Applying This Principle to the Unmarried

7/30/2019 Applying This Principle to the Unmarried

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Applying This Principle to the Unmarried (1 Cor7:25-28)

Paul now applies the principle of peace and contentment to the unmarried believers in theCorinthian church. Evidently they had asked a question about whether unmarried

believers should seek to get married at all. Now Paul answers their question in light of the

principle he just explained.

"Concerning virgins" (parthenos) = a virgin young woman of marriageable age. Eventhough in 1 Cor7:25Paul uses a term that specifies unmarried young women, the

following verses show that he is discussing both the man and the woman who might want

to marry (See 1 Cor7:26-- "for a man to remain as he is" as well as 1 Cor 7:27-28--

"bound to a wife...but if you marry you have not sinned"). The Corinthians were asking

whether unmarried believers should remain single and celibate, or whether they could

marry if they had that desire.

Paul could not point to any previous teaching of Jesus on the subject of unmarried youngwomen who are seeking marriage. It's as if he is saying, "There is no existing Word from

the Lord regarding this issue, but I give my judgment under the inspiration of the Holy

Spirit." He is not giving a strict command which must be obeyed, but he is giving

"inspired advice" regarding the course of action he thinks would benefit them.

"I think then" (1 Cor7:26) = here Paul states the opinion mentioned in the previous verse,which he does not call a command but simply his advice. "Good" (kalos) = that which is

well-adapted to the circumstances; something beneficial.

"In view of the present distress" (anagke) = impending circumstances with the addedimplication of stress, need or necessity in those circumstances. It is not clear exactly what

these impending stressful circumstances were, but we do know that the Roman emperor

Nero came to power in AD 54 and began actively persecuting Christians in AD 64.

Paul is referring to a man's existing marital status, and he is addressing the group ofbelievers who are currently unmarried. He could have said, "In the present circumstances

it is probably a good thing for a man to remain unmarried, but I am not giving a strict rule

which every believer must obey."

"Are you bound to a wife?" (1 Cor7:27) = bound by law in marriage (see 1 Cor7:39;Rom7:2).BoundandReleasedare antonyms which are intended tomeanMarriedor Unmarried. Clearly Paul is applying the principle he previously shared:

"If you are married, stay married; if you are unmarried, stay unmarried." Neither the

married nor the unmarried should seek to change their situation as a result of becoming a

Christian.
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"But if you marry" (1 Cor7:28) = here Paul is referring to unmarried male believers whowere seeking his advice, and to which he had given his opinion that they should remain

as they are. Now Paul tells them if theydo get married, they are not sinning. His advice

was simply his opinion in light of the impending circumstances, but if they decided to

marry they were not committing a sin.

"And if a virgin marries" = Paul includes this phrase to show that what he is saying

applies both to male and female unmarried believers.

Paul's instruction here emphasizes the principle ofIndividual Responsibility, which is abalancing truth to God's Sovereignty that was presented in the previous section. Each

believer is to obey God's leading in whatever circumstances he has been assigned by

God, and this involves making personal choices from among several possible options.

This does not always involve a choice between something that is sin and something that

is not sin. A believer should always avoid sin, but sometimes his choices are between

several options that are not sinful. One option may be good and another option better, but

the choice is left to the individual.

"Such will have trouble" (thlipsis) = pressure, tribulation, affliction, stress. This gives usa picture of what would characterize the "present distress" that Paul mentioned in 1

Cor7:26. Even as Paul was writing this letter to the Corinthians, he himself was

experiencing intense pressure in Ephesus (1 Cor4:11-13;15:32). Married believers who

experience turmoil and persecution cannot escape carrying a much heavier load than

those who are single in similar circumstances.

"I am trying to spare you" = it was Paul's intention to help them avoid unnecessary care

and tribulation.

TO BE OF SINGLE MIND

1 CORINTHIANS 7:25-40

In recent days a lot of books have been written on the subject of marriage; how to liven up your

marriage, how to stay married, how to raise your children, how to be a spiritual leader in your

family. These are all very good, but they often overlook another major option that believers have

-- to remain single.

In New Testament times, it was considered something of an oddity for a man or a woman to

remain single. Among the Jews, a man who did not marry and raise children was thought to be in

violation of the commandment of God to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis

1:28).
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Singleness is no less an issue today. The church sometimes has a tendency to look with suspicion

upon a man who is not married, as though something were wrong with him for having such a

lifestyle.

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul deals with this issue that is as relevant to us as it was to those

first century Christians.

SINGLENESS IS GOOD

25 Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by

the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. 26 I think then that this is good in view of the present

distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is.

27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not

seek a wife. 28 But if you should marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin should marry, shehas not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you. (1

Corinthians 7:25-28).

If you are single, then you need to realize that being single has its good points. It can be very

good to be single. Speaking from the point of view of one who has been married for a very long

time, I suppose that I should not be proclaiming this principle with such vigor. Nevertheless, it is

true that being single has some definite advantages. Paul will list six in this passage. Being single

is good...

o Because of the present distress (7:26-27).o Because of the trouble of this life (7:28).o Because of the temporary nature of this age (7:29-31).o Because of undivided devotion (7:32-35).o Because it does not have to be permanent (7:36-38).o Because marriage is permanent (7:39-40).

Are you single and straining at the bit, wishing more than anything else to be married? Paul hassome principles that you need to hear.

He begins by admitting that, as to this subject, he has no command of the Lord(7:25). Paul has

already quoted the words of Jesus directed toward those who are married. But for what he has to

saw now, he will not quote Jesus. Jesus did not give any commands directed specifically to

single people as to whether or not they should marry. He did not tell everyone to marry and He


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did not tell everyone to remain single. Neither will Paul. But he will give us some principles to

make us aware of the advantages of being single.

SINGLENESS IS GOOD BECAUSE OF THE PRESENT DISTRESS

I think then that this is good in view of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as

he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do

not seek a wife. (1 Corinthians 7:26-27).

What is this "present distress" to which Paul refers? Paul lived in a day when Christians were

under persecution. He had been beaten and stoned and arrested for the faith. Others had been put

to death and imprisoned for proclaiming the name of Jesus. In a time of distress like this, a

marriage can be a marked hindrance. It is one thing to face this kind of persecution as one who is

single. It is quite another thing to face such persecution when you are caring for a wife and

children.

Because of the hardships of persecution, Paul advised the Corinthian believers not to rush into

marriage. He called them to remain within the situation in which they found themselves.

If you are married, then there is a message for you. It is that you stay married. Paul has already

shown that marriage is to be permanent. To tear apart what God has joined together is wrong.

If you are single, then there is also a message for you. Be content in staying single. Dont go

rushing into a marriage. That does not mean that marriage is sinful or that you should never get

married. Paul anticipates the "what if" question that such a message implies.

SINGLENESS IS GOOD BECAUSE OF THE TROUBLE OF THIS LIFE

But if you should marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin should marry, she has not sinned.

Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you. (1 Corinthians 7:28) .

Marriage is not wrong, but it can be difficult. It is not bad, but it has its own unique set of

hardships. Here is the principle. Being single is not bad. Being married is not bad. Both are used

by the Lord for His people. But single people often lose sight of the difficulties of marriage.

They lose sight of what Paul calls the trouble in this life.

There is a blessing here for the single believer. The single believer will never experience marital

problems or the pain of a divorce or the death of a spouse.


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1 Corinthians 725

"Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I

give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy.26

I suppose

therefore that this is good because of the present distressthat it is good for a man to

remain as he is:27

Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a

wife? Do not seek a wife.28

But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin

marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would

spare you."

Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord;

Paul now transitions to a discussion on singlesvirgins who had not experienced sex. The Lord

did not discuss this topic while on earth so Paul had no direct revelation from the Lord in His

days on earth. God revealed the New Testament progressively and thus did not reveal everything

up front.

yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy.

God trusted Paul with singleness and gave him mercy to live as a single person and write the

Word of God about singleness. The Lord has confidence (trustworthy) in Paul to write on this

subject as an author of the New Testament.

26I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distressthat it is good for a

man to remain as he is:

Singleness is better than marriage when Christians faceduress. There was an attack on

Christianity at the time of the writing of First Corinthians. Many Christians had been martyred,

imprisoned, and even killed. Nero began his sadistic persecution of Christians ten years after

First Corinthians was written. Persecution is more difficult for married people than single people.

27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not

seek a wife.

Although it is better to be single under duress, it does not justify divorce, because marriage is a

life commitment. However, if a person is single during duress then it is better to remain single.

Stability is the name of the game in times of upheaval.

28But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not

sinned.

Paul further qualifies the issue of singleness in times of duress that it is not wrong to marry if

they must. The issue is one ofexpediency and not of sin.

Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.


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Paul warns about the reality of marriage if singles marry in times of pressure; it will not make

things easier because marriage brings trouble in the flesh under duress. People will have to

make marital adjustments in times of trouble.

The phrase but I spare you shows Paulsconcern about singles marrying under a time of

duress; he wanted to spare them from difficulties of marriage. There are marital adjustmentissues, children to consider, and the possibility of losing a job in times of pressure.

PRINCIPLE: It is not good to marry in times of distress.

APPLICATION: It is not a good time to change ships when high seas rage. As a general

principle, it is better to keep the status quo than to make a change when in trouble. This is

especially true for a new marriage.

There are people in every congregation that feel it is their calling to play match-maker. It is not

abnormal for people to remain single as Christians. It is important to take ones time moving

towards the altar. There are definite advantages to being single. The grass always looks greener

on the other side the fence.

I believe in I Corinthians 7:25-28 Paul is addressing a specific

question from the church in Corinth - a question that is just as

relevant today as it was then. Is it better to marry or remain single?

Paul answers this question with an honest answer - it is better to

remain single and fully devoted to God than to marry and be devoted

to both a spouse and God. However, there is no sin in marrying. I

think today, so many churches look down on people who choose to

remain single. They automatically try to start match-making.

However, I do agree with Paul that there are so many more worries

that a married person has that a single person may not. And, all too

often, it is difficult for a married person (especially with children) to

follow God's call upon their lives. I found this to be the case with my

college. I began college classes prior to marriage and children.

However, I had to stop after the birth of my first son. I just could not

keep up. Now I am back in college and loving it! Now, this does notmean that I feel as though I should not have married and had

children. I know that marriage and children were also a part of God's

call upon my life. I believe this conflict is exactly what Paul is

addressing - neither is wrong; but, if possible, it is better to remain

single.


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1. Singles are better able to cope with troubles (7:25-28). Inthese first four verses, Paul

suggests that being single isnt nearly as bad as some think. Rather, in the midst of a difficult

period of time, Paul recommends that engaged couples consider remaining single. Paul unpacks

his topic sentence. Now concerning virgins [engaged women]2I have no command of the

Lord, but I give an opinion3as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.

4The

phrase Now concerning harkens back to 7:1 where Paul begins answering the Corinthians

questions. In this section, he is focusing on those who are engaged to be married. Paul makes it

clear that he is giving an opinion on the matter of singleness. He even brackets off his remarks

by reminding his readers again in 7:40 that he is expressing his opinion. This should caution us

not to mandate what Paul has graciously and humbly suggested.

In 7:26-28, Paul now launches into the first advantage of singleness: I think then that this is

good in view of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is. Are you

bound [betrothed] to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do

not seek a wife. But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not

sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.It seems clear

that Paul was not providing advice to be used in all situations, but one that was applicable during

that particular period of time. In these three verses, Paul recommends singleness in light of

challenging circumstances in Corinth. In 7:26 he speaks of the present distress while in 7:28 he

refers to trouble in this life. Most likely, the phrase the present distress is a reference to a

famine.5Corinth and much of the rest of the Roman world was suffering from famines. This is

corroborated by secular history, and by the fact that in 1 Cor 16:1-4 Paul was taking up the

famine relief collection for Jerusalem.6These were challenging days, particularly for married

couples.

But, you might ask, How does this apply to me? I am not in the midst of a famine. I can

appreciate this. However, there are many other situations that might qualify as a present

distress. Temptation, stress, financial difficulty, busyness, materialism, even peer pressure to

marry or not to marry, are all modern stresses that could render Pauls opinions here every bit as

practical today as when they were first offered. Paul is not against marriage. Far from it! He is

pro-marriage; however, he recognizes that marriage is not for the faint of heart.

Nevertheless, single-minded singleness has its advantages.

The second crisis is described in 7:28 by the phrase trouble in this life.7These troubles are not

specified, but may refer to Pauls conviction that Christians are called to suffer and will likely

have more trials than others.8The word trouble or tribulation means pressed together under

pressure, which is an interesting description of the marriage relationship. You have two people

who are pressed together in the closest possible way: physically, mentally, emotionally, and

spiritually. They are two very distinct individuals with different personalities, different

temperaments, different wills, different histories, different struggles and difficulties that they

have brought as baggage into the relationship. And even believers in Jesus Christ are still subject

to the limitations and weaknesses of the flesh. So you have two angry, selfish, dishonest, proud,
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forgetful, thoughtless people. And thats true even in the best marriages. Its hard enough for a

sinner to live alone with himself, let alone with another sinner. You put those two separate

constellations of problems together when two people are bound together in marriage, and the

problems of sinful human nature are multiplied.

Again, Paul makes it clear that marriage is a legitimate option for single people, but he wants tospare us unnecessary grief. Hence, it is good to thoughtfully consider the option of

singleness. Single-minded singleness has its advantages. So

Dont think that marriage will make you happy.

Dont think that marriage will solve your problems.

Dont think that marriage will bring you closer to God.

Dont think that marriage will make you a better person.

Dont think that marriage will fulfill your dreams.

It wont because it cant.

Marriage is good and noble and holy and honorable (Heb 13:4), but its not the be all and end all

of life. If you are miserable being single, how can you be sure youll suddenly be happy being

married? The happiest married people are generally those who were also happy while being

single. Changing your marital status doesnt guarantee a change in your happiness or your

contentment or your satisfaction with life. Discontented singles arent usually the best candidates

for a happy marriage.9
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Applying This Principle to the Unmarried