Single And Blessed Series

Paul has been addressing issues regarding marriage and divorce. Today he ends the chapter with the last question about marriage – what about singlehood?

• Is it good to remain unmarried? Is staying single alright?

1 Cor 7:25-40 ESV

25Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. 27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that.

29This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

32I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. 35I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

36If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. 37But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. 38So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

39A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 40Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

Being single can be God’s blessing for some. Paul has already mentioned briefly in 7:6-9 that it is a gift of God.

• 6Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. 7I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 8To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am.

• 9But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Paul elaborates further now in responding to a direct question about staying unmarried.

• In the next few paragraphs, he gives his reasons why singleness can be good.

• 7:26-28 he said “in view of the present distress” (26) and that he would like to spare them from “worldly troubles” in life (28) - THE PRESENT DISTRESS.

• 7:29-31 he said “the appointed time has grown very short” and ends with “for the present form of this world is passing away” – THE PASSING WORLD.

• 7:32-35 he said, “I want you to be free from anxieties” (32) and ends with “to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord” (35) – THE PRESSURES OF LIFE.

1. THE PRESENT DISTRESS

26I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. 27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles [NIV face many troubles in this life], and I would spare you that.

We do not know exactly what distressful situation Paul was referring to.

• It could be some economic hardship the Corinthians were facing, or the difficulties they were facing as Christians in a paganistic environment in Corinth. It could also be the persecutions of Christians in general.