necessarily consigns a very large proportion of the females of the church, probably more than half, to celibacy. And as the human race is equally divided between the sexes, the celibacy of any number of Christian females must necessarily occasion the celibacy of an equal number of the other sex. It is easy to see, therefore, that such a rule, besides not being here enjoined, would greatly impede the extension and establishment of Christianity in the world. In fact, one of the most powerful means of its extension is the influence of a pious mother upon her children, in cases where her efforts are not aided by the coöperation of the father.

40.

But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

Verse 40
If she so abide; abide unmarried.