Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of CrossPointe church. As in all things, you should defer to the Word of God as the final authority and do your own research. – Ryan
When it comes to being single or married, which is better? In 1 Corinthians 7 is Paul saying being single is better than being married? To find the answer to this, let’s first establish the context we are diving into.
The book: Correction the church of Corinth on how they were handling different issues.
Previous chapter: Legal issues within the church; prematurely taking each other to court
Next chapter: Food given to idols - The freedom we have but also not being a stumblingblock.
Diving into this chapter, here’s what we find as some overarching points:
- As followers of God we are to be pure
- Each of us are given different gifts, and we are to live for God in that reality
- We are not to live consumed by the trappings of the world
- We are to live fully devoted to God, especially so as the days grow short
We are to be pure v1-16
Regardless of if we are married or not, we are to remain sexually pure before God. Some, who are single, do not have temptations in this area, therefore Paul recommends they remain single. Some, do have temptation in this area, and therefore Paul recommends they marry in order to refrain from sin(v2). Paul does concede here that from a purely objective, logical viewpoint, being single is his preference(v6, 26), but this is simply not possible for everyone (v6). In this passage, Paul gives lengthy exhortation on how husbands are to meet the needs of their wife, how wives are to meet the needs of their husband. Why does he spend so much time on this? For them to remain pure and holy to God.
Different gits v17-24
Each state or condition [single, married] is a gift of God, not necessarily something we choose. What state do you find yourself in? Do you desire the other state and why? Don’t desire marriage for the sake of marriage or singleness for the sake of being single(v27). God has moulded you and given you a gift of whichever one you fall into, embrace his gift and live according to it. Your focus should be on service to him rather than if you should be single or married. We all start out single, but along the path of life God may bring a partner along side you. As that relationship develops it may give way to the gift of marriage. Marriage then is not a bad thing but a gift, not something to be dreaded, but something to rejoice in. Remember, though, to not “force God’s hand” and seek out marriage for the sake of marriage, or fall into sin as an excuse to get married, but to receive God’s gifts as he gives them.
Obedience & devotion
The point of living out your gift is to be obedient. Verse 19 highlights that whatever category you are in, live in obedience, that is paramount.
Live fully devoted to God as the days are short v25-40
We are running out of time on this earth, and times are tough. Don’t spend your time worried about whether you are married or not, rather obey and serve. Paul wants us to be as free from the entrapments of this world as much as possible. Are we going to buy and sell? Yes. Are some of us going to marry? Probably. But in all of that, we shouldn’t let ourselves be distracted by the world. Yes, when you are married it is easier to be entrapped by the world out of concern for your spouse. Yes, if you are single it can be easier to live with more focus. Verse 35 highlights that Paul is not trying to discourage us or tell us that one way is wrong and the other right, his goal is that we are aware of the difficulties we may face and that we are fully and wholly devoted to God.
Conclusion
We’ve learned that according to Paul, yes being single can be better from a purely objective, logical viewpoint. But whether or not being single is better really isn’t the point of this passage. Whichever you are, it is a gift from God, so be thankful for it! Keep yourself pure, guard your heart against the distractions of this world, and live completely and totally devoted to God.