1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:1 Three Issues from the Corinthians’ Letter. Paul discusses problems raised in a letter from the Corinthians. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:2 HAVE probably refers to sexual intercourse (compare 1 Corinthians 5:1). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:4 Husbands and wives should act for each other’s benefit. See Ephesians 5:22 and Colossians 3:18. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:5 DO NOT DEPRIVE. Married couples should abstain from sexual relations only for short periods of time and only when both the husband and wife agree. CONCESSION. Paul does not demand such abstention. EACH HAS HIS OWN GIFT. Both marriage and celibacy have their ow... [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:10 Paul’s words are in contrast to Roman law, which permitted either a husband or a wife to begin a divorce with no stated cause required. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:12 I, NOT THE LORD. Paul knows Jesus’ sayings on divorce that were later written in the Gospels (Matthew 5:32; Matthew 19:9; Mark 10:11; Luke 16:18). Jesus never spoke specifically about the situation of one spouse becoming a Christian and the other remaining un... [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:14 MADE HOLY... ARE HOLY. These are the same terms used earlier for God’s separation of Corinthian Christians from their pagan environment as his special people (1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 6:1, 1 Corinthians 6:2,... [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:15 LET IT BE SO. Paul advises the Christian spouse not to create strife by trying to bring about reconciliation with an unbelieving spouse who has left the marriage. NOT ENSLAVED. This at least means that the believing spouse is not obligated to seek reconciliat... [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:16 HOW DO YOU KNOW? Paul probably expects a negative answer to these rhetorical questions. There is no guarantee that an unbelieving spouse will be saved. The believer is not required to pursue the spouse who has left. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByT... [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:17 God calls people to himself who are in various situations regarding economics (slavery vs. freedom), family (divorce vs. marriage), and religious background (circumcision vs. uncircumcision), and often God has a purpose for the new believer in that very situa... [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:19 Even though circumcision was no longer commanded (Genesis 17:1), God still had COMMANDMENTS for his people to keep (Galatians 6:2). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:21 Being a BONDSERVANT in NT times was different from the institution of slavery in North America during the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries. Slaves (bondservants, servants) generally were permitted to work for pay and to save enough to buy their fr... [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:25 THE BETROTHED translates the Greek term for “virgins.” The term could apply to either men or women. Paul’s use of the term in v. 1 Corinthians 7:28 is clearly feminine, so he probably has women in mind here as well. Given what he writes in vv. 1 Corinthians 7... [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:26 PRESENT DISTRESS. This may refer to living in the last days (see note on vv. 29–31), or to some difficulty the Corinthians were experiencing, such as famine. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:28 On deciding whether to MARRY, see note on vv. 5–7. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:29 See 1 Corinthians 10:11. Paul is not saying that Jesus will definitely return within the Corinthians’ lifetimes. Elsewhere, he encourages Christians to continue with their normal daily lives, while awaiting the second coming (see 1 Corinthians 7:1, 1 Corinthi... [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:32 On living as a single person, see note on vv. 5–7. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:36 IF HIS PASSIONS ARE STRONG translates a difficult word. The esv is consistent with Paul’s reasoning in vv. 1 Corinthians 7:2 and 1 Corinthians 7:9. Paul’s comment is not intended as a disapproval of marriage (see vv. 1 Corinthians 7:28, 1 Corinthians 7:38;... [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:37 KEEP HER AS HIS BETROTHED. Paul now turns to the person who chooses to remain unmarried. DOES WELL... EVEN BETTER. Sometimes, one is free to choose between courses of action, none of which are morally better than the others, and all of which give unique oppor... [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 7:39 HER HUSBAND DIES. Presumably all that Paul has just said about the betrothed person applies to the widow as well (vv. 1 Corinthians 7:8, 1 Corinthians 7:40). His instruction that she marry ONLY IN THE LORD (that is, she should marry only a fellow Christian) w... [ Continue Reading ]