The fifth problem in this Epistle — the matter of marriage — is dealt with here. It is treated according to the principles established in the preceding section (1 Cor. 6:12-20).

Lit., fornications.

Lit., have leisure for, be free for; hence, give oneself to. Prayer requires us to be free from persons, matters, and things. The prayer that requires staying away from the spouse for a time must be special and of great importance.

The tempter, Satan, is crouching to capture the believers.

The same Greek word is translated self-indulgence in Matt. 23:25.

Since the apostle Paul was absolute for the Lord and His economy, he wished that all men would be like him. He desired that they not marry but remain as he was (v. 8) so that they also might be absolute for the Lord's interests without any distraction (vv. 33-34a). In this wish he expressed the Lord's aspiration concerning His called ones.

For a believer in Christ to be able not to marry is a gift from God (Matt. 19:10-12). For those who have not received such a gift, it is better to marry (v. 9).

This was the apostle’s wish and opinion in his earlier ministry (vv. 7, 25, 40). Later, after witnessing the actual outcome, he charged young widows to marry (1 Tim. 5:11-15 and note 1 Tim. 5:14¹).

Or, continency. The same Greek word is used in 1 Cor. 9:25 regarding athletes' abstaining from sensual indulgences during preparation for the games.

The Old Testament principle of speaking for God (prophesying) is, "Thus saith the Lord" (Isa. 10:24; 50:1; Jer. 2:2; Ezek. 2:4). But the New Testament principle is, "I [the speaker] charge." The speaker and the Lord are one. Hence, Paul also said, "Not I but the Lord." The Greek word for charge may be translated enjoin or command.

This indicates two things:
1) that the apostle was one with the Lord; hence, what he commanded, the Lord commanded;
2) that his commands were the Lord's. The Lord had commanded in Matt. 5:31-32 and Matt. 19:3-9 what the apostle commanded here. Divorce is altogether not allowed by the Lord.

Whether separated or divorced, one should not remarry but should expect reconciliation and wait for it.

Again, this is based on the New Testament principle of incarnation. Although he followed to say, "I, not the Lord," whatever the apostle said in the succeeding verses is part of the divine revelation of the New Testament. It was his opinion in the Lord, not the Lord's commandment, yet it still expressed the Lord's mind.

To be sanctified is to be made holy, separated unto God for His purpose. As the believing wife is of the Lord and for the Lord, so her unbelieving husband is made holy, sanctified, separated unto God, because he is for his wife, who is of and for God. It is similar to the situation in which the temple and the altar make the common things holy when the latter are attached to them (Matt. 23:17, 19). The same principle applies to the unbelieving wife and the children. For the unbeliever to be sanctified in this way does not mean that he is saved, just as the sanctification of food through the saints' prayer has nothing to do with salvation (1 Tim. 4:5). A saved person is a sanctified person, a saint. Anyone who is attached to him and is for him is made holy because of him.

Not under bondage but freed from his or her marriage to an unbeliever, when the unbeliever leaves the believer.

God in His salvation has called us to Him in the sphere and element of peace. Hence, we should live in this peace. If the unbelieving party in our marriage desires to leave, we should allow it. But that we may live in the peace in which God has called us, God does not want us to initiate any separation as long as the other party consents to remain (v. 13). The succeeding verses (through v. 24) are based on this: that God has called us in peace.

For indicates that vv. 16-24 are an explanation of the preceding word, that is, that God has called us in peace. To remain in this peace we must keep the word in vv. 16-24.

Since we do not know whether we will save our unbelieving husband or wife, we should not insist that he or she remain with us or that he or she leave. God wants us to remain in the status in which He called us (vv. 20, 24), not to initiate any change. Therefore, we should leave the entire matter to the unbelieving party.

This word strongly charges us to remain in the status of marriage in which God called us (vv. 20, 24).

This is to efface the mark of circumcision so that the body may be restored to its original condition.

Both circumcision and uncircumcision are outward matters and do not count in reality; only the keeping of God's commandments is what counts (Gal. 5:6; 6:15; Rom. 2:25-29).

Or, do not care for it, let it not trouble you. Since the believers have the Lord as the sufficient grace (2 Cor. 12:9), they should not be troubled by anything.

But here conjoins Let it not concern you and use your status as a slave rather. It means that a slave who has been called by the Lord should not care for or be troubled by his slavery, but rather should use this status, that is, remain in this status with God (v. 24) for God's glory. Even if he is able to become free, he should remain in his status as a slave. This corresponds with the basic concept of the apostle's instruction, as explicitly expressed in vv. 20, 24. However, this part of the verse may be rendered as follows: "but, even if you are able to become free, take advantage of it rather." The apostle's point in this passage is that the believers should not be influenced by their outward status. Either to remain in slavery or to have freedom is all right, as long as it is with God.

The Lord's calling does not change the outward status of His believers, but it does change their inward reality: one who is a slave outwardly is changed to a freedman inwardly, and one who is a free man outwardly is changed to a slave inwardly.

See note 1 Cor. 6:20^1b.

Believers inwardly should be slaves only of Christ; they should not become slaves of men.

After being called, the believers do not need to change their outward status, but they do need to have a change in their inward condition, that is, from being without God to being with God, in order to be one with God and have God with them in their status, whatever it may be.

A wife should not be separated from her husband. This, the apostle said, is the Lord's commandment (v. 10). Concerning virgins' not marrying, he said that he had no commandment of the Lord, but he gave his opinion in the succeeding verses. He dared to do this because he had been shown mercy by the Lord to be faithful to the Lord's interests, and he was truly one with the Lord. His opinion expressed the Lord's desire. This again is based on the New Testament principle of incarnation.

The Greek word for present may mean also that the presence of a certain thing foreshadows and inaugurates something to come. Here the present necessity, or distress, indicates that more anguish is to come, as prophesied by the Lord in Matt. 24:8, 19, 21.

Or, pressure, constraint; hence, distress, anguish. The word refers to the necessities of life in the present age, the demand of which constrains and presses people and becomes a distress and anguish to them. See note 2 Cor. 12:10^3b.

The concept that at Paul's time the time was shortened was due to the fact that the long period between the latter part of the first century and Christ's second coming was not revealed to the earlier apostles (Matt. 24:36). They expected the Lord to return in their generation.

Lit., divided. A man who would please his wife is distracted, divided, from the things of the Lord (v. 35).

I.e., entangle you with a snare, constrain you to obey my word.

Lit., not having necessity.

Or, judged.

See note Cor. 7:8*1a.

In v. 10 the apostle said, "I charge, not I but the Lord." In v. 12 he said, "I say, I, not the Lord." In v. 25 he said, "I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give my opinion." Here he says, "according to my opinion; but I think that I also have the Spirit of God." All these words indicate the New Testament principle of incarnation (that is, that God and man, man and God, become one). This differs drastically from the principle of Old Testament prophecy (that is, that man speaks for God). In the Old Testament the word of Jehovah came upon a prophet (Jer. 1:2; Ezek. 1:3), the prophet being simply the mouthpiece of God. But in the New Testament the Lord becomes one with His apostles, and they become one with Him; thus, the two speak together. His word becomes their word, and whatever they utter is His word. Hence, the apostle's charge was the Lord's charge (v. 10). What he said, though it was not spoken by the Lord, still became part of the divine revelation in the New Testament (v. 12). He was one with the Lord to such a degree that even when he gave his own opinion, not the commandment of the Lord (v. 25), he thought that he also had the Spirit of God. He did not claim definitely to have the Spirit of God, but he thought that he also had the Spirit of God. This is the highest spirituality; it is based on the principle of incarnation.