Two Are Better Than One

(From: 1 CORINTHIANS #8 - 7:25-40)

F. 7:25-40 ADVANTAGES OF SINGLE LIFE, VIRGINITY AND WIDOWHOOD

1. 7:25-35 ADVANTAGES OF A SINGLE LIFE

a. 7:25 PAUL WRITES CONCERNING VIRGINS

PeRI de ton parTHEnon [3933] e-pi-taGEN [2063] KuRIou ouk Echo:

Now concerning the virgins I have no commandment of the Lord:

GNOmen [1106] de DIdo-mi, hos e-le-eMEnos [1653] huPO KuRIou, pisTOS [4103] EInai.

but I give judgment, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord, to be faithful.

b. 7:26 RECOMMENDATION: THAT A MAN MAINTAIN HIS STATE

NoMIzo [3543] oun TOUto kaLON huPARchein diA ten e-neSTOsan [1764] aNAGken [318]:

I think therefore that this is good because of the distress :upon us:

HOti kaLON anTHROpo to HOUtos EInai.

that it is good for a man to be as he is.

c. 7:27a Are you bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed.

DEde-sai [1210]gu-naiKI [1135]? meZEtei [2212]LUsin [3080].

d. 7:27b Are you loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

LElu-sai [3089]aPO gu-naiKOS? meZEtei guNAIka.

e. 7:28a But should you marry, you have not sinned; and if the virgin marry, she has not sinned.

eAN de kai gaMEses [1060], ouch HEmar-tes [264]; kai eAN GEmeheparTHEnos, ouch HEmar-ten.

f. 7:28b Yet such shall have tribulation in the flesh: and I am sparing you.

THLIpsin [2347]de tesarKI [4561]Exou-sin hoi toiOUtoi: eGOde huMON PHEIdo-mai [5339].

g. 7:29-31 PROPER GENERAL ATTITUDE IN TROUBLOUS TIMES

Touto DE phe-mi, a-delPHOI, ho kaiROS [2540]su-nes-talMEnos [4958]esTIN,

But this I say, brethren, the season is shortened,

to loiPON HIna kai hoi EchonTES guNAIkas hos meEchon-tes Osin;

that henceforth both those having wives maybe as though not having;

kai hoi KLAIon-tes [2799], hos meKLAIon-tes; kai hoi CHAIron-tes, hos meCHAIron-tes;

30and the weeping, as though not weeping; and the rejoicing, as though not rejoicing;

kai hoi a-goRAzon-tes [59], hos mekaTEchon-tes [2722];

and the buying, as though not possessing;

kai hoi CHROme-noi [5530]ton KOSmon, hos meka-taCHROme-noi [2710]:

31and those using the world, as not using it to the full:

paRAgei [3855]gar to SCHEma [4975]tou KOSmou TOUtou.

for the fashion of this :world passes away.

h. 7:32a But I would have you to be free from cares.

THElode huMAS a-meRIMnous [275]EInai.

i. 7:32b-33 CONTRAST BETWEEN UNMARRIED AND MARRIED MEN

ho Aga-mos [22]me-rimNA [3308]ta tou KuRIou, pos aREse[700]toKuRIo:

The unmarried cares for the thingsof the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

ho de gaMEsas [1060]me-rimNA ta tou KOSmou, pos aREsetegu-naiKI, kai meMEris-tai [3307].

33but the married cares for the thingsof the world, how he may please the wife, and is divided.

j. 7:34 CONTRAST BETWEEN UNMARRIED AND MARRIED WOMEN

kai heguNEheAga-mos kai heparTHEnos me-rimNA ta tou KuRIou,

Also the unmarried :woman and the virgin cares for the thingsof the Lord,

HIna ehaGIa [40]kai toSOma-ti [4983]kai toPNEUma-ti [4151]:

that she be holy both in :body and in :spirit:

hede gaMEsa-sa [1060]me-rimNA ta tou KOSmou, pos aREsetoanDRI.

but the married cares for the thingsof the world, how she may please the husband.

k. 7:35 HE THAT IS ABLE TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR

TOUto de pros to huMON auTON SUMpho-ron [4851]LEgo;

And this I say for your own :profit;

ouch HIna BROchon [1029]huMIN e-piBAlo[1911], alLA pros to EUsche-mon [2158],

not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for what :is fitting,

kai euPAre-dron [2145]toKuRIoa-pe-risPAstos [563].

and attentive toward the Lord without distraction.

2. 7:36-38 THE ADVANTAGES OF REMAINING A VIRGIN

a. 7:36 A CONCESSION ON BEHALF OF VIRGINS

Ei de tis as-che-moNEIN[807]ePI ten parTHEnon auTOU noMIzei [3543],

But if any thinks he behaves improperly toward his :virgin,

eAN ehuPErak-mos [5230], kai HOUtos oPHEIlei [3784]GInes-thai,

if she be past the flower of age, and if need so requires,

ho THElei poiEIto; ouch ha-marTAnei; gaMEItosan [1060].

let him do what he will; he sins not; let them marry.

b. 7:37 THE BETTER PART CONCERNING A VIRGIN

hos de HESte-ken [2476]en tekarDIa auTOU heDRAIos [1476], meEchon aNAGken [318],

But who stands stedfast in his :heart, having no necessity,

e-xouSIan [1849]de Echei peRI tou iDIou theLEma-tos [2307], kai TOUto KEkri-ken [2919]en teiDIa karDIa,

but has power as touching hisown :will, and has decided this in his own :heart,

teREIN [5083]ten he-auTOU parTHEnon, kaLOS poiEsei.

to keep his own :virgin, he shall do well.

c. 7:38 THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE TWO POSSIBILITIES

HOSte kai ho gaMIzon [1547]ten parTHEnon he-auTOU kaLOS poiEI;

So then both who gives his own :virgin in marriage does well;

kai ho megaMIzon KREISson [2908]poiEsei.

and who gives not in marriage shall do better.

3. 7:39-40 ADVANTAGES OF MAINTAINING WIDOWHOOD

a. 7:39 THE LAW FOR WIDOWS

GuNEDEde-tai [1210]eph' HOson CHROnon ze[2198]ho aNER auTES; eAN de koi-meTHE[2537]ho aNER,

A wife is bound for so long time as the husband lives; but if the husband be fallen asleep,

e-leuTHEra [1658]esTIN hoTHElei ga-meTHEnai; MOnon in KuRIo.

she is free to be married to whom she will; only in theLord.

b. 7:40 THE HIGHER LAW FOR WIDOWS

ma-ka-ri-oTEra [3107]DE es-tin eAN HOUtos MEIne[3306],

But she is more blessed if she abide as sheis,

kaTA ten eMEN GNOmen [1106]: doKO[1380]de ka' 'GOPNEUma TheOU Echein.

after my :judgment: and I think that I also have God's Spirit.

NOTE: Some years ago two of our grandsons were in Bible Quiz. That year they were required to memorize the entire book of 1 Corinthians, and enter county, state and national contests. One of our 7 grandchildren progressed to the national level a number of times.

But 1 Corinthians 7 for young teen-agers poses a number of challenges: for contestants are not only required to memorize all such, but must also understand what they have memorized! On one occasion my wife (their grandmother) and their mother were in the front seat of a car, and the two boys were in the back seat trying to figure out and understand what Paul was talking about in 7:36, when he refers to his virgin, if she be past the “flower of age.” It was a little difficult for mother and grandma up front to keep sober and not let on that they had overheard.

One of the many nice things about God is that He remembers our frame, that we are but dust, and speaks by His Spirit through His writers on our level; and also that God and His Bible writers have no false modesty. Some readers have been troubled about the “Song of Solomon” and its frankness concerning the physical aspects of love. Solomon wrote this book when he was yet young as kingly successor to his father David. Proverbs he wrote, guided by the Spirit, in mid-age for a son; and Ecclesiastes, in old age after he had “blown it” by disobeying God and marrying a multitude of heathen wives.

In all other 13 letters God led and inspired Paul to write, Paul wrote by command. It is not Paul, but the Lord commanding (1Corinthians 14:37). The one chapter of exception is 1 Corinthians 7: - partly given by the Lord, partly by Paul by the Lord's permission. I have no doubt of the great wisdom of God in permitting this exception.

Paul here is answering very practical questions on marriage, directed to him by the Corinthian believers. In their former unsaved state, they had been exceedingly sinful and promiscuous in this area. Now as apostle to the Gentiles, Paul with his high rabbinical background, is answering their questions with a clarity and simplicity, that really no other comment is necessary.

Perhaps not even Moses and the other Old Testament writers come up to Paul's level of clarity and simplicity in this area.

May we in the 21^stCentury Church of Jew and Gentile, the “One New Man” mystery of the book of Ephesians, walk in God's wisdom given here through His servant and apostle Paul. - J.A.W.