1 Corinthians 7:26

“I think therefore that this state is good for the present distress, seeing that it is good for man so to be.”

This verse has been translated in a multitude of ways. As Paul seems to say two things at the same time, Rückert, Meyer, Edwards hold some incorrectness. After dictating the words: “I think this, that it is good because of the present distress,” Paul, they say, forgot that he had already expressed the idea: that this is good, and repeated it by mistake, saying, “that it is good for man so to be.” This is to hold a strange idea of the way in which Paul composed; and besides, did he not read over his letters before despatching them? Nor would it be possible to understand why in the second proposition he added the word ἀνθρώπῳ, for man, and substituted the verb εἶναι for ὑπάρχειν. Reuss holds an explanatory repetition: “My advice is, that this is good because of the difficult times which are coming; that it is good for man so to live.” But to what purpose this repetition? and why the two changes which we have indicated? Holsten sees in τοῦτο, this, a pronoun representing by anticipation the idea of the second part of the verse: “I think that this (τοῦτο), [to wit] that it is good for man so to be, is good on account of the present necessity.” Heydenreich and Heinrici take the ὅτι as a pronoun (ὅ τι), which leads to this meaning: “I think this, that [for virgins], on account of the present necessity, all that is good for man [to wit] so to be (to remain virgin) is good.” The construction proposed by Hofmann surpasses, if possible, even these violences: “I think this: that it is good because on account of the present necessity, it is good for man so to be (to remain virgin).” There is, in my view, only one construction admissible, that proposed by de Wette; it is as simple in form as suitable in sense: “I think therefore that this (the state of virginity) is good on account of the present difficulties, seeing that in itself it is good for man so to be.” The idea is this: “If, in general, celibacy is a state good for man (ἄνθρωπος, man or woman), now is the time for applying this principle, especially in regard to virgins, on account of the difficulties of the present time.”

The pronoun τοῦτο, this, is not the object of νομίζω, I think, but the subject of the infinitive ὑπάρχειν; it relates to the state of celibacy, the idea of which was contained in the term παρθένων, virgins, 1 Corinthians 7:25.

The verb καλὸν ὑπάρχειν denotes a goodness in point of fact, while καλὸν εἶναι, in the following proposition, denotes goodness of essence. The difference of expression is explained by the regimen διὰ τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν ἀνάγκην, on account of the necessity, of the present, or imminent, distress; an expression which gives to the καλόν of celibacy the character of suitableness. Hofmann has carried this regimen to the following proposition, beginning with ὅτι, because. But the idea of distress belongs rather to the first proposition, which is intended to characterize the present time as particularly inviting to celibacy.

The word ἐνεστώς strictly signifies imminent (comp. 2Th 2:2), or present (1 Corinthians 3:22; Romans 8:38; Galatians 1:4). The imminent tribulation denotes, it is held, the time of distress which is to precede the end of the world (Luke 21:25-27), what Jewish theology called dolores Messiae, the crisis of the painful birth-pangs of the Messianic kingdom, the reign of the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2). Such is the meaning held by Meyer, Osiander, Edwards, etc. Others give ἐνεστῶσα the meaning of present; so Calvin and Grotius, who apply present distress, the former to the troubles inseparable from married life; the latter to the sufferings of this earthly life in general. But the phrase the present distress is too precise to admit of such vague explanations. While holding the sense of present, which is the most common, it seems to me that we must apply the term necessity, or distress, to the whole state of things between the first and second coming of Christ. In Paul's view the last times began with Pentecost. From that date the character of human existence is one of incessant and painful tension, of struggle between the new life, which sprang up with the appearing of Christ, and the life of the old world, which is departing, but which will not pass away till the Lord's return. On the painful character of this whole period, comp. Luke 12:51: “I am come, not to give peace on earth, but war;” and so Luke 17:22. And how much more acute will the crisis be when persecution will emerge on this ground of trouble and suffering! It seems to me that 1 Corinthians 7:28 speaks in favour of this explanation. No doubt in using the expression present distress to characterize the earthly future of the Church, the apostle had no idea that there could be a time when the world would be outwardly Christianized and Christianity secularized. Like the author of the Apocalypse, he saw the struggle of the two hostile principles going on increasing in intensity till the final crisis. If history has followed another course, and if the war already kindled in the apostolic time has given place to a false peace, this is due in great measure to the weakening of the heavenly virtues of the Church. As it always is in the human domain, which is that of liberty, the Divine plan has been realized in this respect only in an abnormal way.

Under those conditions which were already difficult at the time when the apostle wrote, and which were to become always more so, the unmarried maiden would have, according to him, a much easier path than the woman burdened with a family. The second proposition adds to the reason drawn from the present situation a more general reason, which is no other than the opinion already given on celibacy, 1 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Corinthians 7:7 a. The ὅτι, because, signifies, “celibacy is preferable at this time for virgins, because in general it is preferable for man.” The permanent (εἶναι) and general (ἄνθρωπος) judgment forms the basis of the present (ὑπάρχειν) and particular (παρθένοι) counsel.

The so to be may denote either the state of virginity (τοῦτο) or the state in which man naturally finds himself. The second sense agrees better with the term ἄνθρωπος, which includes the two sexes.

therefore embraces two propositions, the first of which contains the particular counsel called for by the circumstances, the second the indication of the general preference to be given to celibacy. It is these two propositions which are taken up again and developed in the sequel, the first in 1 Corinthians 7:27-31, the second in 1 Corinthians 7:32-38.