Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote

(περ δε ων εγραψατε). An ellipsis of περ τουτων, the antecedent of περ ων, is easily supplied as in papyri. The church had written Paul a letter in which a number of specific problems about marriage were raised. He answers them seriatim. The questions must be clearly before one in order intelligently to interpret Paul's replies. The first is whether a single life is wrong. Paul pointedly says that it is not wrong, but good (καλον). One will get a one-sided view of Paul's teaching on marriage unless he keeps a proper perspective. One of the marks of certain heretics will be forbidding to marry (1 Timothy 4:3). Paul uses marriage as a metaphor of our relation to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Romans 7:4; Ephesians 5:28-33). Paul is not here opposing marriage. He is only arguing that celibacy may be good in certain limitations. The genitive case with απτεσθα (touch) is the usual construction.

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Old Testament