1 Corinthians 7:27-28

“Thou art bound to a wife, seek not to be loosed; thou art loosed from a wife, seek not a wife. 28. But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned; nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh; but I would spare you.”

The apostle would not, however, have 1 Corinthians 7:26 a understood in the sense of a moral superiority granted to celibacy. He therefore expressly repeats what he had said in 1 Corinthians 7:10 (from a somewhat different standpoint): He who is bound, whether as affianced or as married, ought not, with a view to realizing a higher sanctity, to break the bond. I do not think that there is ground for restricting the application of these first words to the affianced, as Hofmann does.

If one were to take the term λέλυσαι, art thou loosed, in the strictness of the letter, it would apply only to widowers and those divorced. But the context proves that, as Origen had already understood it, the word here signifies in general: If thou art free from bond, and that it refers also to celibates.

Vv. 28 is meant to prevent a misunderstanding to which the second part of 1 Corinthians 7:27 might give rise. What Paul says here is not a command; if one act differently he will not sin.

The form ἐὰν καί evidently means, as in 1 Corinthians 7:11; 1 Corinthians 7:21, if therewith, if nevertheless, and not though.

On the two forms γήμῃς and γαμήσῃς, see on 1 Corinthians 7:9. Edwards remarks that if we read γαμήσῃς, we have here the two forms in the same verse.

The flesh strictly denotes the organ of physical sensibility; but the meaning of the word extends very often to moral sensibility.

The term trouble, literally, tribulation, must denote the same thing as the present necessity, 1 Corinthians 7:26, so: the state of permanent conflict in which the Church is with the world till the perfect establishment of the kingdom of God. As long as this state of things shall last, Christian parents who are tender and faithful will have to suffer much for themselves and for their children in a community which is strange to God. The οἱ τοιοῦτοι denotes those who marry in spite of this counsel.

There is a sort of paternal solicitude in the words, but I spare you. The path of celibacy which he recommends will be that in which they shall have least to suffer. St. Augustine makes a singular mistake in giving these words the meaning: “I spare you the enumeration of the troubles of family life.”

But, in all that precedes, Paul has not yet gone to the root of the matter. What is of importance is not: marrying or not marrying; but a habit of soul in keeping with the situation indicated above. And as in 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 he had extended his point of view and generalized the question, so as better to justify his counsel to remain in their present state, so in 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 he explains, while applying it to various analogous cases, his true view in regard to celibacy and marriage in present circumstances.