1 Corinthians 7:1

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 this life, in

reference to eternity, 29-31.

The trials of the married state, 39-35.

Directions concerning the state of virginity or celibacy, 36-38.

How the wife is bound to her husband during his life, and her

liberty to marry another after his death, 39, 40.

NOTES ON CHAP. VII.

Verse 1 Corinthians 7:1. The things whereof ye wrote unto me] It is sufficiently evident that the principal part of this epistle was written in answer to some questions which had been sent to the apostle in a letter from the Corinthian Church; and the first question seems to be this: "Is it proper for a man to marry in the present circumstances of the Church?"

The question concerning the expediency or inexpediency of marriage was often agitated among the ancient philosophers; and many, though inclined to decide against it, because of the troubles and cares connected with it, tolerated it in their opinions; because, though an evil, it was judged to be a necessary evil. The words of Menander are full to this effect: Γαμειν, εαν τις την αληθειαν σκοπῃ, κακον μεν εστιν, αλλ' αναγκαιον κακον· "If a man consider marriage in a proper point of view, it is an evil; but then it is a necessary evil." Metellus Numidicus spoke of it nearly in the same way. Si sine uxore possemus, Quirites, esse, omnes ea molestia careremus; sed quoniam ita natura tradidit, ut nec CUM ILLIS salis commode, nec SINE ILLIS ullo modo vivi possit, saluti perpetus potius quam brevi voluptati consulendum. "If, O ye Romans, we could live unmarried, we should be saved from a great deal of trouble; but, seeing that nature has so ordered it that we cannot live very comfortably with wives, and without them cannot live at all, marriage should be adopted, not for the sake of the short-lived pleasure, but rather for perpetual safety." But this was not the common opinion; the Jews absolutely required that every man should marry, and reputed those as murderers who did not. - 1 Corinthians 7:6. By the laws of Lycurgus unmarried persons were prohibited from seeing the public games. By the laws of the Spartans bachelors were punished. And Plato declares all such unworthy of any honour. And to this the commentator says, Amen.

Not to touch a woman] Γυναικος μη ἁπτεσθαι· The learned reader need not be informed in what sense απτομαι is used among the Greeks, and langere among the Latins. For examples Wetstein may be consulted.