The apostle now turns to matters whereof they had written to him. The subject of 1 Cor. 7:1-10 is concerning marriage, whether it is better to do so or not, under various circumstances; with some regulations to the married. It was better not to marry, by the apostle’s judgment, nevertheless to avoid fornication let every man have his own wife; every one has not the gift to live above nature. Cp. Matt. 19:10-12. 1 Cor. 7:10-17 take up the case of those already married, and whether it be better or not to remain in that state, bringing in the special cases of a Christian husband married to a heathen wife, and of a Christian wife married to an unbelieving husband. In such cases, if the unbeliever was pleased to dwell with the other, they were not to part. This was different to what a Jew was to do under Judaism (cp. Ezra 9, Neh. 9). The unbelieving wife was sanctified by the husband, and the unbelieving husband sanctified by the wife, else were their children unclean, but now are they holy. They are brought into the outward privileges of Christianity. Besides, the believing wife was encouraged to count on the salvation of her husband, and vice-versa, according to the passage,
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house (Acts 16:30).
1 Cor. 7:18-24 refer to the different positions of life, whether Jew, or Gentile, or slave, in which a man might be converted to Christianity. Is any man called being circumcised? let him not be uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. In the case of a slave, it was better if possible not to be the servants of men, but if in an honest calling, and this was certainly one if he could not be free, he was there to abide with God.
Ver. 25. With regard to virgins, he had no commandment from the Lord; he would only therefore give his judgment, as one who had obtained mercy to be faithful. He judged it was good to abide so in the present necessitous times. Yet there was perfect liberty for such an one to marry, whether man or woman, only they would be likely to have trial in the flesh in these troublous, persecuting times. But what regulated every state was this, the time was short; those that had wives should be as those that had not; those that wept and rejoiced, as though they did not; those that bought, as though they possessed not; those that used this world, as not abusing it, for the fashion of this world passeth away. Let the light of the Coming of the Lord shine on every thing. He would have them without carefulness. The unmarried cared for the things of the Lord; the married cared for the things of the world and how to please his wife, ver. 34. There was a difference also between a wife and a virgin. The latter, unmarried, cared for the things of the Lord; the former was in danger of putting the world and her husband first. All this was spoken for their profit, that, as he had said before, and with the light of the second Coming of the Lord also thrown upon it — cp. Phil. 4:4, — they might attend upon the Lord without distraction.
1 Cor. 7:36-38 refer to the case of a father having an unmarried virgin, and to whether he is to give her in marriage or not. The wife was bound to her husband as long as he lived, but if her husband died she was free to marry again (ver. 39). In all these regulations we see the bond of marriage as instituted in the Garden of Eden upheld in all its integrity, yet a superior power in Christianity introduced, so that one might live above nature by the power of the Spirit of God. We also see here the apostle affirming the inspiration of his writings (ver. 10); at the same time making a distinction between what the Lord said, and that which was the result of his own spiritual judgment as one whom the Lord had found faithful (vers. 12, 25).