1 Corinthians 7:25-40

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253.874.4265 -- Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*



   *1 Corinthians 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 t*o*n parTHEn*o*n [3933] e-pi-taG*E*N [2063] KuRIou ouk Ech*o*:

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

GN*O*m*e*n [1106] de DId*o*-mi, h*o*s *e*-le-*e*MEnos [1653] huPO KuRIou,

*but I give judgment, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord,*

pisTOS [4103] EInai.

*to be faithful.*


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

NoMIz*o* [3543] oun TOUto kaLON huPARchein diA t*e*n e-neST*O*san [1764]aNAGk
*e*n [318]:

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

HOti kaLON anTHR*O*p*o* to HOUt*o*s EInai.

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


 *c. 7:27a A CLEAR PRINCIPLE*

DEde-sai [1210] gu-naiKI [1135]? m*e* Z*E*tei [2212] LUsin [3080].

*Are you bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed.*


 *d. 7:27b THE PRINCIPLE APPLIED IN THE OPPOSITE ARES*

LElu-sai [3089] aPO gu-naiKOS? m*e* Z*E*tei guNAIka.

*Are you loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.*


 *e. 7:28a YET NOT A SIN TO MARRY*

eAN de kai gaM*E*s*e*s [1060], ouch H*E*mar-tes [264];

*But should you marry, you have not sinned;*

kai eAN G*E*m*e* h*e* parTHEnos, ouch H*E*mar-ten.

*and if the virgin marry, she has not sinned.*


 *f. 7:28b TRIBULATION IN THE FLESH: THE RESULT OF MARRIAGE*

THLIpsin [2347] de t*e* sarKI [4561] Exou-sin hoi toiOUtoi:

*Yet such shall have tribulation in the flesh:*

eG*O* de huM*O*N PHEIdo-mai [5339].

*and I am sparing you.*


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

Touto de ph*e*-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 h*o*s m*e* Echon-tes *O*sin;

*that henceforth both those having wives may be as though not having;*

kai hoi KLAIon-tes [2799], h*o*s m*e* KLAIon-tes;

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

kai hoi CHAIron-tes, h*o*s m*e* CHAIron-tes;

*and the rejoicing, as though not rejoicing;*

kai hoi a-goRAzon-tes [59], h*o*s m*e* kaTEchon-tes [2722];

*and the buying, as though not possessing;*

kai hoi CHR*O*me-noi [5530] ton KOSmon, h*o*s m*e* ka-taCHR*O*me-noi [2710]:

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

paRAgei [3855] gar to SCH*E*ma [4975] tou KOSmou TOUtou.

*for the fashion of this :world passes away.*


 *h. 7:32a REASON FOR PAUL'S COUNSEL IN THIS AREA*

THEl*o* de huMAS a-meRIMnous [275] EInai.

*But I would have you to be free from cares.*


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

ho Aga-mos [22] me-rimNA [3308] ta tou KuRIou,

*The unmarried cares for the things of the Lord,*

p*o*s aREs*e* [700] t*o* KuRI*o*:

*how he may please the Lord:*

ho de gaM*E*sas [1060] me-rimNA ta tou KOSmou,

*33 but the married cares for the things of the world,*

p*o*s aREs*e* t*e* gu-naiKI, kai meMEris-tai [3307].

*how he may please the wife, and is divided.*


 *j. 7:34 CONTRAST BETWEEN UNMARRIED AND MARRIED WOMEN*

kai h*e* guN*E* h*e* Aga-mos kai h*e* parTHEnos me-rimNA ta tou KuRIou,

*Also the unmarried :woman and the virgin cares for the things of the Lord,*

HIna *e* haGIa [40] kai t*o* S*O*ma-ti [4983] kai t*o* PNEUma-ti [4151]:

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

h*e* de gaM*E*sa-sa [1060] me-rimNA ta tou KOSmou,

*but the married cares for the things of the world,*

p*o*s aREs*e* t*o* anDRI.

*how she may please the husband.*


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

TOUto de pros to huM*O*N auT*O*N SUMpho-ron [4851] LEg*o*;

*And this I say for your own :profit;*

ouch HIna BROchon [1029] huMIN e-piBAl*o* [1911], alLA pros to EUsch*e*-mon
[2158],

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

kai euPAre-dron [2145] t*o* KuRI*o* a-pe-risPAst*o*s [563].

*and assiduous 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-ch*e*-moNEIN[807] ePI t*e*n parTHEnon auTOU noMIzei [3543],

*But if any thinks he behaves unseemly toward his :virgin,*

eAN *e* huPErak-mos [5230], kai HOUt*o*s oPHEIlei [3784] GInes-thai,

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

ho THElei poiEIt*o*; ouch ha-marTAnei; gaMEIt*o*san [1060].

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


 *b. 7:37 THE BETTER PART CONCERNING A VIRGIN*

hos de HESt*e*-ken [2476] en t*e* karDIa auTOU heDRAIos [1476], m*e* Ech*o*n
aNAGk*e*n [318],

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

e-xouSIan [1849] de Echei peRI tou iDIou theL*E*ma-tos [2307],

*but has power as touching his own :will,*

kai TOUto KEkri-ken [2919] en t*e* iDIa karDIa,

*and has decided this in his own :heart,*

t*e*REIN [5083] t*e*n he-auTOU parTHEnon, kaL*O*S poi*E*sei.

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


 *c. 7:38 THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE TWO POSSIBILITIES*

H*O*Ste kai ho gaMIz*o*n [1547] t*e*n parTHEnon he-auTOU kaL*O*S poiEI;

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

kai ho m*e* gaMIz*o*n KREISson [2908] poi*E*sei.

*and who gives not in marriage shall do better.*


 *3. 7:39-40 ADVANTAGES OF MAINTAINING WIDOWHOOD*

*a. 7:39 THE LAW FOR WIDOWS*

GuN*E* DEde-tai [1210] eph' HOson CHROnon [5550] z*e* [2198] ho aN*E*R auT*E
*S;

*A wife is bound for so long time as the husband lives;*

eAN de koi-m*e*TH*E* [2537] ho aN*E*R,

*but if the husband be fallen asleep,*

e-leuTHEra [1658] esTIN h*o* THElei ga-m*e*TH*E*nai; MOnon in KuRI*o*.

*she is free to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.*


 *b. 7:40 THE HIGHER LAW FOR WIDOWS*

ma-ka-ri-*o*TEra [3107] de es-tin eAN HOUt*o*s MEIn*e* [3306],

*But she is more blessed if she abide as she is,*

kaTA t*e*n eM*E*N GN*O*m*e*n [1106]: doK*O* [1380] de ka' 'G*O* PNEUma 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 21st Century 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. - Jim Watt




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