1 Corinthians 7:32 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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1 Corinthians 7:32

Comments

In the light of the fact that this world is passing away, and nothing in it is of great importance compared to the world to come and the advance of Christ’s kingdom, Paul would have us focus on what really matters. He returns to the subject of singleness, but considers it from another angle. Consider it from the point of view of the burden of cares for things other than the things of Christ. He wants to minimise the cares of God’s people, and in the context of marriage, there is a significant point to be made. The unmarried person has only one set of cares; the married person has another set of cares. We should not understand this as if we can only care for one thing or other, as if a married person can have no concern for the Lord because all their concern is taken up with their wife. No, but the married are forced to divide their concerns between the Lord and their spouse, whereas the single person is free to serve the Lord and no one else. Marriage is after all a great and a serious commitment. He who is unmarried can be much more given to the service of Christ in so many ways. It is right for the married man to care for his wife. He has got to divide his time and his energies and his concerns between the Lord and his wife, and his wife stands here for his children as well, that is, his whole family. But it would be wrong to read this as if Paul were saying that marriage is a second best. We cannot think that way in spite of the advantages of singleness, because singleness is only for those who have a specific gift from the Lord, not given to everyone. For someone who does not have this gift to aim at singleness, would be dangerous, and unwise.Of course, Paul himself has cares as he tells us elsewhere (2 Corinthians 11:28) even though he is unmarried (1 Corinthians 7:7), but these cares are the cares of one who is serving the Lord with all his time and energy, without having to think about the needs of a wife. They are cares to do with the kingdom of heaven and he can give his full attention to them.

Application

Marriage is not the only concern that might force us to divide our time. Imagine an unmarried man who starts his own business, forms his own company, and then perhaps forms another. This is going to take up a serious amount of his time. The apostle would have us to be free from extra concerns so that we are wholly available for the Lord, as he is. The principle involved here should be applied to all, whether single or married, because the Christian is certainly not to encumber himself or herself with consuming passions that eat up his time and energy and leave nothing for the Lord. This applies to entertainment, to hobbies, and of course to self-enrichment. Paul would have all the Corinthian believers to be free from excessive care for the Lord’s sake.

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1 Corinthians 7:32 Commentary and Bible Study