In this section, Paul is addressing the issue of change of status, such as from singlehood to marriage, from uncircumcision to circumcision, and from slavery to freedom (7:8, 17-24). To Paul, the essence of the Gospel is not about changing one’s external circumstances, but rather one’s internal condition. E.g. quitting your job to do spirituality may be helpful, but if one’s internal condition is not restored, even with the extra time, he may not be able to do spirituality well. On the contrary, a person who has a job, but depends wholly on the grace of God (with the little time of prayer he has), may grow even more. …Read More
Hence Paul advises that one should not change his external circumstances, unless they cause him to sin or lose his holiness. Instead, one should confirm being in the place where God has called him. God’s calling of us as Christians does not pertain only to church, but to all aspects of life – hence the calling to the Gospel is not separated from others like the calling to work, the calling to marriage etc. As long as God calls you to that place, even if the conditions are most adverse, you should not anyhow leave. This is the general rule for all situations in life (7:17). The most important thing is to ‘keep God’s commands’, which is to hear what God says (7:19) – which the Corinthians were not able to do in their immaturity. For that, one must “remain” (dwell, abide) with God (7:20, Greek) and be filled with the Holy Spirit (7:40).
The Gospel has set us free from sin; it does not guarantee we are free from circumstances where we feel restricted (like a converted slave mulling if he should seek release, 7:21). However, to Paul, the true freedom of the Christian is the freedom to live a life for God & make an impact for the Gospel, even if it means willingly accepting restrictions of your physical freedom (just like Paul made himself a slave to everyone to win everyone, 1 Cor 9:19).
Returning to the issue of marriage (7:25-40), Paul thus states that the decision to marry (or not) must be motivated by your desire to please God (7:32-34) & do His affairs. However, Paul also advocates celibacy as the more desired option, in light of the ‘many troubles in this life’ (burdens & responsibilities) that will accompany marriage. This is not to say that singles have no troubles. But in comparison to the married, singles have more ability to devote themselves to God (7:32,34).
The gift of celibacy is not simply the ability to live without sex, but also to pour out for other people & serve God wholeheartedly. Thus, a single Christian is expected to be able to give more & be involved more in church ministry. Unfortunately, many singles end up using their energy to carve their career paths, indulge in their own hobbies & tour the world – which there is no time for (7:29). Hence, celibacy is to be sought after & confirmed as early as possible (to give God the best of our life), than to act as a last resort when one cannot find a partner.
This is because ‘the time is short’ (7:29), i.e. the Lord’s coming is near. We should not expend our energy on the world’s affairs – like establishing our career (for singles) or improving our family life (for married) – because they are all temporal (7:31). Not that they are unimportant or should be neglected, but they cannot be more important than God. E.g. a Christian, once married, would tend to spend many years building up their family & bringing up their kids, in expense of their devotion to God (even asserting that they are ‘fulfilling their calling’). Without realising, most of the time, they are raising their family according to worldly standards, instead of letting God take charge. E.g. we would rather our children be lawyers than to be hawkers. However, for Paul, what matters is the godly influence one can have in a position, not how prestigious it is or how much income it can earn.
This is not to mean we should not take care of our family. But considering the time is short, each one should prioritise preparing for the Lord’s return, than to be so deeply entangled with their family affairs and neglect their spirituality (7:29). Likewise, we should not hold tightly to our possessions nor easily be swayed by the joys & sorrows of the world (7:30-31).
While Paul advocates celibacy in view of the capacity to serve God, being married does not mean you should not devote to God either. Couples should aim to give whatever they can for the Lord’s affairs, even though it is less than the capacity of singles. Singles admittedly have a limitation of being an individual; for families, however, if all members are strong in the faith & can give God their everything, the power is even greater. As Jesus said, ‘For where two or three(more) gather in my name, there am I with them’ (Mt 18:20) – nowhere else can this be better fulfilled than in a family who gives ‘undivided devotion to the Lord’ (7:35).
