1 Corinthians Chapter 7 Breakdown

1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

The Corinthians wrote to Paul. Paul responds to their questions with the statement it is good to not touch a woman. With the Greek word for touch being, Strong's G680 – haptomai and meaning of carnal intercourse with a women or cohabitation.

2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

But, because of sexual immorality, a man should be with his own wife and a woman with her own husband. In doing so, this should reduce the risk of being sexually immoral. Remember from the last chapter, to be sexually immoral is to have illicit sexual intercourse including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals, sexual intercourse with close relatives, sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman.

3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

As a husband, give to your wife the good will due to her, and wives should do the same for the husband.

4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

The husband has the authority over the wife’s body and the wife has the authority over the husband’s body.

5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Do not withhold yourselves from each other unless you both agree to do so during the time of fasting and prayer. But be sure to come back together again as to avoid temptation from Satan. The flesh lacks self-control.

6 But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment.

This is not, and was not given as a commandment. This is merely a concern Paul had and wanted to be sure to address it.

7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

Not every man has the same gifts as another.

8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

It is good to remain unmarried so long as you have self-control.

10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.

Paul now quotes a commandment from the Old Testament. A wife is not to leave her husband.

11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

If she does leave him, she must stay unmarried or go back to the husband. We know that, according to the Law of God, if a woman is divorced and gets married to another, they both are considered adulterers. She cannot go back to the first husband after being married to a second man. But, if she remains alone during the divorce, she can go back to the first husband because she was not defiled by another during the separation.

12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.

Now, this is Paul speaking and it does not come from God, do not divorce your wife even if she doesn’t believe the same as you.

13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.

Same goes for women.

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

The unbelieving husband will be set apart from the world by the wife, and the same goes for the unbelieving wife. If this wasn’t the case the children would be considered unclean.

15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.

If the unbelieving partner chooses to leave, let them leave. Keep the piece and do not worry about them leaving.

16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

How would either of you know if you can save your wife or husband if God has not called them to be saved?

17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.

Let God be the caller of His people. This goes to all the churches. A man can only give the word, God is the one who chooses His people.

18 Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.

If you were called as a Jew, stay a Jew. If you were called while a gentile, do not become a Jew. There was a sect of Judaism that were basically following Paul and teaching salvation required circumcision. This was never written in the Old Testament as a law.

19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.

Now Paul says something extremely important here. Basically he is saying, you are not saved by becoming circumcised, it isn’t important. What is important, though, is keeping the Law of God. These are Paul’s words to the gentiles in Corinth.

20 Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called.

If you were called as a Jew, stay a Jew. If you were called as a gentile, do not become a Jew.

21 Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it.

If you were called as a slave, don’t worry about it but if you can be made free because of it, do so.

22 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.

You are a free man in the eyes of God. Just as a free man is a slave for Christ.

23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

Psalm 37:21

The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives.

Do not allow yourselves to become slaves of men. In today’s world we become slaves of men by going into debt, or borrowing money.

24 Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.

There is no reason to try change your place in life once you have been called by God.

25 Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy.

Paul doesn’t have a commandment to pass along concerning virgins being called from God. But he does have a judgment concerning this topic.

26 I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—that it is good for a man to remain as he is: Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

He says being called as a virgin it may be good to stay a virgin due to the sexual issues going on in Corinth. Basically, marriage brings a bond. If you are married, don’t try to get out of the marriage. If you are not married, don’t look to be married.

28 But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.

Being married is not a sin. You will have trouble living in the flesh no matter what, but in particular with being married.

29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.

Time is short. If you are married, you must spend your time with God, as if you were not married. If you are hurt, don’t worry about your individual problems. If good things happen for you, forget that too. We are running out of time in this world and we must get right with God.

32 But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord.

See, it is the man who is unmarried that is the one who cares for the things of the Lord and focuses on how to please the Lord.

33 But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife.

Deuteronomy 24:5

“When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.

On the contrary, it is the man who is married who worries about things of this world, and how he can please his wife. This is why Paul says do not get married if you have self-control.

34 There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.

The same as above goes for women as well.

35 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.

Paul says all this to help ensure men and women focus of God and serve Him without being distracted by things of this world.

36 But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry.

If a man thinks he is not doing right by his daughter, it is okay to allow her to be married.

37 Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well.

A man standing firm in his heart, and having no obligations, but has power over his own will, and has chosen to guard his virgin (daughter) and not allow her to marry, does well.

38 So then he who gives her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.

Both men, allowing and not allowing his daughter to marry both do well, but the one who does not allow his daughter to marry does better.

39 A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

Paul uses this later in Romans to show the mystery of Christ.

Romans 7:2

For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband

40 But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment—and I think I also have the Spirit of God.

Paul then says he believes everyone will be happier if they are not married because then that person can focus on pleasing God.