Free Bible Commentary
“1 Corinthians 7:25-31”
Categories: 1 Corinthians“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. 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 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. But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.”
---End of Scripture verses---
The Apostle Paul is still suggesting that the Christians in Corinth “grow where they have been planted,” but in today’s verses he explains why this is an important thing to do. He begins by addressing the subject of “virgins”. Jesus did not directly address this issue in His earthly ministry, but Paul is still writing under inspiration, and His “opinion” in the Lord is completely trustworthy (verse 25).
“In view of the present distress,” Paul recommended that “it is good for a man to remain as he is” (verse 26). Once again, I am not certain exactly what the distressful condition was that plagued the brethren in Corinth, but it was likely a matter of persecution because of their faith in Christ. Paul suggested that it would be better for virgin daughters to remain in the state that they were in and not marry. It was not a sinful thing for them to get married, but Paul was trying to spare them as much “trouble in this life” as he could with his advice (verse 28).
He actually suggested that ALL people remain as they were. “Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife” (verse 27). To seek to be released from a wife or husband that you are bound to would be sinful, so that is never a good thing to do (verse 10-16). But it is not sinful to marry if you have been “released” from a spouse (verse 28). Marriage is a good blessing given by the Lord and it is necessary for some (most?) in order to avoid sexual immorality (verse 2). But, under their current living conditions, a blessing could actually turn in to a source of “trouble”.
By the way, I do not believe that verse 27 authorizes a person to remarry if their unbelieving spouse has left them (verse 15). The “bondage” of verse 15 is not the same as the being “bound” of verse 27. When Paul wrote that Christians are “not under bondage” to their unbelieving spouses who insist upon leaving them, he was saying that they were not their “slaves”. In verse 27, he uses a different word to refer to the “bonds” of marriage. There are only two things, according to Scripture, that can “release” a person from that most intimate union—death (verse 39) and sexual infidelity (Matthew 19:9).
“The time has been shortened” (verse 29). The word for “time” here is the Greek word “kairos” which means a fixed time period, and not “chronos” which means an indefinite period of time. He is saying this in reference to the “present distress” and that it won’t last forever. But for the duration of that troubling time period, things would sort of be turned upside down. To be married would be like not being married (verse 29). To weep and rejoice and buy and sell would be way down on the list of priorities (verse 30). For the faithful Christians of that time, it was going to take all the focus and attention that they could muster just to keep their faith strong in the Lord.
“The form of this world is passing away” (verse 31). “Form” is the Greek word “schema” and it refers to the “outward appearance” and, once again, was written in light of the “present distress”. This world is ever-changing and the brethren in Corinth were going through a period where everything could be lost in just a moment’s time, and Paul wanted them to be “free from concern” (verse 32). He didn’t want them to get all caught up in temporary things because he wanted nothing to interfere with their eternal salvation that depended entirely upon their allegiance to Christ.
When you think about it, the same is really true for us today. Time is short and the world itself is passing away, and not merely its current “form” of distressing ungodliness. No matter how well things might be going in our earthly lives right now, they won’t last for long. On a brighter note, no matter how poorly things might be going for you, it is all only temporary as well. The most important thing is to stay focused on and devoted to the One who holds the whole world and all eternity in His hand. Nothing but NOTHING in this wicked, cursed, fleeting world is worth losing heaven over!!!
Please read 1 Corinthians 7:32-40 for tomorrow.
Have a great day!
- Louie Taylor
