返回Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
1 Cor. 7:1. Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me.
Having corrected the disorders of divisions, fornication, and covetousness, he now sets forth rules concerning marriage and virginity. For the Corinthians had asked him in their letter: should one abstain from a wife, or not?
1 Cor. 7:1. It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
Good, excellent, he says, if every person, and not only a priest (as some wrongly understand this), were not to touch a wife at all and remained a virgin. But it is safer and closer to our weakness to enter into marriage. Therefore he adds the following.
1 Cor. 7:2. But, to avoid fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
He speaks about both sides. For it may happen that the husband loves chastity, but the wife does not, or vice versa. With the words "to avoid fornication" he urges restraint. For if marriage is permitted to avoid fornication, then those joined in marriage ought not to have relations with one another without any moderation, but rather chastely.
1 Cor. 7:3. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence; and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
Consider love for one another as a debt; and since it is a debt, you are necessarily obligated to show it to one another.
1 Cor. 7:4. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband; likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife.
Now he proves that love for one another is indeed a necessary obligation. For spouses, he says, do not have authority over their own bodies, but the wife is both a slave and a mistress of her husband: a slave, since she does not have authority over her own body to sell it to whomever she wishes, but her husband has ownership of it; and a mistress, because the body of her husband is her body, and he does not have the authority to give it to harlots. In the same way, the husband is both a slave and a master of his wife.
1 Cor. 7:5. Do not deprive one another, except by agreement, for a time.
That is, against the will of the husband the wife must not abstain, and likewise the husband must not abstain against the desire of the wife. For one to abstain against the will of the other means to deprive oneself, just as is also said concerning money; but to abstain by mutual will is an entirely different matter, as for example when both (husband and wife) by agreement set a definite time for mutual abstinence.
1 Cor. 7:5. For the practice of fasting and prayer.
He explains what his expression "for a time" means, that is, when the time comes to devote oneself to prayer, that is, to pray with particular fervor. For he did not simply say: for prayer, but: "for devotion to prayer." Indeed, if the apostle found in marital cohabitation an obstacle to ordinary daily prayer, how could he have said elsewhere: "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17)? So, in order that your prayer may be more fervent, abstain, he says, from one another, because conjugal union, although it does not defile, nevertheless hinders pious occupation.
1 Cor. 7:5. And then be together again, lest Satan tempt you through your lack of self-control.
I, – reasons the apostle, – say that you should come together again; but I do not lay this down as a law, but prescribe it so "that Satan may not tempt you," that is, by urging you toward fornication. Since, however, the devil is not himself the cause of fornication, but rather our own lack of self-control, the apostle added: "because of your lack of self-control," for therein lies the reason that the devil tempts us.
1 Cor. 7:6. But I speak this as a permission, and not as a commandment.
So that you would not deprive one another before the time, I said this, says the apostle, "as a concession" (κατά συγγνώμην), that is, out of condescension to your weakness, "and not as a commandment" that is absolute.
1 Cor. 7:7. For I wish that all men were as I myself.
Everywhere, wherever the apostle prescribes some difficult feat, he usually sets himself as an example. Therefore here too he says: I wish that all would always abstain.
1 Cor. 7:7. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner, another in that.
Remaining in virginity, he says, is a gift from God; however, this feat also requires our own efforts. Why then does he call it a gift? To console the Corinthians, whom he had struck a sensitive blow with the words "your lack of self-control" (v. 5). Meanwhile, note that he considers marriage itself also a gift; for he said: "each one has his own gift from God, one in this way," that is, the gift of remaining in virginity, "and another in that way," that is, the gift of living in marriage.
1 Cor. 7:8-9. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them to remain as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Do you see the wisdom of Paul, how he both shows the superiority of virginity and at the same time does not compel abstinence from marriage for one who is unable to abstain, lest otherwise he suffer a more grievous fall? If, he says, you experience great force and burning (for the power of desire is strong), then free yourself from those labors and struggles, lest, having undertaken them, you fall into a worse evil.
1 Cor. 7:10. And to the married I command, not I, but the Lord.
Since the Lord in clear words gave the law not to divorce, except for the cause of fornication (Matt. 5:32), the apostle says: "not I, but the Lord." But what was said before was not literally legislated by the Lord. Nevertheless, the words of Paul are also the words of the Lord, and not of man, for below he says of himself: "I think that I also have the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 7:40).
1 Cor. 7:10-11. A wife is not to separate from her husband – but if she does separate, she must remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband – and a husband is not to leave his wife.
Divorces, he says, happen out of a love for continence, or out of faintheartedness, or for other reasons; but it would be better if there were no separation at all. If it does occur, the wife should remain with her husband, if not for conjugal relations, then so as not to bring in anyone else. But if she cannot remain continent, let her be reconciled with her husband.
1 Cor. 7:12-13. But to the rest I speak, not the Lord: if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to live with him, let him not leave her; and a wife who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, let her not leave him.
What are you saying? If the husband is an unbeliever, then let him remain with his wife; but if he is a fornicator, he should not remain with her? But unbelief is worse than fornication? Indeed it is worse; but God exacts punishment more for sins against one's neighbor than for sins against Himself. For it is said: "Leave your gift there before the altar and go first, be reconciled with your brother" (Matt. 5:24). And ten thousand talents owed to Him, He forgave; but for the one who owed a hundred denarii, He did not leave the offense unavenged (Matt. 18:34). So also in the present case: the sin of unbelief, which offends God Himself, He overlooks, but the sin of adultery He punishes as a sin against the wife. Some, however, explain it thus: a person, they say, remains in unbelief through ignorance, which may perhaps come to an end, as the apostle himself (1 Cor. 7:16) says: "For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband?" — whereas fornication is committed as a result of manifest depravity. Moreover, the fornicator has already separated himself beforehand, for having taken his members away from his wife, he made them members of a harlot; whereas the unbeliever has committed no sin against the bodily union, or rather, through this union he may perhaps be united also in faith. Not to mention that the order of life would also be overturned, and the Gospel would be subjected to reproach, if the believing spouse were to separate from the unbelieving one. Meanwhile, apply the apostle's commandment under consideration only to the case where husband and wife were joined in marriage when both were still in unbelief, but afterward one side or the other converted to the faith. For if previously only the husband was an unbeliever, or only the wife, then the believing spouse was not at all permitted to enter into marriage with the unbelieving one: this is clear from the apostle's words, for he did not say: if anyone wishes to take an unbelieving wife, but: "if any brother has." Again, he does not simply prescribe that the believing spouse live with the unbelieving one, but only in the case where the latter desires it; for this means: "consents," that is, if she desires it.
1 Cor. 7:14. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband.
That is, by the abundance of purity of the believing spouse, the impurity of the unbelieving one is overcome. This is what the apostle's words mean, and not that the pagan becomes holy. For the apostle did not say "is holy," but "is sanctified," that is, is overcome by the holiness of the believing spouse. And he says this so that the believing wife would not fear becoming impure if she has marital relations with such a husband. But the question arises: he who joins himself to a harlot, becoming one body with her, becomes impure (cf. 1 Cor. 6:16); obviously, he who joins himself to a pagan woman also becomes one body with her. If the first is impure, then how does the latter not become impure? As far as fornication is concerned, it is indeed so. When fornicators have relations with one another, their union contains impurity, and therefore they are both impure. But the matter is different in the case of the marital union of a believing spouse with an unbelieving one. The unbelieving husband is impure on account of his unbelief. But the wife has communion with him not in unbelief, but in the marriage bed. In this communion no impurity is found. For it is a lawful marriage. Therefore the believing spouse does not become impure.
1 Cor. 7:14. Otherwise your children would be unclean.
If the unbelieving half were not overcome by the purity of the believing half, then their children would be unclean, or only half clean.
1 Cor. 7:14. But now they are holy.
That is, they are not unclean. By the superfluous expression "holy," the apostle dispels the fear of such a suspicion.
1 Cor. 7:15. But if the unbeliever wants to divorce, let him divorce.
For example, if he commands you either to participate in his unbelief, or to renounce the rights of marriage, then divorce. For it is better to dissolve the bonds of marriage than to violate piety.
1 Cor. 7:15. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases; the Lord has called us to peace.
If your husband quarrels with you because you do not take part in his unbelief, then divorce him. For you are not enslaved to him in such a case, that is, you are not compelled to follow him in such matters as well. It is better to separate from him than to quarrel; because God does not want this either: "the Lord has called us to peace." So, if your husband quarrels with you, then by this he himself has given cause for divorce.
1 Cor. 7:16. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband?
Returning again to that exhortation that a wife "must not leave" her husband, he presents the current question. For if, he says, he does not quarrel with you, then stay with him and exhort him: perhaps you will accomplish something. He presents the outcome as uncertain, on the one hand, so that they would not think he is imposing on the wife an absolute obligation to fully convince her husband, and on the other hand, so as to sustain in her the hope of her husband's conversion and to prevent despair.
1 Cor. 7:16-17. Or you, husband, how do you know whether you will save your wife? Only (εἰ μή) let each one walk as God has apportioned to him, and each one as the Lord has called.
Some read it this way: "or you, husband, how do you know whether you will save your wife or not" (ē m)? Then they began a new sentence thus: "let each one act as God has appointed for him," that is, how can you know whether you will save her or not? This is completely unknown. But if it is unknown, then one must not dissolve the marriage, because if you do not save her, you will not harm yourself, and if you do save her, you will bring benefit both to yourself and to others. But the holy John did not read it this way, but rather: "let each one act as God has appointed for him, and each one as the Lord has called." And this reading is incomparably better. The Apostle said, as it were: there should be no divorce under the pretext of unbelief, but let each one act as God has willed concerning him. You were called having a wife from among the unbelievers. Keep her with you, and do not cast her out for her unbelief.
1 Cor. 7:17. So I ordain in all the churches.
He said this so that the Corinthians would more readily obey him, since he commands the same thing to others together with them as well.
1 Cor. 7:18. Was anyone called being circumcised, let him not conceal it (μη έπισπάσθω).
Probably, many, being ashamed of circumcision, by some medicine restored the circumcised member to its original appearance, growing back the foreskin on it.
1 Cor. 7:18. Was anyone called being uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.
On the other hand, some, finding something important in circumcision, were circumcised after their conversion to the faith. Therefore he says that this contributes nothing to the faith.
1 Cor. 7:19. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but everything is in the keeping of the commandments of God.
Everywhere, he says, together with faith the practice of virtue is required, while everything else is either of little or no importance at all.
1 Cor. 7:20-21. Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. Were you called while a slave? Do not be troubled; but if you can also become free, make use of the better option.
"In the calling in which he was called," that is, in whatever manner of life, and in whatever rank and condition you believed, in that remain; for by calling he means the bringing to faith. Were you a slave when you accepted the faith? Do not worry or be troubled; for slavery does not harm you at all, so that even if you could become free, "make better use of it," sacrifice yourself for the benefit of others.
1 Cor. 7:22. For the slave who has been called in the Lord is the Lord's freedman; likewise the one who has been called as a free man is a slave of Christ.
A freedman is one who has been liberated from slavery. So he says: you who believed while in a state of slavery are a freedman of the Lord, for Christ has freed you both from sin and from that outward slavery, even though you are a slave. He who does not submit to passions, having a noble soul, is not a slave, even though he appears to be one. On the other hand, another was called to the faith as a free man; such a one is a slave of Christ. Therefore, if the name of slavery disturbs the slave, let him understand that he has become free in Christ, and this freedom is far more important than human freedom. Again, if the name of freedom puffs up the free man, let such a one understand that he is a slave of Christ and be humbled, considering that he is subject to such a Master and must please Him. Do you see the wisdom with which the apostle gives instruction to slaves and free men?
1 Cor. 7:23-24. You were bought with a dear price; do not become slaves of men. In whatever calling each was called, brethren, let each one remain in that before God.
He says this not to slaves alone, but also to free people, exhorting all Christians to do nothing for the sake of pleasing men and not to obey them if their commands are unlawful. This is what it means: having been bought by God, to become slaves of men. He is not urging slaves to fall away from their masters—no; this is clear from his subsequent words: "in whatever calling one was called," and so on, that is, if someone was called even in a state of slavery, let him remain in it. He added "before God" so that through obedience to lawless masters one would not fall away from God. He is concerned about both things, that is, on the one hand, that slaves not fall away from their masters under the pretext of obedience to God, and on the other, that by rendering excessive obedience to their masters, they not fall away from God.
1 Cor. 7:25. Concerning virginity, I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give counsel, as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be faithful to Him.
Above he occupied us with a conversation about chastity, and now he turns to a more important subject, namely virginity, and says that the Lord did not lay down a law and did not give a commandment concerning virginity, but only said: "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it" (Matt. 19:12). Therefore I too do not dare to prescribe anything regarding this subject; it is an important matter, but at the same time a dangerous one; however, I give my opinion, that is, my counsel, since I myself, by the mercy of God, have been deemed worthy to be faithful, that is, close to Him and one to whom mysteries can be entrusted.
1 Cor. 7:26. On account of the present distress, I consider it best that it is good for a man to remain as he is.
In my opinion, he says, it is best of all for a person to abstain from marriage on account of the inconveniences and unpleasantnesses connected with it, and not because marriage is impure.
1 Cor. 7:27-28. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a divorce. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. However, if you do marry, you have not sinned.
With the words "are you bound to a wife?" he showed that marriage, as a bond, brings with it troubles. By "divorce" he means not abstinence by mutual agreement, but divorce without sufficient cause; for if the spouses abstain by mutual agreement, then this is not divorce. Having said "do not seek a wife," lest they think he is commanding celibacy, he adds: "but if you do marry, you have not sinned." Notice, meanwhile, how imperceptibly he encourages virginity, calling marriage a bond, and virginity a release and freedom.
1 Cor. 7:28. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned.
By "virgin" here he means not one who is consecrated to God (for if such a one marries, she undoubtedly sins, since by this, besides her Bridegroom Christ, she introduces an adulterer to herself), but a still-unmarried maiden. So if such a one marries, she does not sin, because marriage contains nothing impure in itself.
1 Cor. 7:28. But such shall have tribulations in the flesh; and I spare you.
By "tribulations" he means the cares and sorrows connected with marriage. "And I," he continues, "feel sorry for you," as for children, and I wish that you were free and without sorrow. Marriage is a bond; and those who are under its yoke do not have authority over themselves, as was said above.
1 Cor. 7:29. I say to you, brethren: the time is already short.
Lest someone add to his words "will have troubles in the flesh" the thought "but also pleasure at the same time," he cuts off all hope of pleasure by pointing to the shortness of the time. For everything is hastening toward destruction, and the Kingdom of Christ has drawn near, and finally we must appear before Christ. Therefore, even if there is any pleasure in married life, it is unstable and short-lived.
1 Cor. 7:29-31. So that those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they were not weeping; and those who rejoice, as though they were not rejoicing; and those who buy, as though they were not acquiring; and those who use this world, as though they were not using it.
If even those who have wives ought to be as though they have none, then what benefit is there in binding oneself in marriage and placing a burden upon oneself? What then does "as though not having" mean? It means: not clinging to marriage and a wife and not exhausting all one's cares upon them. In the same way, no one ought to be overly preoccupied with anything else either: neither with sorrowful circumstances, which he hinted at with the word "weeping," nor with joyful ones, which he indicated with the word "rejoicing," nor with transactions, which he expressed with the word "buying." And why, he says, enumerate this and that? Simply, those who make use of this world must not misuse it, that is, cling to it with all their zeal and attachment; for excessive use that goes beyond the bounds of what is proper is misuse.
1 Cor. 7:31. For the fashion of this world passes away.
That is, it passes away and is destroyed. Why then become attached to that which is destroyed? By the term "figure" he showed that the things of the present world only flash before the eyes, are exceedingly fleeting, and have nothing solid or substantial in them.
1 Cor. 7:32. But I want you to be without cares.
And in what way could we be without cares? If we were to remain unmarried. Therefore he adds the following.
1 Cor. 7:32-33. The unmarried man cares about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man cares about the things of the world, how to please his wife.
How is it, Paul, that while desiring us to be free from care and for this reason commending celibacy to us, you again say: "the unmarried man cares for the things of the Lord"? For behold, here too there are cares. But not such cares, he says, as are joined with marriage: cares for the things of the Lord are salvific and sweet, whereas cares for the things of the world are harmful and burdensome. Indeed, is it not a burden and a grief to strive to please a wife, and especially one who loves adornment and demands gold and pearls and other vain things? This is what disposes wretched husbands to injustice and soul-harming management of affairs.
1 Cor. 7:33. There is a difference between a married woman and a virgin.
That is, they differ among themselves, and do not have one and the same concern, but are divided in their cares: one is concerned with such matters, and the other with others. Since their concerns are different, one must choose those among them which are better and easier.
1 Cor. 7:34. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit; but the married woman cares about the things of the world, how to please her husband.
It is not enough to be holy in body; one must also be holy in spirit, for in this—that is, in purity of soul—true virginity consists. In practice, many who are pure and blameless in body are defiled in soul. Beyond this, note also that she who is concerned with worldly things is no virgin. Therefore, when you see a woman who presents herself as a virgin yet is occupied with worldly matters, know that she differs in no way from a married woman. Paul established definite marks for both by which they may be recognized—not marriage and continence, but on the one hand, great and anxious activity, and on the other, quiet attention to one's own affairs. Consequently, she is no virgin who burdens herself with a multitude of vain occupations. And the married woman continues to care about how to please her husband, and therefore devotes special attention to her appearance, or, so that she may be regarded as a good housewife, shows herself to be thrifty and frugal.
1 Cor. 7:35. I say this for your own benefit, not to place a restraint upon you.
I spoke, he says, about virginity, knowing that this state is beneficial for you, since it is free from sorrow and cares, and provides more advantages to the soul; I did not speak about this in order to compel you against your will to remain in virginity (for by "bonds" he meant compulsion).
1 Cor. 7:35. But that you may serve the Lord with propriety and constant devotion without distraction.
For this reason, he says, so that you may live becomingly and in purity; for what can be more becoming and purer than virginity? And also so that you, being free from the unpleasantries of marriage, may serve the Lord without distraction and stand before Him always, casting all your cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7).
1 Cor. 7:36. But if anyone considers it improper for his virgin that she, being of mature age, should remain so, let him do as he wishes: he does not sin.
If anyone, he says, being truly weak in soul, considers it dishonorable to leave his daughter a virgin, especially if she has passed the mature age, then let it be so, he says. How so? "Let him do as he wishes," that is, if he wants to give her in marriage, let him give her, for he will not sin. However, it is better to keep the virgin, as he says further.
1 Cor. 7:36-38. Let such ones marry. But whoever stands firm in his heart, not being constrained by necessity, but having authority over his own will, and has resolved in his heart to keep his virgin, does well. Therefore he who gives his virgin in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.
Notice how he first marvels at the one who keeps his virgin: he calls him firm and steadfast and one who acts with deliberation; for he says, "standing firm in his heart." So then, the one who gives his virgin in marriage is not firm. By the words "having no necessity" he shows that the father has the authority to give his daughter a husband, and no one can compel him not to give her in marriage. So it is to his honor if he keeps his daughter unmarried; therefore the apostle also praises him, for "he does well," he says. But the one who gives his daughter in marriage also "does well"; for giving in marriage is not a sin, and everything that is not a sin is good. But it is far better not to give in marriage, for this is perfection in what is good.
1 Cor. 7:39-40. A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is free to marry whom she wishes, only in the Lord. But she is more blessed if she remains as she is, according to my counsel; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
Here he teaches about second marriage, and although he permits it, nevertheless he considers more blessed the one who does not enter into a second marriage; for as virginity is higher than the first marriage, so the first marriage is higher than the second. "The wife is bound by the law," that is, she is restrained by the precaution of the law from adultery, from being an adulteress through union with another while the husband is alive, but if the husband dies, she becomes free from the bonds and law of the first marriage and receives permission. "Only in the Lord," that is, only with chastity, with honor may she enter into a second marriage, for bearing and raising children, and not from the impulse of lust. "According to my counsel" he adds, so that you would not regard this as a commandment, but only as counsel, Divine counsel. "I think," he says, "that I also have the Spirit of God." In these words there is more humility; for he did not say: I have, but: "I think" that "I have," that is, I suppose, I surmise.
1 Cor. 7:1. Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me.
Having corrected the disorders of divisions, fornication, and covetousness, he now sets forth rules concerning marriage and virginity. For the Corinthians had asked him in their letter: should one abstain from a wife, or not?
1 Cor. 7:1. It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
Good, excellent, he says, if every person, and not only a priest (as some wrongly understand this), were not to touch a wife at all and remained a virgin. But it is safer and closer to our weakness to enter into marriage. Therefore he adds the following.
1 Cor. 7:2. But, to avoid fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
He speaks about both sides. For it may happen that the husband loves chastity, but the wife does not, or vice versa. With the words "to avoid fornication" he urges restraint. For if marriage is permitted to avoid fornication, then those joined in marriage ought not to have relations with one another without any moderation, but rather chastely.
1 Cor. 7:3. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence; and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
Consider love for one another as a debt; and since it is a debt, you are necessarily obligated to show it to one another.
1 Cor. 7:4. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband; likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife.
Now he proves that love for one another is indeed a necessary obligation. For spouses, he says, do not have authority over their own bodies, but the wife is both a slave and a mistress of her husband: a slave, since she does not have authority over her own body to sell it to whomever she wishes, but her husband has ownership of it; and a mistress, because the body of her husband is her body, and he does not have the authority to give it to harlots. In the same way, the husband is both a slave and a master of his wife.
1 Cor. 7:5. Do not deprive one another, except by agreement, for a time.
That is, against the will of the husband the wife must not abstain, and likewise the husband must not abstain against the desire of the wife. For one to abstain against the will of the other means to deprive oneself, just as is also said concerning money; but to abstain by mutual will is an entirely different matter, as for example when both (husband and wife) by agreement set a definite time for mutual abstinence.
1 Cor. 7:5. For the practice of fasting and prayer.
He explains what his expression "for a time" means, that is, when the time comes to devote oneself to prayer, that is, to pray with particular fervor. For he did not simply say: for prayer, but: "for devotion to prayer." Indeed, if the apostle found in marital cohabitation an obstacle to ordinary daily prayer, how could he have said elsewhere: "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17)? So, in order that your prayer may be more fervent, abstain, he says, from one another, because conjugal union, although it does not defile, nevertheless hinders pious occupation.
1 Cor. 7:5. And then be together again, lest Satan tempt you through your lack of self-control.
I, – reasons the apostle, – say that you should come together again; but I do not lay this down as a law, but prescribe it so "that Satan may not tempt you," that is, by urging you toward fornication. Since, however, the devil is not himself the cause of fornication, but rather our own lack of self-control, the apostle added: "because of your lack of self-control," for therein lies the reason that the devil tempts us.
1 Cor. 7:6. But I speak this as a permission, and not as a commandment.
So that you would not deprive one another before the time, I said this, says the apostle, "as a concession" (κατά συγγνώμην), that is, out of condescension to your weakness, "and not as a commandment" that is absolute.
1 Cor. 7:7. For I wish that all men were as I myself.
Everywhere, wherever the apostle prescribes some difficult feat, he usually sets himself as an example. Therefore here too he says: I wish that all would always abstain.
1 Cor. 7:7. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner, another in that.
Remaining in virginity, he says, is a gift from God; however, this feat also requires our own efforts. Why then does he call it a gift? To console the Corinthians, whom he had struck a sensitive blow with the words "your lack of self-control" (v. 5). Meanwhile, note that he considers marriage itself also a gift; for he said: "each one has his own gift from God, one in this way," that is, the gift of remaining in virginity, "and another in that way," that is, the gift of living in marriage.
1 Cor. 7:8-9. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them to remain as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Do you see the wisdom of Paul, how he both shows the superiority of virginity and at the same time does not compel abstinence from marriage for one who is unable to abstain, lest otherwise he suffer a more grievous fall? If, he says, you experience great force and burning (for the power of desire is strong), then free yourself from those labors and struggles, lest, having undertaken them, you fall into a worse evil.
1 Cor. 7:10. And to the married I command, not I, but the Lord.
Since the Lord in clear words gave the law not to divorce, except for the cause of fornication (Matt. 5:32), the apostle says: "not I, but the Lord." But what was said before was not literally legislated by the Lord. Nevertheless, the words of Paul are also the words of the Lord, and not of man, for below he says of himself: "I think that I also have the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 7:40).
1 Cor. 7:10-11. A wife is not to separate from her husband – but if she does separate, she must remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband – and a husband is not to leave his wife.
Divorces, he says, happen out of a love for continence, or out of faintheartedness, or for other reasons; but it would be better if there were no separation at all. If it does occur, the wife should remain with her husband, if not for conjugal relations, then so as not to bring in anyone else. But if she cannot remain continent, let her be reconciled with her husband.
1 Cor. 7:12-13. But to the rest I speak, not the Lord: if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to live with him, let him not leave her; and a wife who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, let her not leave him.
What are you saying? If the husband is an unbeliever, then let him remain with his wife; but if he is a fornicator, he should not remain with her? But unbelief is worse than fornication? Indeed it is worse; but God exacts punishment more for sins against one's neighbor than for sins against Himself. For it is said: "Leave your gift there before the altar and go first, be reconciled with your brother" (Matt. 5:24). And ten thousand talents owed to Him, He forgave; but for the one who owed a hundred denarii, He did not leave the offense unavenged (Matt. 18:34). So also in the present case: the sin of unbelief, which offends God Himself, He overlooks, but the sin of adultery He punishes as a sin against the wife. Some, however, explain it thus: a person, they say, remains in unbelief through ignorance, which may perhaps come to an end, as the apostle himself (1 Cor. 7:16) says: "For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband?" — whereas fornication is committed as a result of manifest depravity. Moreover, the fornicator has already separated himself beforehand, for having taken his members away from his wife, he made them members of a harlot; whereas the unbeliever has committed no sin against the bodily union, or rather, through this union he may perhaps be united also in faith. Not to mention that the order of life would also be overturned, and the Gospel would be subjected to reproach, if the believing spouse were to separate from the unbelieving one. Meanwhile, apply the apostle's commandment under consideration only to the case where husband and wife were joined in marriage when both were still in unbelief, but afterward one side or the other converted to the faith. For if previously only the husband was an unbeliever, or only the wife, then the believing spouse was not at all permitted to enter into marriage with the unbelieving one: this is clear from the apostle's words, for he did not say: if anyone wishes to take an unbelieving wife, but: "if any brother has." Again, he does not simply prescribe that the believing spouse live with the unbelieving one, but only in the case where the latter desires it; for this means: "consents," that is, if she desires it.
1 Cor. 7:14. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband.
That is, by the abundance of purity of the believing spouse, the impurity of the unbelieving one is overcome. This is what the apostle's words mean, and not that the pagan becomes holy. For the apostle did not say "is holy," but "is sanctified," that is, is overcome by the holiness of the believing spouse. And he says this so that the believing wife would not fear becoming impure if she has marital relations with such a husband. But the question arises: he who joins himself to a harlot, becoming one body with her, becomes impure (cf. 1 Cor. 6:16); obviously, he who joins himself to a pagan woman also becomes one body with her. If the first is impure, then how does the latter not become impure? As far as fornication is concerned, it is indeed so. When fornicators have relations with one another, their union contains impurity, and therefore they are both impure. But the matter is different in the case of the marital union of a believing spouse with an unbelieving one. The unbelieving husband is impure on account of his unbelief. But the wife has communion with him not in unbelief, but in the marriage bed. In this communion no impurity is found. For it is a lawful marriage. Therefore the believing spouse does not become impure.
1 Cor. 7:14. Otherwise your children would be unclean.
If the unbelieving half were not overcome by the purity of the believing half, then their children would be unclean, or only half clean.
1 Cor. 7:14. But now they are holy.
That is, they are not unclean. By the superfluous expression "holy," the apostle dispels the fear of such a suspicion.
1 Cor. 7:15. But if the unbeliever wants to divorce, let him divorce.
For example, if he commands you either to participate in his unbelief, or to renounce the rights of marriage, then divorce. For it is better to dissolve the bonds of marriage than to violate piety.
1 Cor. 7:15. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases; the Lord has called us to peace.
If your husband quarrels with you because you do not take part in his unbelief, then divorce him. For you are not enslaved to him in such a case, that is, you are not compelled to follow him in such matters as well. It is better to separate from him than to quarrel; because God does not want this either: "the Lord has called us to peace." So, if your husband quarrels with you, then by this he himself has given cause for divorce.
1 Cor. 7:16. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband?
Returning again to that exhortation that a wife "must not leave" her husband, he presents the current question. For if, he says, he does not quarrel with you, then stay with him and exhort him: perhaps you will accomplish something. He presents the outcome as uncertain, on the one hand, so that they would not think he is imposing on the wife an absolute obligation to fully convince her husband, and on the other hand, so as to sustain in her the hope of her husband's conversion and to prevent despair.
1 Cor. 7:16-17. Or you, husband, how do you know whether you will save your wife? Only (εἰ μή) let each one walk as God has apportioned to him, and each one as the Lord has called.
Some read it this way: "or you, husband, how do you know whether you will save your wife or not" (ē m)? Then they began a new sentence thus: "let each one act as God has appointed for him," that is, how can you know whether you will save her or not? This is completely unknown. But if it is unknown, then one must not dissolve the marriage, because if you do not save her, you will not harm yourself, and if you do save her, you will bring benefit both to yourself and to others. But the holy John did not read it this way, but rather: "let each one act as God has appointed for him, and each one as the Lord has called." And this reading is incomparably better. The Apostle said, as it were: there should be no divorce under the pretext of unbelief, but let each one act as God has willed concerning him. You were called having a wife from among the unbelievers. Keep her with you, and do not cast her out for her unbelief.
1 Cor. 7:17. So I ordain in all the churches.
He said this so that the Corinthians would more readily obey him, since he commands the same thing to others together with them as well.
1 Cor. 7:18. Was anyone called being circumcised, let him not conceal it (μη έπισπάσθω).
Probably, many, being ashamed of circumcision, by some medicine restored the circumcised member to its original appearance, growing back the foreskin on it.
1 Cor. 7:18. Was anyone called being uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.
On the other hand, some, finding something important in circumcision, were circumcised after their conversion to the faith. Therefore he says that this contributes nothing to the faith.
1 Cor. 7:19. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but everything is in the keeping of the commandments of God.
Everywhere, he says, together with faith the practice of virtue is required, while everything else is either of little or no importance at all.
1 Cor. 7:20-21. Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. Were you called while a slave? Do not be troubled; but if you can also become free, make use of the better option.
"In the calling in which he was called," that is, in whatever manner of life, and in whatever rank and condition you believed, in that remain; for by calling he means the bringing to faith. Were you a slave when you accepted the faith? Do not worry or be troubled; for slavery does not harm you at all, so that even if you could become free, "make better use of it," sacrifice yourself for the benefit of others.
1 Cor. 7:22. For the slave who has been called in the Lord is the Lord's freedman; likewise the one who has been called as a free man is a slave of Christ.
A freedman is one who has been liberated from slavery. So he says: you who believed while in a state of slavery are a freedman of the Lord, for Christ has freed you both from sin and from that outward slavery, even though you are a slave. He who does not submit to passions, having a noble soul, is not a slave, even though he appears to be one. On the other hand, another was called to the faith as a free man; such a one is a slave of Christ. Therefore, if the name of slavery disturbs the slave, let him understand that he has become free in Christ, and this freedom is far more important than human freedom. Again, if the name of freedom puffs up the free man, let such a one understand that he is a slave of Christ and be humbled, considering that he is subject to such a Master and must please Him. Do you see the wisdom with which the apostle gives instruction to slaves and free men?
1 Cor. 7:23-24. You were bought with a dear price; do not become slaves of men. In whatever calling each was called, brethren, let each one remain in that before God.
He says this not to slaves alone, but also to free people, exhorting all Christians to do nothing for the sake of pleasing men and not to obey them if their commands are unlawful. This is what it means: having been bought by God, to become slaves of men. He is not urging slaves to fall away from their masters—no; this is clear from his subsequent words: "in whatever calling one was called," and so on, that is, if someone was called even in a state of slavery, let him remain in it. He added "before God" so that through obedience to lawless masters one would not fall away from God. He is concerned about both things, that is, on the one hand, that slaves not fall away from their masters under the pretext of obedience to God, and on the other, that by rendering excessive obedience to their masters, they not fall away from God.
1 Cor. 7:25. Concerning virginity, I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give counsel, as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be faithful to Him.
Above he occupied us with a conversation about chastity, and now he turns to a more important subject, namely virginity, and says that the Lord did not lay down a law and did not give a commandment concerning virginity, but only said: "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it" (Matt. 19:12). Therefore I too do not dare to prescribe anything regarding this subject; it is an important matter, but at the same time a dangerous one; however, I give my opinion, that is, my counsel, since I myself, by the mercy of God, have been deemed worthy to be faithful, that is, close to Him and one to whom mysteries can be entrusted.
1 Cor. 7:26. On account of the present distress, I consider it best that it is good for a man to remain as he is.
In my opinion, he says, it is best of all for a person to abstain from marriage on account of the inconveniences and unpleasantnesses connected with it, and not because marriage is impure.
1 Cor. 7:27-28. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a divorce. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. However, if you do marry, you have not sinned.
With the words "are you bound to a wife?" he showed that marriage, as a bond, brings with it troubles. By "divorce" he means not abstinence by mutual agreement, but divorce without sufficient cause; for if the spouses abstain by mutual agreement, then this is not divorce. Having said "do not seek a wife," lest they think he is commanding celibacy, he adds: "but if you do marry, you have not sinned." Notice, meanwhile, how imperceptibly he encourages virginity, calling marriage a bond, and virginity a release and freedom.
1 Cor. 7:28. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned.
By "virgin" here he means not one who is consecrated to God (for if such a one marries, she undoubtedly sins, since by this, besides her Bridegroom Christ, she introduces an adulterer to herself), but a still-unmarried maiden. So if such a one marries, she does not sin, because marriage contains nothing impure in itself.
1 Cor. 7:28. But such shall have tribulations in the flesh; and I spare you.
By "tribulations" he means the cares and sorrows connected with marriage. "And I," he continues, "feel sorry for you," as for children, and I wish that you were free and without sorrow. Marriage is a bond; and those who are under its yoke do not have authority over themselves, as was said above.
1 Cor. 7:29. I say to you, brethren: the time is already short.
Lest someone add to his words "will have troubles in the flesh" the thought "but also pleasure at the same time," he cuts off all hope of pleasure by pointing to the shortness of the time. For everything is hastening toward destruction, and the Kingdom of Christ has drawn near, and finally we must appear before Christ. Therefore, even if there is any pleasure in married life, it is unstable and short-lived.
1 Cor. 7:29-31. So that those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they were not weeping; and those who rejoice, as though they were not rejoicing; and those who buy, as though they were not acquiring; and those who use this world, as though they were not using it.
If even those who have wives ought to be as though they have none, then what benefit is there in binding oneself in marriage and placing a burden upon oneself? What then does "as though not having" mean? It means: not clinging to marriage and a wife and not exhausting all one's cares upon them. In the same way, no one ought to be overly preoccupied with anything else either: neither with sorrowful circumstances, which he hinted at with the word "weeping," nor with joyful ones, which he indicated with the word "rejoicing," nor with transactions, which he expressed with the word "buying." And why, he says, enumerate this and that? Simply, those who make use of this world must not misuse it, that is, cling to it with all their zeal and attachment; for excessive use that goes beyond the bounds of what is proper is misuse.
1 Cor. 7:31. For the fashion of this world passes away.
That is, it passes away and is destroyed. Why then become attached to that which is destroyed? By the term "figure" he showed that the things of the present world only flash before the eyes, are exceedingly fleeting, and have nothing solid or substantial in them.
1 Cor. 7:32. But I want you to be without cares.
And in what way could we be without cares? If we were to remain unmarried. Therefore he adds the following.
1 Cor. 7:32-33. The unmarried man cares about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man cares about the things of the world, how to please his wife.
How is it, Paul, that while desiring us to be free from care and for this reason commending celibacy to us, you again say: "the unmarried man cares for the things of the Lord"? For behold, here too there are cares. But not such cares, he says, as are joined with marriage: cares for the things of the Lord are salvific and sweet, whereas cares for the things of the world are harmful and burdensome. Indeed, is it not a burden and a grief to strive to please a wife, and especially one who loves adornment and demands gold and pearls and other vain things? This is what disposes wretched husbands to injustice and soul-harming management of affairs.
1 Cor. 7:33. There is a difference between a married woman and a virgin.
That is, they differ among themselves, and do not have one and the same concern, but are divided in their cares: one is concerned with such matters, and the other with others. Since their concerns are different, one must choose those among them which are better and easier.
1 Cor. 7:34. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit; but the married woman cares about the things of the world, how to please her husband.
It is not enough to be holy in body; one must also be holy in spirit, for in this—that is, in purity of soul—true virginity consists. In practice, many who are pure and blameless in body are defiled in soul. Beyond this, note also that she who is concerned with worldly things is no virgin. Therefore, when you see a woman who presents herself as a virgin yet is occupied with worldly matters, know that she differs in no way from a married woman. Paul established definite marks for both by which they may be recognized—not marriage and continence, but on the one hand, great and anxious activity, and on the other, quiet attention to one's own affairs. Consequently, she is no virgin who burdens herself with a multitude of vain occupations. And the married woman continues to care about how to please her husband, and therefore devotes special attention to her appearance, or, so that she may be regarded as a good housewife, shows herself to be thrifty and frugal.
1 Cor. 7:35. I say this for your own benefit, not to place a restraint upon you.
I spoke, he says, about virginity, knowing that this state is beneficial for you, since it is free from sorrow and cares, and provides more advantages to the soul; I did not speak about this in order to compel you against your will to remain in virginity (for by "bonds" he meant compulsion).
1 Cor. 7:35. But that you may serve the Lord with propriety and constant devotion without distraction.
For this reason, he says, so that you may live becomingly and in purity; for what can be more becoming and purer than virginity? And also so that you, being free from the unpleasantries of marriage, may serve the Lord without distraction and stand before Him always, casting all your cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7).
1 Cor. 7:36. But if anyone considers it improper for his virgin that she, being of mature age, should remain so, let him do as he wishes: he does not sin.
If anyone, he says, being truly weak in soul, considers it dishonorable to leave his daughter a virgin, especially if she has passed the mature age, then let it be so, he says. How so? "Let him do as he wishes," that is, if he wants to give her in marriage, let him give her, for he will not sin. However, it is better to keep the virgin, as he says further.
1 Cor. 7:36-38. Let such ones marry. But whoever stands firm in his heart, not being constrained by necessity, but having authority over his own will, and has resolved in his heart to keep his virgin, does well. Therefore he who gives his virgin in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.
Notice how he first marvels at the one who keeps his virgin: he calls him firm and steadfast and one who acts with deliberation; for he says, "standing firm in his heart." So then, the one who gives his virgin in marriage is not firm. By the words "having no necessity" he shows that the father has the authority to give his daughter a husband, and no one can compel him not to give her in marriage. So it is to his honor if he keeps his daughter unmarried; therefore the apostle also praises him, for "he does well," he says. But the one who gives his daughter in marriage also "does well"; for giving in marriage is not a sin, and everything that is not a sin is good. But it is far better not to give in marriage, for this is perfection in what is good.
1 Cor. 7:39-40. A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is free to marry whom she wishes, only in the Lord. But she is more blessed if she remains as she is, according to my counsel; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
Here he teaches about second marriage, and although he permits it, nevertheless he considers more blessed the one who does not enter into a second marriage; for as virginity is higher than the first marriage, so the first marriage is higher than the second. "The wife is bound by the law," that is, she is restrained by the precaution of the law from adultery, from being an adulteress through union with another while the husband is alive, but if the husband dies, she becomes free from the bonds and law of the first marriage and receives permission. "Only in the Lord," that is, only with chastity, with honor may she enter into a second marriage, for bearing and raising children, and not from the impulse of lust. "According to my counsel" he adds, so that you would not regard this as a commandment, but only as counsel, Divine counsel. "I think," he says, "that I also have the Spirit of God." In these words there is more humility; for he did not say: I have, but: "I think" that "I have," that is, I suppose, I surmise.