1 Corinthians 7:1

Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. The Corinthians in their letter had asked questions tending to disparage marriage, and implied that it was better to break off marriage with an unbeliever. GOOD - i:e., expedient, because of "the present distress;" i:e., the unsettled state of the world, and the likelihood of persecutions tearing asunder marriage-ties. opposes Romish notions of superior sanctity in celibacy. Another reason why celibacy may be a matter of Christian expediency is (1 Corinthians 7:34), 'that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.' But these are exceptional cases, and in exceptional times....

As he had spoken of fornication, he now appropriately proceeds to speak of marriage which is the remedy for avoiding fornication. Now it appears, that, notwithstanding the greatly scattered state of the Corinthian Church, they still retained some respect for Paul, inasmuch as they consulted him on doubtful points. What their questions had been is uncertain, except in so far as we may gather them from his reply. This, however, is perfectly well known, that immediately after the first rise of the Church, there crept into it, through Satan’s artifice, a superstition of such a kind, that a large proportion of them, through a foolish admiration of celibacy, (367) despised the sacred connection of marriage; nay more, many regarded it with abhorrence, as a profane thing. This contagion had perhaps spread itself among the Corinthians also; or at least there were idly-disposed spirits, who, by im...

1-9 The apostle tells the Corinthians that it was good, in that juncture of time, for Christians to keep themselves single. Yet he says that marriage, and the comforts of that state, are settled by Divine wisdom. Though none may break the law of God, yet that perfect rule leaves men at liberty to serve him in the way most suited to their powers and circumstances, of which others often are very unfit judges. All must determine for themselves, seeking counsel from God how they ought to act....

CHAPTER VII. _A solution of several difficult cases concerning marriage and_ _married persons_, 1-6. _God has given every man his proper gift_, 7. _Directions to the unmarried and widows_, 8, 9. _Directions to the married_, 10, 11. _Directions to men married to heathen women, and to women_ _married to heathen men_, 12-16. _Every man should abide in his vocation_, 17-24. _Directions concerning virgins, and single persons in general_, 25-28. How all should behave themselves in the things of thi

NOW, CONCERNING ... - In reply to your inquiries. The first, it seems, was in regard to the propriety of marriage; that is, whether it was lawful and expedient. IT IS GOOD - It is well. It is fit, convenient, or, it is suited to the present circumstances, or, the thing itself is well and expedient in certain circumstances. The apostle did not mean that marriage was unlawful, for he says Hebrews 13:4 that “marriage is honorable in all.” But he here admits, with one of the parties in Corinth, that it was well, and proper in some circumstances, not to enter into the marriage relation; see 1 Corinthians 7:7, 1Co 7:26,...

EXPOSITION 1 CORINTHIANS 7:1 _Answers to the inquiries of the Corinthians respecting marriage._ 1 CORINTHIANS 7:1 _The_ _lawfulness of marriage, and its duties._ 1 CORINTHIANS 7:1 NOW CONCERNING. This refers to questions of the Corinthians. It is GOOD FOR A MAN NOT TO TOUCH A WOMAN. The word used is not _agathon, _good, but _kalon, _fair; "an excellent thing." In 1 Corinthians 7:26 he limits the word by the clause, "good for the p

NOW CONCERNING THE THINGS WHEREOF YE WROTE UNTO ME,.... Though the false apostles had greatly influenced the members of this church, yet there were many among them that had a very great respect for the apostle, and kept up a correspondence with him, though at a distance from him, by writing; in which way they informed him of their doubts and difficulties, that arose in their minds about certain things, and desired his judgment in them, to which they paid a very great deference. The things they wrote to him about, here referred to, may be collected from the contents of this chapter, and some others following; as whether a Christian man ought not to abstain from the use of women; whether a believer ought to live with an unbelieving yoke fellow; whether such as had been circumcised should not make use of some methods to draw on the foreskin of their flesh; whether apprentices, who were call...

4. CONCERNING THE RELATIONSHIP OF MAN AND WOMAN CHAPTER 7 _ 1. The Single and the Married Life. (1 Corinthians 7:1)._ 2. Separation and Divorce. (1 Corinthians 7:10). 3. Abiding in the Different Callings. (1 Corinthians 7:17). 4. The Unmarried and Married in Contrast. (1 Corinthians 7:25). It is evident from the first verse that the Corinthians had inquired of the Apostle about marriage and the relationship of man and woman. It was an important question in a city of the character of Corinth, so full of immorality. This chapter answers their questi

1 CORINTHIANS 7. PROBLEMS AS TO MARRIAGE, CELIBACY, AND DIVORCE. At this point Paul takes up a letter sent by the Corinthian church inviting his judgment on various questions, apparently indicating their own views with some self-satisfaction. The reply probably follows the order of the letter, not only as to the subjects in general, but the different branches of them. This explains the somewhat haphazard development of the subject in this chapter. (On the questions discussed, see p. 650.) The view put forward in the letter was that celibacy should be practised in the church. Such a view was not unnatural in a city so foul as Corinth. 1 CORINTHIANS 7:1. Paul begins by asserting his own personal preference for absolute continence. But he recognises that this is a counsel of perfection. Accordingly he recommends marriage so that unchastity may be prevented, and marriage,

With regard to your letter and its suggestion that it would be a fine thing for a man not to have anything to do with a woman--to avoid fornication, let each man possess his own wife, and each woman her own husband. We have already seen that in Greek thought there was strong tendency to despise the body and the things of the body; and that that tendency could issue in a position where men said, "The body is utterly unimportant; therefore we can do what we like with it and it makes no difference if we allow its appetites to have their fullest play." But that very tendency could issue in a precisely opposite point of view. It could move a man to say, "The body is evil; therefore we must bring it into subjection; therefore we must completely obliterate, and if that is not possible, we must completely deny, all the instincts and desires which are natural to it." It is that second way of loo...