1 Corinthians 7 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered
A response and reply to the notes on 1 Corinthians 7 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).
King James Version
SAB comment
My comment
1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
- Marrying is good.
- Not marrying is good.
- Marrying is good.
- Marrying is not good.
Now to the particulars: probably a question was put to the apostle regarding marriage. And perhaps some claimed that you had to marry. That marrying was wrong for some reason. The apostle Paul answers to that that if you had a desire to remain unmarried to devote yourself more wholly to the Lord, that this was not wrong and in fact a good thing.
Looking Unto Jesus has more observations on this subject.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
Really? So this stuff is in scripture but is not inspired by God?
Was all scripture inspired by God?
13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
"If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away."
Is it OK to marry unbelievers?
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
Is divorce ever permissible?
16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
Paul says those who are circumcised should "not become uncircumcised." (It's pretty hard to undo.)
And John Gill continues:as some did in the times of Antiochus, for fear of him, and to curry favor with him, who, it is said, 1 Maccab. 1:15, “made themselves uncircumcised, and forsook the holy covenant”; and so did Menelaus, and the sons of Tobias, as Josephus reports; and there were many, in the days of Ben Cozba, who became uncircumcised by force.
The apostle's sense is, that such as had been circumcised, and had now embraced the faith of Christ, had no reason to be uneasy, or take any methods to remove this mark from their flesh, because it was abolished by Christ, and now of no significance; since as it did them no good, it did them no hurt:
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
Does God approve of slavery?
The issue in this verse is not approval of slavery. Clearly freedom is preferred as the apostle Paul says. And every human is free in Christ, there is no distinction. But what if you happen to be a slave? Should the apostle Paul have suggested they rebel? Be killed? But as said the concern of these slaves wasn't not slavery in the first place, but their position in Christ.
22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.
23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.
25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
So this is just Paul's opinion and is not divinely inspired scripture?
Was all scripture inspired by God?
26 I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.
27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
Those who are unmarried should never marry.
What the Bible says about marriage
We can perhaps also take the words of the apostle in the sense that those who had the gift of celibacy should not seek a wife, and those who didn't, should seek a wife. See also John Calvin on these verses.
28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
Paul, like Jesus and the other New Testament writers, expects the end to come soon. "The time is short." So there's no time for sex and marriage since the world will be ending soon.
What the Bible says about the end of the world and marriage
30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
36 But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.
37 Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.
38 So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.
39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
40 But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.
Paul recommends that all men and woman would abstain from sex. But those who can't control themselves should get married, for "it is better to marry than to burn."
Is marriage a good thing?
What the Bible says about marriage