Freedom to Marry

Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.  Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife.  But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. I Corinthians 7:25-28

Marriage is one of the four divine institutions established by God before there was law. These institutions are to insure the orderly direction and preservation of the human race. The four are:

#1-volition (free will Genesis 2-3)
#2-marriage (one man-one woman Genesis 2:18-25)
#3-family (children produced and trained under the authority of the parents Genesis 4-10)
#4-national government (freedom maintained through human leadership under the sovereignty of God. Nationalism is a barrier against the evil of the devil’s world Genesis 10-11).

There is nothing wrong with divinely ordained marriage. If a virgin wants to marry, that is exactly what he/she should do. “The present crisis” in Corinth could be anything, but in this context it would appear to be sexual in nature. In a society where the predominant religions were phallic cults and sex acts were central to their “worship” practices, the pagan temples were houses of prostitution. These people, having been saved and now trying to learn the Christian way of life needed detailed instruction in the sacredness of marriage. They were having to learn monogamy. A pagan's various wives would have had various duties in the household, but the temple of Aphrodite took care of his sexual needs. Cultural changes were in order. Sex is good, Corinthians, in the context of monogamous marriage. It needs to happen with one’s own spouse. However, there is also the matter of the imminence of Christ’s return. He could come back at any moment. It would be good if we could devote our attention to being prepared to meet Him on that day, rather than caught up in human, material distractions. Paul really wanted everyone to be as dedicated to the service of Christ as he was. Married people must devote a lot of their time and attention to each other, and to the functions of the household. It isn’t always easy to keep Christ’s concerns uppermost.

What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not;  those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep;  those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.

A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.  In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God. I Corinthians 7:29-40

When a woman is widowed, she has no obligation to that husband anymore, and is free to marry another. She should be sure the other man is a Christian. Her life will be greatly simplified, though, if she can just remain unmarried.

Paul wasn’t stating law in all these teachings about marriage. He was answering the Corinthian saints’ questions about their new situation in life.  He knew people and their weaknesses, and from his own personal experience, he considered celibacy the more productive status for the believer. That was his personal preference, and it made sense, but the vast majority of people want and need to be married.

It is an individual decision. The Lord will lead.