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Timothy: I Corinthians 7:25-40
The Unmarried and the Widowed

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.

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.

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;

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.

Dear God, my Beloved Father, I respectfully offer my praise and gratitude to You. You are the Almighty God and my Father in Heaven. You have blessed me with daily grace, bringing me peace and joy. You healed my jaw dislocation according to my prayer, so I did not have to visit a doctor. You continue to give me time and opportunities to reflect on the Eternal Living Word of God. I thank You. I pray that Christ will give me new strength. I pray that the Holy Spirit will give me wisdom, leading me into all the truth of God’s Word. I thank Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Father, I would like to present my reflections on I Corinthians 7:25-40 as follows:

Verses 25 and 26: Paul gave advice to virgins, both men and women, who had never had sexual relations. He made it clear that his advice was from him as a trustworthy servant of the Lord, by the mercy of the Lord. His advice was not a command from the Lord, but it was worthy of consideration for those who listened and deemed it appropriate to follow. Paul knew that the Church was about to face great persecution from the Roman government, so he advised the virgins to remain single, which he believed would be better. Based on historical records, I know that Paul wrote the letter of I Corinthians around the winter of 56. In the summer of 64, the persecution of the Church under Emperor Nero began and lasted until 96. Therefore, Paul advised the virgins not to get married during this impending crisis.

Verse 27: Paul advises those who already have wives not to abandon them because of the upcoming difficulties. As for those who are not yet married, he advises them not to get married.

Verse 28: Paul also makes it clear that those who are not yet married are still allowed to get married. Virgins are still allowed to marry. The people of God are free to marry, but in difficult times, those with families will have more burdens. “Difficulties in the flesh” refer to the burdens the Church suffers from persecution, such as making a living, avoiding persecutors, caring for and protecting families in difficult circumstances, and the pain of seeing loved ones being persecuted. Paul does not want the people of God to be burdened by these things.

Verses 29 and 30: “The time is short” refers to both the time until the persecution of the Church occurs and the short lifespan of human beings. “Those who have wives should be as though they had none,” means that they should use the remaining short time of their lives to actively serve God with their wives, like those who are single, instead of just enjoying the love of their spouses. “Those who weep, as though they wept not,” means that those who are in difficult and sad situations should control their sadness with faith and hope in the day when the Lord comes, and focus on serving God as if they were not in distress. “Those who rejoice, as though they rejoiced not,” means that those who are living in good circumstances should think about those who are in difficult and sad situations, comfort and encourage them and share the burdens of their brothers and sisters in Christ. “Those who buy, as though they possessed not,” means that those who are gathering material possessions in the world for all their physical needs should not let their hearts be bound by material possessions. God’s people should use the means He gives them to serve Him better.

Verse 31: Everything in the world is given by God to help His people exist in the physical world and fulfill the good works He has prepared for them. Therefore, they should not misuse anything, nor should they be obsessed with anything; they should use everything in a reasonable and lawful manner.

Verses 32 to 34: Single people have more time to serve God, while married people must spend time fulfilling their duties as husbands and wives and as parents to their children. The “things of the world” are necessary tasks for the material needs of the family, which are legitimate tasks but take away from the time that could be spent on spiritual matters.

Verse 35: Paul did not criticize those who are married or praise those who are single. He simply pointed out the different realities of the lives of single and married people. Single people naturally have more time for serving God than married people.

Father, in verses 36 to 38, I choose to use the literal translation by John Nelson Darby, which closely reflects the biblical Greek: “But if any one think that he behaves unseemly to his virginity, if he be beyond the flower of his age, and so it must be, let him do what he will, he does not sin: let them marry. But he who stands firm in his heart, having no need, but has authority over his own will, and has judged this in his heart to keep his own virginity, he does well. So that he that marries himself does well; and he that does not marry does better.”

Verses 36 to 38 state that if a virgin feels the need for sexual intimacy and cannot live a single life, they should get married. Marriage is not a sin, as long as it is with someone in Christ. However, if someone does not feel the need for sexual intimacy, they can remain a virgin and live a single life. Those who get married do well, as they avoid sexual immorality. Those who do not get married do better, as they have more time to serve God.

Verses 39 and 40 specifically mention the case of married women. A wife is bound to her husband under God’s law, so she cannot divorce him at will according to human law. After her husband dies, she is free to marry someone else, as long as the person is a believer. However, it is better for her to remain unmarried. Being unmarried, she can devote herself fully to serving the Lord, free from the constraints of a husband.

Father, through these verses in the Bible, I understand that whether to remain single or to get married is a personal choice for each of Your people. To avoid sexual immorality, men should have a wife, and women should have a husband. But those who can remain single should do so, for single people have more time to serve You, Lord. I pray that You bless each of Your people, whether single or married, with wisdom and enthusiasm to make the most of their time and participate in the Church’s ministries in these last days. Thank You, Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Timothy Christian Huynh
05/08/2023