1 Corinthians 7:35 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

NIV: 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.

NASB: I say this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

CSB: I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but to promote what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.

NLT: I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

KJV: And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

NKJV: And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.

Previous verses described why Paul—personally, not as a matter of faith (1 Corinthians 7:25)—sees an advantage for a Christian to remain single. That person, man or woman, will be able to remain undivided in their service to Christ. The married person will be divided in their efforts: between their obligation to please Christ and their additional spiritual obligation to please his or her spouse.

Paul adds once more, for the sake of clarity, that he is not writing this as a command. He is not using his authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ to tell unmarried people not to marry. He offers this instruction to his readers in order to be helpful to them in considering whether to get married or not.

He says he wants to promote good order among them. Given what's been said in prior verses, this likely means Paul wants Christians to make marriage choices for appropriate reasons. Whether they marry or stay single, his intent is for believers to do so for the right reasons. Of course, Paul has his personal preference. He probably hopes more Christians will choose to remain single and take advantage of the opportunity to experience undivided devotion to the Lord.

First Corinthians 7:25–40 explores Paul's response to a question about those who are engaged to be married. Should they go through with it, considering his teaching that singleness provides opportunity to serve Christ undivided? Both are permitted, Paul insists, and you do well in either case. Paul's unique, personal view is that unmarried Christians can serve without the troubles that come with even the best marriages; they can remain fully focused on living for Christ. That is neither a command nor a judgment binding on anyone.

Paul rejects an idea concerning the Corinthian believers: that married Christians should not have sex. Perhaps some even thought marriages should be dissolved and avoided. On the contrary, Scripture says married Christians should have regular sex in order to avoid temptation. Those who are married ought to remain married. Unmarried believers with the gift of celibacy, however, should consider remaining single in order to avoid the troubles of marriage. That is Paul's personal preference, though that gift is not given to all others. Single believers can devote themselves to serving Christ without distraction. The time is short. All believers should live and serve Christ now as if this world is passing away.

First Corinthians 7 follows Paul's teaching in the previous chapter, which focused mostly on avoiding sexual immorality. Here he commands married husbands and wives not to deprive each other of sex, or get divorced, in a misguided attempt to be more spiritual. Unmarried people who can live contentedly without sex, however, should consider remaining single in order to serve Christ undivided. Getting married is good, but the time is short. The form of this world is passing away. Unmarried people should think about the opportunities to avoid trouble and serve Christ that come with staying single.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.