One
Flesh: A Book About Divorce & Remarriage
Chapter 3
The Epistles
Romans 7
Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to
them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion
over a man as long as he lives? For the woman which
hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so
long as he lives; but if the husband be dead, she is
loosed from the law of her husband. So then if,
while her husband lives, she be married to another man,
she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be
dead, she is free from the law; so that she is no
adulteress, though she be married to another man (Rom.
7:1-3). Verses 1-3 relate back to Romans 6:14.
In Romans 6:14 Paul states the believer is not under law
but under grace. Though Paul’s primary concern
is to show the believer’s release from the law, the
illustration he uses sheds light on the permanence of
marriage. The law of marriage binds a woman to her
husband as long as he lives. No exceptions! Only
when her husband dies is she free to remarry. If a
woman marries another man while her husband is alive she
shall be called an adulteress. “Shall be
called” is in the future tense. A good
rendering of this would be “she shall from this time
on, be known as an adulteress”. The widow who
remarries is not an adulteress. When a woman’s
husband dies, she is free from the law of marriage. Paul is neither contradicting nor adding to
the teaching of Christ. He is reaffirming the one
flesh concept of marriage that is expressed throughout
the Bible. Marriage is a permanent kinship bond
that can only be broken by death. This is one of the
clearest passages on the permanence of marriage. Not
surprisingly some have gone out of their way to say Paul
wasn’t teaching about divorce and remarriage at all.
The argument usually given is that Paul was teaching a
widow has the right to remarry. Paul’s main intention is to teach the
believer’s release from the law. He uses what
is known (the permanence of marriage) to illustrate what
he wishes to teach (the believer’s release from the
law). The woman, whose husband has died, is free to
remarry. The woman who remarries while her husband
is alive is an adulteress. Neither is the main
point of the passage. Nevertheless, both are true.
One cannot be chosen without the other. First Corinthians 6
Know ye not that your bodies are
the members of Christ? Shall I then take the
members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot?
God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is
joined to a harlot is one body? for two, says He,
shall become one flesh. But he that is joined unto
the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every
sin that a man doeth is without the body: but he that
commits fornication sins against his own body (1 Cor.
6:15-18). First Corinthians 6 does not speak
concerning marriage, divorce, or remarriage. Nevertheless,
some have attempted to use this text to teach adultery
dissolves or creates a second one flesh bond.
Some even claim the man who commits fornication with a
harlot is married to her. The context of this
passage speaks of the believer’s oneness and union
with Christ. The believer is to flee fornication
because his body is a member of Christ. One significant observation is that the text
does not mention whether the believer is married or not. Porneia
might include adultery but may simply refer to sexual
relations before one is married. Even if it could
be assumed the believer was married, nothing is stated
about the dissolution of marriage by fornication. If
it is believed that fornication dissolves a marriage, it
would be more consistent with the text to say this
fornication could also wed the man to the harlot. Every
time a man committed fornication he would cease to be
married to his current wife and be wed to the harlot. The text states that the man is “one
body” (soma/4983) with the harlot not
“one flesh” (sarka/4561). There is
a difference. The first speaks of being united in an
illegitimate physical relationship with a harlot and no
more. The second speaks of being united in a
legitimate physical, emotional, and possibly even
spiritual relationship with one’s wife. The context
speaks of the believer being united with Christ, not with
his wife. The believer who unites himself to a
harlot is, in a sense, one body with her. Yet
this does not mean he is married to her. True
biblical marriage is more than a sexual act. The
believer who commits fornication mars, but does not end,
the unique relationship he has with Christ. First Corinthians 7 General Outline
In First Corinthians 7 Paul deals with
marriage and issues related to it. Paul addresses
different groups of people and gives guiding principles
and instructions for each situation. Difficulties
arise when people interpret this chapter without first
examining the context and identifying structural markers
and transitions. Chapter 7 has two main divisions.
Paul uses the structural marker “now
concerning” (peri de) to address two
different groups. Verses 1-24 give directions to
married couples and those who were previously married,
i.e... widows, widowers, and divorcees. Verses
25-38 address those who were never previously married,
i.e...virgins and bachelors. Paul gives advice
concerning their betrothal or engagement. 7:1-7 Paul instructs married couples
to fulfill their conjugal duties to one another. 7:8-9 Paul directs widows and the
unmarried (possibly a reference to widowers) concerning
self control. It would be good for them to remain
unmarried, but for those who burn with passion it is
better to marry. 7:10-11 Both the Lord and Paul taught
the permanence of marriage for all people. Believers
in particular are not to divorce. If a divorce
occurs, they are to remain single or be reconciled. 7:12-16 Jesus Christ left no specific
teaching in the gospels for believers who are married to
unbelievers. Paul instructs believers to be at
peace with their unbelieving partner. 7:17-24 Believers should remain in
the same condition they were in when saved. External
circumstances and human masters are of secondary
importance to spiritual life and the Lordship of Christ. 7:25-38 Paul instructs those who were
previously unmarried (virgins), concerning marriage and
betrothal. 7:39-40 Concluding remarks on the law
of marriage. First Corinthians 7
Now concerning the things whereof ye
wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have
his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and
likewise also the wife unto the husband. 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. 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 incontinency. But
I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
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 (1 Cor. 7:1-7). Verse 1 The Corinthians had
previously written to Paul and made the statement:
“It is good for a man not to touch a woman.”
Paul gives his reply in verses 2-7. The NIV
translates this verse “it is good for a man not to
marry.” This is an interpretation rather than
a translation. It is also a doubtful meaning of
the verse. It is more probable that the Corinthians
had questioned Paul concerning the practice of celibacy
within the confines of marriage. The term “to
touch” is used in Classical Greek and the Septuagint
as a figurative expression for sexual intercourse (cf.
Gen. 20:6). Chrysostom writes in his Homilies
on First Corinthians 7: Wherefore he says, “Now concerning the
things whereof ye wrote unto me.” For they had
written to him, “Whether it was right to abstain
from one’s wife, or not:” and writing back in
answer to this and giving rules about marriage, he also
introduces the discourse concerning virginity: “It
is good for a man not to touch a woman.” Although he allows Paul to introduce the
topic of virginity, Chrysostom realizes the Corinthians
main question regarded the practice of celibacy within
the confines of marriage. Verse 2 Fornication, or sexual
immorality, was rampant in Corinth. Because of
this, each man was to have his own wife and
each wife was to have her own husband. The
context of the passage and its relationship to verses 1-7
suggests the word “have” does not mean single
people should get married. Rather, it means that
married people should continue to perform their conjugal
duties. Paul uses have as an expression for
sexual intercourse in First Corinthians 5:1 as well. Verse 3 The husband is to give to his
wife the affection due her and also the wife to her
husband. Affection speaks of the conjugal
duties performed for the benefit of both spouses. Verse 4 When two people marry, they
become one flesh. A married person actually
belongs to their spouse. Individual rights cease in
the bond of marriage. The man who loves his wife,
is actually loving himself (cf. Eph. 5:28). Verse 5 Depriving one’s spouse
without consent is fraud. Paul gives four
stipulations for couples who wish to abstain from sexual
relations. 1. It must be for a designated period of
time. 2. It must be mutually agreed upon before
hand. 3. It must be for the purpose of devoting
oneself to fasting and prayer. 4. At the end of
this period the couples must resume sexual relations.
This is to thwart Satan’s temptations because of
their lack of self control. Verse 6 Paul’s concession allows
married Christians permission to abstain from sexual
intercourse for a given period of time. Paul does
not want the statement given in verse 5 to be
misconstrued as a command. A couple is allowed or
permitted to abstain from sexual relations for the
purpose of fasting and prayer. They are not
commanded to do so. It would also be acceptable to
fast and pray while continuing in normal sexual
relations. Verse 7 Paul wished that all men
could live as he did. Because Paul was unmarried He
was able to continually practice celibacy and totally
devote his life to Christ. There is nothing
intrinsically spiritual about being single. The
benefit is the freedom it gives to serve Christ rather
than one’s spouse. Paul also recognized that
some men are given different gifts by the Holy Spirit.
The word used here for “gift” is (charisma/5486).
It is the same word used in First Corinthians 12 and
Romans 12 for spiritual gifts. Singleness is a gift
from God, marriage is also. First Corinthians 7:8-9
I say therefore to the unmarried and
widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is
better to marry than to burn. Verse 8 Paul wishes that the
unmarried and widows could remain as he was. Namely,
maintaining a state of continual celibacy which gives
freedom to serve Christ. The word widow here is
feminine. It means a woman who was previously
married but whose husband has now died. Some
assemblies maintained an official list of widows for
those who were to receive financial assistance from the
local assembly. Only those women who were over
sixty years of age and met other criteria were to be put
on the list. Younger widows were to remarry and
bear children rather than burn with lust. (cf. 1 Tim. 5).
Paul felt it would be good for widows to remain
single, but also understood if they did not. The definition of the term unmarried (agamois/22)
is of some debate. Some believe it means bachelors
or those men who have never been married. The word
is in the masculine gender. It is also possible
that unmarried includes widowers, as well as bachelors.
In context however, it may simply mean widowers. In
verses 1-24 Paul seems to be dealing only with those who
were married or previously married. Paul deals with
bachelors and virgins in verses 25-38. Paul uses
the word unmarried in a parallel structure
with the word widow (cherais/5503). There
is a word in the Greek for widower (cheros), but
it is not used in the New Testament or Septuagint. Liddell
and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon states the
word “unmarried” can denote bachelors or
widowers. Paul does not deal with single people
until the end of Chapter 7 so it is doubtful he would use
the word in this verse to refer to men who have never
been married. A side note here needs to be dealt with.
Those who cross reference verse 8 with verse 11 to prove
that a divorcee may remarry are simply not interpreting
contextually. Paul plainly states that the unmarried
in verse 11 are people who are legally separated or
divorced from their spouse. For them they are to
remain single or be reconciled. The word unmarried
(agamos/22) is used only four times in the New
Testament. All of them occur in First Corinthians
7. In verse 8 Paul uses the word to refer to
bachelors or widowers. In verse 11 it means those
who are legally divorced. In verses 32 and 34
unmarried speaks of both men and women who have never
married. A word may have different nuances which
fall within its semantic range but its exact meaning is
best determined by its use in context. Another issue related to verse 8 is whether
Paul was a bachelor or a widower. In favor of him
being a bachelor is that no place in Scripture is there
any mention of Paul having a wife or children. In
favor of Paul being a widower are the following. A)
Unmarried rabbis were few and far between. The
Mishnah appears to make marriage obligatory for all
Jewish men except those who were impotent. B) Some
believe Paul was a member of the Sanhedrin and therefore
must have been married. Acts 26:10 may simply mean
Paul agreed with the Sanhedrin, not that he was a member
of it. C) If contextually, “unmarried”
means widowers in verse 8, then it would make Paul’s
statement, “it is good for them to remain even as I
am”, even more consistent. Unless further
evidence is unearthed, we cannot be sure whether Paul was
a bachelor or widower. All we know is that at the
time of his writings Paul was unmarried and
abiding in a state of celibacy. Verse 9 If these unmarried men and
widows do not have control over their own passions they
should get married. This is the same advice that
Paul gave widows in First Timothy 5:11-12. The word
“burn” here means to inwardly be on fire.
An inward struggle is in view here that could be fatal to
ones peace and sanctification. First Corinthians 7:10-11
And unto the married I command, yet not
I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her
husband: but if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or
be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put
away his wife. Verse 10 Paul now transitions from
those who are unmarried and may want to marry to those
who are married and may want out. What he states
here is not a concession or even his opinion. It is
a direct command from the Lord. The Lord gave
specific directions in the gospels regarding the
permanence of marriage. F.F. Bruce comments: For a Christian husband, or wife, divorce is
excluded by the law of Christ: here Paul has no need to
express a judgment of his own, for the Lord’s ruling
on this matter was explicit.1 Some see verses 10-11 as teaching that the
permanence of marriage applies only to a believer who is
married to another believer. They claim that verses
12-16 allow a believer who is deserted by an unbeliever
to divorce and remarry. It is said that the
permanence of marriage does not apply in the case of a
believer being deserted by an unbeliever. It is doubtful that Paul is limiting his
statement in verses 10-11 only to believers. A
better and more consistent understanding of this section
seems to be that verses 10-11 give the general teaching
of Christ regarding the permanence of marriage as applied
to believers who are married to one another. In
verses 12-16 Paul applies the doctrine of the permanence
of marriage to believers who are married to unbelievers.
The believer is to allow the unbeliever to depart, but
after that the believer is to remain unmarried or be
reconciled. Why? The one flesh bond exists
between two people regardless of whether one, both, or
neither are believers. Paul claimed that he was teaching what
Christ taught on divorce and remarriage. It is
doubtful that Paul was speaking of a special revelation
he had received from the Lord regarding a believer who
was married to another believer. If this was so,
why didn’t Paul also receive a revelation concerning
believers who were married to unbelievers? The more
probable scenario is that this was Paul’s inspired
understanding of Christ’s teaching concerning
divorce and remarriage as recorded in the gospels. Jesus
left no specific teaching concerning marriage between two
believers or between a believer and an unbeliever. Rather,
Christ spoke about the permanence of marriage for all
people whether they were believers or not. Jesus
preached to the mixed multitudes, unbelieving Pharisees,
and His disciples. Since the one flesh
covenant of marriage is rooted in the creation ordinance
of Genesis 1 and 2 Christ made no delineation that the
marriage bond was permanent between two believers but not
between a believer and an unbeliever. Verse 11 Though Christ’s will is
no divorce, the Bible recognizes that divorces do occur.
The divorce here is the woman’s act, not her
husbands. If she no longer wishes to remain with
her husband, she has only two options: return to her
husband or remain single. Marrying another man is
not a biblical option. The woman is probably not just separated
from her husband, but legally divorced. Paul uses two
terms (chorizo/5562) and (aphiemi/863)
interchangeably to refer to divorce (cf. vs. 15). He
realizes that according to Roman law, the woman was
allowed to remarry. The law of Christ prohibits
such an action. Paul states that the Lord commanded the
husband not to divorce his wife. Fornication is not
listed as an exception for divorce. The Corinthian
Christians were not coerced by Jewish customs to put away
a fornicating wife. Christ allowed divorce in this
one instance because of the hardness of man’s heart.
Paul had no need to make mention of this allowance.
The biblical pattern is forgiveness, not divorce. First Corinthians 7:12-16
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.
And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not,
and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave
him. 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 they
are holy. 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. For
what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy
husband? Or knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt
save thy wife? Verse 12 Paul now shifts to a
particular group of believers; those who have come to
faith in Christ after being married, but their spouse has
not. “I, not the Lord” does not mean this
statement is uninspired or any less authoritative. Paul
is merely stating that the gospels record no specific
teaching by Christ concerning a believer who is married
to an unbeliever. If a believing man has an
unbelieving wife who consents to live with him, he should
not divorce her. Verse 13 If a believing woman
has an unbelieving husband who consents to live with her,
she should not divorce him. Verse 14 The believing spouse
in a mixed marriage is “holy” or set apart unto
the Lord. By way of relationship through the
covenant of marriage the unbelieving spouse, as well as
the children, are sanctified. Not that unbelieving
partners or children are automatically saved, but that
the marriage between the believer and the unbeliever is
holy and approved by God. The believing spouse
sanctifies the home and gives the children a Christian
influence they would not otherwise have. Verse 15 If the unbelieving
partner wishes to depart, the Christian is to let them.
God has called His children to live in peace with all
men. This includes one’s spouse. The
believing spouse is to love their partner and allow them
to stay. If this fails, they are not in bondage to
preserve a working relationship. In Romans 7:2 and First Corinthians 7:39
Paul teaches that the wife is bound to her husband as
long as he lives. In First Corinthians 7:27 he
claims the betrothed man is bound to his wife. The
word in these three passages is (deo/1210). It
means to tie or to bind. In First Corinthians 7:15 Paul
uses a different and unrelated word (douloo/1402).
It means to be enslaved. The Bible never uses the
word “enslaved” to refer to the marriage
relationship. Many have attempted to read into this
verse that a deserted spouse is free to remarry. One commentator errs when he writes: Paul did not say as he did in verse 11, that
the Christian in this case should remain unmarried.2 This is an argument from silence. Jesus
claimed fornication was the only grounds allowed for
divorce and nowhere stated that the ‘innocent’
spouse was free to remarry. Paul understood what
the Lord had commanded and would not be led by the Spirit
to teach otherwise. Paul never once stated that the
Christian in this instance was free to remarry. Would
it truly be necessary for Paul to reiterate that a spouse
was to remain single or be reconciled, when he had
already done so four verses earlier? Paul twice
writes that the married woman remains bound to her
husband as long as he lives; not until adultery, not
until desertion, but until death. The best interpretation of First Corinthians
7:15 is that the believer is not enslaved to keep the
unbeliever from departing. The Christian is exempt
from the responsibility for the divorce which the
unbelieving partner initiates. The believer is
called to peace and does not need to resort to coercion
or legal maneuvers to preserve the relationship. Robertson and Plummer write: We cannot safely argue with Luther that ou
dedoulotai [not under bondage] implies that the
Christian partner, when divorced by the heathen partner,
may remarry again. All that ou dedoulotai
clearly means is that he or she need not feel so bound by
Christ’s prohibition of divorce as to be afraid to
depart when the heathen partner insists on separation
[brackets mine].3 Paul uses the same word for divorce (chorizo/5563)
in both verses 11 and 15 to refer to divorce. This
shows that we are in the realm of full legal divorce.
The laws of men allow remarriage; the laws of Christ do
not. This is how early Christian writers
interpreted and applied First Corinthians 7:15. They
allowed the unbeliever to depart and freed the believer
from guilt or liability of divorce. The departure
of the spouse did not grant the believer freedom to
remarry. The one flesh bond exists between husband
and wife whether they are legally divorced or not. The
laws of men, and physical proximity of spouses to one
another, have no bearing upon the one flesh
covenant. Verse 16 The Christian spouse
is to allow the unbelieving partner to depart without
bearing the responsibility for the unbeliever’s
actions. There are two primary reasons for living
in harmony within this situation. First, there is
no way of knowing whether the unbeliever will turn to
Christ. Second, the Christian partner may be the
channel used by God to save their partner. Until
their last dying breath, there remains hope for their
salvation. Until they die, there remains hope for
reconciliation. Living in a state of tension,
disharmony, and legal battles with an unbelieving spouse
would not display the peace of Christ. It may close
off future possibilities for witness and testimony of
Christ’s love and forgiveness. First Corinthians 7:17-24
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 the churches. Is any man called
being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised.
Is any called in uncircumcision? Let him not be
circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision
is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was
called. Art thou called being a servant? Care
not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it
rather. 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.
Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of
men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called,
therein abide with God. The main emphasis of verses 17-24 is that
believers should remain in the same situation in life in
which they were called. Outward physical
circumstances are of little concern in the life of the
believer. The emphasis is upon Christ as Lord and
obeying Him from the heart. Hodge writes: Paul was not only averse to breaking up the
conjugal relationship, but it was a general ordinance of
His that men should remain in the same social position
after becoming Christians, which they had occupied
before...Paul endeavored to convince his readers that
their relation to Christ was compatible with any social
relation or position. It mattered not whether they
were circumcised or uncircumcised, bond or free, married
to a Christian or married to a Gentile, their conversion
to Christianity involved, therefore, no necessity of
breaking asunder their social ties.4 Verses 17-24 are not a digression or an
interlude to Paul’s train of thought. Rather,
they are an extension of it. One’s marital
status before the Lord is not of primary importance.
Paul illustrates this by showing that those who belong to
Christ should remain as they were called. This does
not mean that those who come to Christ while involved in
sexually immoral relationships are free to continue in
such. The teaching of Scripture is that those who
come to Christ are expected to change any and all immoral
behavior. First Corinthians 7:25-28
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.
I suppose therefore that this is good for the present
distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.
Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed.
Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife.
But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned. Nevertheless
such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you. Verse 25 Paul begins with the
structural marker “now concerning” (peri de)
to transition to a different group of people, namely,
virgins. A virgin is one who had never before been
married. Paul had no specific commands from the
Lord regarding virgins and whether they should marry or
remain single. Paul received mercy from the Lord
and was faithful and trustworthy to give the Corinthians
Spirit-led guidance on this issue. Verse 26 Paul spoke of the
present distress that would make it good for a man to
remain as he was. This may refer to a present
crisis the Corinthians were facing. Martyrdom and
persecution would be less difficult for a single person
to endure than for a married person who was responsible
for a wife and children. Verse 27 Contextually, those
who are bound to a wife may refer to betrothed couples.
Paul claims they are virgins yet claims they are bound to
a wife. Paul would not call them virgins (parthenos/3933)
if they had already consummated a marriage. Betrothal
was more than being engaged. A betrothed couple was
legally married and considered husband and wife even
though they had never consummated their marriage (cf.
Matt.1:18-25, 2 Cor. 11:2). Once betrothed, a legal
divorce was necessary to be released from the marriage.
Here Paul applies the same principle to virgins as he
does to others; remain as you were called. Those who had entered into a betrothal
agreement should not seek to be released from it. Those
who are released from a betrothal agreement should not
seek to enter into one. Paul uses the verb (deo/1210)
not (douloo/1402) to refer to the
marriage bond here. He uses the word (lusin/3080)
to refer to the being released from a wife. Paul
uses a different word in verses 11 and 15 to refer to
divorce. Some Erasmian interpreters mistakenly teach
that the use of the Perfect Passive verb form,
instead of the Present Active, means that the man
who is “loosed from a wife” was divorced and
Paul is allowing him to remarry. The Perfect
is the “present state resulting from past
action”. There is nothing in the Perfect
verb form that shows that the man was previously married.
There is nothing in the Perfect verb form that
would lead one to believe the “loosed” man is
divorced. Robertson and Plummer write: Here again the perfect means, ‘Art thou
in a state of freedom from matrimonial ties?’ It
does not mean ‘Hast thou been freed from a wife by
death or divorce?’ The verb is chosen because
of the preceding lusin, and bachelors as well as
widowers are addressed.5 Grosheide writes: Art thou loosed need not refer to a
marriage which had been previously dissolved by divorce
or by the death of the spouse. It may not mean
anything more than unmarried.6 Paul has already stated that the divorced
person is not to remarry. The Bible does not
contradict itself. The New Testament contains clear
statements that remarriage after divorce is adultery.
It is unwise to take a statement out of context and use
it to teach something that is refuted elsewhere. Verse 28 Paul has just told the
Corinthian men that they should not seek a wife. This
is his advice but he assures those who have already done
so that they “have not sinned”. Those who
do marry, bachelor or virgin, have done nothing wrong.
Paul’s instruction is not to limit their freedom in
Christ or to downgrade marriage. His heart is to
spare them troubles in this life. First Corinthians 7:29-35
But this I say, brethren, the time is
short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as
though they had none; And they that weep, as though they
wept not; and they that buy, as though they possessed
not; And they that use this world, as not abusing
it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. 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: But he that is married
careth for the things that are of the world, how he may
please his wife. There is a 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.
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. Verses 29-31 Since the return of the
Lord is near, the believer should not become engrossed in
human relationships or day to day activities such as
mourning, rejoicing, buying, or selling. The world
is temporary and one’s life should be devoted to
Christ. Christians can use the world but they must
not become permanently attached to it. Those who
become overly absorbed in the things of the world are
misusing it. Verse 32 Paul’s emphasis was not
on remaining single. Singleness in and of
itself is of no benefit. The benefit of singleness
is that it allows one to be free to be more fully devoted
to Christ. Verses 33-34 The married person
is under divine command to care for their spouse. Once
a man is married his devotion is divided between his wife
and Christ. The virgin, or unmarried woman,
is free to care about the things of the Lord. This
is the difference that exists between the married woman
and the virgin. The unmarried woman is free to be
holy to the Lord. Being single does not make one
pure or holy. Holy here means to be set apart unto
Christ. The laws of God and His creation are so
established that the wife will be concerned about
pleasing her husband. In pleasing her husband, the
wife is actually obeying and pleasing Christ (cf. Eph.
5:22). Verse 35 Paul’s aim was
not to limit a believer’s freedom but to allow them
to truly be free to serve the Lord without distraction or
divided attention. The word translated snare (broxos/1029)
is better translated as a leash (NKJV). It is not a
trap, but a bridle or a restriction. First Corinthians 7:36-38 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 him marry. 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. So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth
well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth
better. Verses 36-38 The interpretation
of verses 36-38 is of some debate. The issue
revolves around the indefinite pronoun “any
man” (tis/5100) and the pronoun
“his” (autou/848) in verse
36. Does this man refer to the virgin’s father
or the betrothed bridegroom? The traditional view
has held it means the father of the bride. The view
held by some modern day commentators is that it means the
bridegroom. The NIV has gone so far as to translate
this passage as referring to the bridegroom while giving
the traditional interpretation in the margin. It
seems best to leave the translation speaking of any man
and allowing the reader to decide which view is correct.
The strength of the bridegroom view is that it allows for
a consistent subject for the verbs used throughout the
passage. The weakness of this view is that it
requires the words (gameo/1060) and (gamizo/1061)
to be used as synonymous. Lexically, gameo means
to marry while gamizo usually means to give in
marriage. The RSV translates the word
“virgin” as betrothed in verses 36 and 37.
This is an error. The RSV also translates verse 38
“he who marries his betrothed”. This is
an interpretation, not a correct translation. In favor of the ‘father’ view is
that the context appears to be speaking of a man who is
giving his virgin to be married. In the Corinthian
culture the decision was not the bride’s but the
father’s. The virgin could only marry with the
father’s approval. It would be strange to say
a bridegroom would “keep his virgin” for the
purpose of betrothal is marriage. The choice would
still be the father’s not the bridegroom’s.
It would make little sense for a man to enter into a
betrothal and then “keep” her from marriage.
Keep here does not mean to leave her a virgin but to
retain possession of her. If the bridegroom was to
“keep his virgin” then he would be living in a
permanent state of betrothal without ever consummating
the marriage. Paul seems to be giving advice to the father
of the virgin. Paul doesn’t mention the
girl’s desires but places the whole affair in the
hands of the father. The father was the one who
exercised decision-making authority in regards to family
matters. The father may have already purposed in
his heart that the daughter would not marry. If
there was no ‘necessity’ or
‘compulsion’ from evidence that his daughter
would not be able to remain single he would do well to
follow his convictions. If he decided she should
marry he does well, but if he decided not to let her
marry he does better. First Corinthians 7:39-40
The wife is bound by the law as long as
her husband lives: but if her husband be dead, she is at
liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
But she is happier if she so abides, after my judgment:
and I think also that I have the Spirit of God. Verses 39-40 Paul concludes his
teaching on marriage and the issues related to it with an
admonition restating the permanence of marriage. The
marriage bond may have been held in low regard by the
pagan Corinthians, but Paul reminds the believers that
marriage is permanent until death. When a
woman’s husband died, she was free to remarry.
This was Paul’s Spirit-led teaching regarding the
permanence of marriage and his inspired understanding of
the teaching of Christ in the gospels on this subject.
He gives no exceptions for remarriage except the death of
the spouse. If the woman’s husband died, she
was free to remarry only another Christian. Paul’s
judgment was that she would be happier by remaining
single. Ephesians 5
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own
husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is head
of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church:
and He is the savior of the body. Therefore as the
church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to
their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love
your wives, even as also Christ loved the church, and
gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing of water by the word, that he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot,
or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy
and without blemish. So ought men to love their
wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife
loves himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh;
but nourishes it and cherishes it, even as the Lord the
church: for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and
of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his
father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and
they two shall be one flesh. This is a great
mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love
his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she
reverence her husband (Eph. 5:22-33). Ephesians 5 teaches how husbands and wives
are to treat one another. It also teaches the
permanence of marriage based upon the one flesh concept
established by God. Verses 5:22-24 Wives are to be under
the authority of their husbands. This does
not mean they are inferior. Rather, God has
established a divine order in creation. Christ the
Son submits Himself to God the Father. This does
not mean He is inferior or less than God. Instead
it shows order. Christ is the head of the church.
The church is to submit to Christ as its head. In
the same way wives are to submit to their husbands. Verses 5:25-29 Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her. He died on the
cross to cleanse and sanctify her. Husbands are to
show the same sacrificial love to their wives. The
wife is really one body, or one flesh, with her husband.
The husband who does not love his wife hates himself.
The husband who loves his wife loves himself. The
husband who commits adultery has failed not only to
submit to Christ, but also to love his wife. The
husband who will not forgive an adulterous wife fails to
love her as Christ loved the church. Those who
divorce their wives for the reason of sexual immorality
are not loving their wives as Christ loved the church. Verses 5:30-33 The church
consists of the members of Christ’s body. In
verse 31 Paul cites Genesis 2:24 to show how inseparable
the church is from Christ. He uses marriage as an
illustration of Christ and the church. This
covenant bond that binds Christ to the church is the same
type of bond that exists between husband and wife. This
is evidence against the claim that a marriage may be
dissolved by sin. Not even continual persistent
adultery can sever the one flesh covenant. The man
whose wife lives in this manner is bound by the law of
Christ to forgive her and receive her back. Anything
less, is to disobey the commands of Scripture. A
man is to love his wife as Christ loved the church.
Christ will not break his covenant with the members of
his body, the church (cf. Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:20; John
10:28; Rom. 8:35-39; II Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13-14). Since the bond between Christ and His church
cannot be broken, neither can the bond be broken between
husband and wife. If the marriage bond can be
dissolved or severed, then Paul, under divine inspiration
of the Holy Spirit, has made a serious mistake by
comparing marriage to Christ and the church. The
symbolic purpose of Christian marriage is to show the
world the type of love Christ has for His church. Those who claim the right to divorce a
sinful spouse have missed the spirit of the New
Testament. Those who forgive and receive a wayward
spouse are an illustration of the love, forgiveness, and
oneness Christ has with His church. Conclusion:
If Christ did allow remarriage after
divorce, Paul seems not to know of it. Paul teaches
the permanence of marriage with no exceptions. He
states the woman is bound to her husband as long as he
lives (Rom. 7:2; I Cor. 7:39). If a woman remarries
while her husband is alive, she will be called an
adulteress (Rom. 7:3). If a woman separates from
her husband, she is either to remain single or be
reconciled (I Cor. 7:11). The only allowance Paul makes is that if the
unbeliever deserts a believer, the believer is not
enslaved. The word used here is entirely different
and unrelated to the word Paul uses for the marriage
bond. Paul sees the one flesh permanence of
marriage as being a picture of Christ’s permanent
relationship with the church (Eph. 5:31-32). There are clear statements claiming marriage
is permanent, and remarriage after divorce is adultery.
There is no clear New Testament teaching that a divorced
person may remarry while their spouse is alive.
1.
F.F. Bruce, Paul:
Apostle of the Heart Set Free, p. 267. 2 David Lowery, First Corinthians, p.
518 3 Robertson and Plummer, First Epistle of
St. Paul to the Corinthians, p. 143. 4 Charles Hodge, Commentary on 1 and 2
Corinthians, p. 120. 5 Robertson and Plummer, p. 153. 6 F. W. Grosheide, First Epistle to the
Corinthians, p. 176. |