LESSON 11
(7:17-40)

MARRIED OR SINGLE

17 Only, let every one lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him, and in which God has called him.  This is my rule in all the churches.  18 Was any one at the time of his call already circumcised?  Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision.  Was any one at the time of his call uncircumcised?  Let him not seek circumcision.  19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.  20 Every one should remain in the state in which he was called.  21 Were you a slave when called?  Never mind.  But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.  22 For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord.  Likewise he who was free when called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord.  Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ.  23 You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.  24 So, brethren, in whatever state each was called, there let him remain with God.
25 Now concerning the unmarried, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.  26 I think that in view of the present distress it is well for a person to remain as he is.  27 Are you bound to a wife?  Do not seek to be free.  Are you free from a wife?  Do not seek marriage.  28 But if you marry, you do not sin, and if a girl marries she does not sin.  Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that.  29 I mean, brethren, the appointed time has grown very short; from now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and 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, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it.  For the form of this world is passing away.
32 I want you to be free from anxieties.  The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; 33 but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, 34 and his interest are divided.  And the unmarried woman or girl is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please her husband.  35 I 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.
36 If any one 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.  37 But 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.  38 So that he who marries his betrothed does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better.
39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives.  If the husband dies, she is free to be married to who she wishes, only in the Lord.  40 But in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is.  And I think that I have the Spirit of God.

God ordained marriage, and created that desire within man.  He was wise enough to foresee that all would not marry and make provision for that state in life.  While also knowing that separation and/or divorce (considered two different things in the paragraph) would happen, He did not speak to those points to any great extent.
Having discussed in 7:1-16 part of the question addressed to him, the remnant of the chapter was given over to related aspects of marriage that were problems to the church.  Some of the “advice” is also profitable to us in our present circumstance.  As with the opening section, we must attempt to analyze the answers to ascertain the questions, which is not an easy task.
In the section 7:17-24, the major question seems to relate to Christianity and life in general, including marriage presumably.  One of the ideas that seems to stand out is that one can be a Christian in many “walks” of life, in the sense of occupation or culture status.  Of course, as one thinks about it, Christianity was meant to be for everyone, slave or free, Jew or Greek.  As Paul wrote in Rom. 1:14-15, he was in debt to everyone.  Now it is obvious that some habits of life must go when Jesus becomes Master (as in 6:9-11), but Christianity was designed by God in such a way that everyone could be “evangelized” if the opportunity arose, and life pretty much go on as before; especially social status and most vocations.  Some of these will be discussed below.
7:17 – There is liberty in Christianity, as can be seen in the following verses.   The N.T. epistles portray people in many types of vocations and life-styles.  The common ground was faith in Jesus.  Christianity was meant to be lived in the home, the market place, the job, wherever; and to glorify the ordinary in the sense that whatever was aid or done was to be for Christ, Col. 3:23, and to glorify God.
My rule – As pointed out earlier on 3:17; God directed the apostles (and Paul) in the same ways everywhere.  Their message was characterized by consistency and truth in each place they served.
V. 18 – As many texts (all of Romans and Galatians and Eph. 2) show, racial distinctions were gone in Christ.  The expression of Peter in Acts 10:34-35 sums it up: that in every nation the person who fears God and works righteousness is acceptable to God.
V. 19 – The commandments of God – This states the crux of the Christian life.  Love for God will be expressed in keeping God’s commands, Jn. 13:34; I Jn. 5:2; II Jn. v. 6.  Correspondingly, faith naturally expresses itself in obedience.  Paul put them together in Gal. 5:6: faith working through love.
In our context, the directives that are laid down are commands of God.  Since we serve in the new covenant and under a different priesthood, II Cor. 3; Heb. 7-10, we must learn what God has commanded, letting faith and love lead the way.
V. 20 – Consideration of the rest of the letter and others in the N.T. meant some life-styles would have to change.  However, a great blessing about Christianity was its inherent design to include all who would come; no one was excluded.  To be like Christ was the purpose in living, which might cause some to repent of sinful practices while remaining in their own niche in life.
V. 21 – As in v. 19, Jew or Greek was an irrelevant issue; slavery or freedom was too, at least slavery in the sense of being a slave to another earthly master.  When historians estimate that perhaps up to one third of all the people in the Roman world were slaves, it can be readily appreciated how important this instruction was.  The case of Philemon and Onesimus is a good study on this point.  Several texts in the N.T. such as Eph. 6:5; Col 3:22; Titus 2:9-10 help us see that many Christians needed guidance on this point.  While Paul encourages them to become free if possible, yet Christ could be served acceptably in slavery (which is something to carefully consider when we make attempts to set forth what is pleasing to God in the way of church attendance, good works, etc.)
V. 22 – Every Christian, though ransomed from sin can be free in Christ, is yet bot slave and free in respect to Christ.  Whatever pleases Christ should be our desire, for we are slave of His by our free choice, serving in faith and love.
V. 23 – Amplifying the previous verse, and repeating 6:20, the consuming passion for those in Jesus is to do His will.  In so doing, while we may be required to do as the employer and/or Master may dictate, yet the service rendered is to be done as if to Christ.  Hence, keeping this in mind will help direct our devotion to Christ and keep it from being given to men.  This would be true even to family ties, as MT. 10:34-38 teaches.
V. 24 – The summation of the discussion about the question they had asked Paul.  He gave several illustrations to aid them in their own varied places in life, trying to shed light upon the application of the principle involved.
Turning now to another specific question, Paul discussed the advisability of marriage under a set of circumstances that evidently were not the best.  The text does not indicate what situation was creating such a problem.  Since marriage was otherwise good and not to be forbidden because God ordained it, something unusual at that particular time must have been thought not conducive to getting married.  On a more general plane, anyone who was seriously considering service such as Paul in his single state was giving to God might have been questioning the wisdom of marriage, which is the thrust of vv. 32-35.
V. 25 – Picking up the unmarried person again, Paul writes on a different plane than in v. 1.  It is all right to remain unmarried if possible and desirable.  Check ch. 9:1-5.  However, the text before us bring into view a person who has the option to marry.  Since it isn’t a matter with which Jesus dealt, nor is it of such nature that a command is necessary, Paul offers his own “advice.” (However, see v. 40) Those concerned could weigh what was said and proceed as they wished. 
V. 26 – Impending distress – History doesn’t afford us any light upon what this was.  It may have been an economic problem or a political problem.
V. 27 – This verse and v. 28 contain Paul’s considered judgment.  Naturally, marriages were not to be broken, but perhaps the single status was just as wise at that time, depending upon the individual circumstances.  Some might decide to remain single, other to marry, vv. 36-38.  Either was right.
V. 28 – Worldly troubles – From thlib_, which has the idea of pressure of an intense variety.  Note such verses as Mt. 7:14; 24:9, 21; Acts 11:19; Rom. 12:12; II Cor. 1:6; 2:4; 4:17; 7:5; Phil. 1:17; Col. 1:24; I Tim. 5:10; Heb. 11:37; Jam. 1:27; Rev. 1:9, 22.  Their best interests were  at the center of Paul’s concerns.
V. 29-31 – The situation seemed to be one that was demanding enough that they live as if life in the normal sense was to be largely ignored.  He had some reason to impress upon them that life was more than food or clothing, that interests must rise above the ordinary concerns.  No change or marital status or cultural situation is advised; just a different viewpoint was to be held.
In reviewing the letter thus far, it may be that the various problems in the congregation made up part of the present distressful state of affairs.
V. 32 – Anxieties – If the unmarried person had the ability to remain single, v. 7, and no compulsive need to marry, vv. 36-38, then some unnecessary anxieties could be avoided if so chosen.
The word anxiety appears five times in these few verses.  It is from merimna_, which can be checked in Mt. 6:25, 27, 31, 34; 10:19; 13:22; Lk. 8:14; 10:41; 12:11, 22, 25; 21:34; I Cor. 12:25; II Cor. 11:28; Phil. 2:20; 4:6; I Pet. 5:7.  As can be seen, it is like several other words in that it can be good or bad.  The state of mind about the object of concern is the deciding factor.  Lack of trust in God will create a needless concern; but a godly mind-set will cause a response for good.
In our text, Paul’s advice was to the effect that some anxiety might be avoided by being single.  It is evident from the whole chapter that no “black and white” situation existed; it was up to each person to choose the best course possible.
V. 34 – Worldly affairs – Both husband/wife have to be concerned for each other (as in vv. 2-6) and for their children which is good and right.  These are both natural to man and expected by God.  No Scripture can be shown to argue otherwise.  In this particular set of circumstances, however, the loving concern for each other within a family would be a burden that some might not wish to carry, which is the reason Paul wrote as he did: it was for the good (benefit) of the as yet unmarried.
Everything they did was good, to marry or not to marry, but total service to the Lord at that point in time was more possible for the unmarried, other things being equal.
V. 36-38 – These verses wrap up the discussion which began at v. 25.  If having considered all the factors involved, marriage was chosen then Paul simply states that the wedding should take place.
While the unmarried woman was primarily in view in 7:25ff., we assume the same principle applies equally to male or female.
As is fairly clear from translations and commentaries, there are several problems involved with 7:36-38.  Some take the text to be speaking about a father/daughter situation (K.J.V.; American Standard of 1901; N.A.S.B.) while R.S.V. takes it to mean the young man and his fiancé.  N.I.V. shows, and correctly, that the Greek text is unclear and either translation may b legitimate.  It is well to remember that most cultures do not proceed with marriage as we do here in America.  Often then and now the parents make the marriage arrangements while the (young) man and (young) woman involved do as their parents decide.
Whatever may be the case, the issue was still the same for all: free choice.
V. 39 – Restating God’s basic design for marriage, with the only possibility of remarriage without sin involved, that of the death of one’s spouse.
In the Lord – Like the text in II Cor. 6:14ff., and the general instructions given the Israelites before they entered the promised land, God desires that believers marry believers.
It may be that 7:12-16 was written with these marriages partially in view.  If already married, then the marriage bond is permanent, even if one is Christian at the time of marriage and the other not; or if one becomes Christian while married but the other doesn’t.  It is God’s ideal that believers be united, but the ideal can not be used in and of itself as a lever to break a union.
V. 40 – The widow (or widower) could serve the Lord well in a single state, and evidently some did, I Tim. 5:3-16.  However, some could not remain single, and so remarriage was best under those circumstances, again considering I Tim. 5, coupled with our text, 7:8-9.
I think – A nice way of stating that what Paul was writing was actually from God.  he evidently didn’t consider all that he wrote in 7:25-40 to be in the form of command, but he seemingly viewed it as coming from God, in accordance with God’s will, and to be treated accordingly.

	LESSON 11 QUESTIONS

1.	Make a simple outline of the chapter, with the questions listed you think Paul tried to answer.

2.	List what things you can from the chapter that would be of advantage to an unmarried Christian.

3.	What part in a marriage might Satan play?

4.	Give the possible alternatives in 7:10-16 for a married person.

5. 	What point (or points) was made in 7:17-24?

6. 	See if you can list at least ten occupations that a Christian should not have (use Jesus as an example:  what would Jesus do/not do).

7. 	Sum up the teaching in respect to the married couple versus the single person in 7:25-38.

8. 	Could a Christian be so “godly” that he/she could be free from all anxiety (care)?

9. 	From I Tim. 5, state the teaching Paul gives about widows.