Giving Away Daughters (1 Corinthians 7:32-38)

"So then he who gives her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better" (1 Cor. 7:38).

In these verses, Paul continues his instruction on how the married have more concern for the things of this world than the unmarried; this being the case and because of impending troubles, it is better to remain unmarried. Paul extends this instruction to the fathers in verses 36–38. It is important to note that male headship over daughters is respected by the apostle, as it should be in every age. It was assumed that the father remained the head of the daughter until she was given away in marriage. She did not run around “dating” whom she wanted, but she sought marriage under the supervision of her father. This being the natural state of relations, Paul addresses the head of the family on the matter of unmarried daughters.

In the Jewish and Greek culture, if a woman remained unmarried past a certain age, she was considered odd or looked upon with suspicion. It was assumed that all young women were to be married, and if they were not, there must be something wrong with them. Paul speaks out against this. Evidently there were fathers who thought they should press their daughters into marriage. But Paul tells them that if their daughters are of age, but have no interest in getting married, then it is right that they remain unmarried. There is nothing shameful in this situation. However, if their daughters who are of age express a desire to get married and the situation presents itself, then they ought to marry. But a father should not be pressured to marry off his daughter just because of social influence. If he has determined in his own heart and mind, and if the situation requires it, i.e. she has no desire to be married, then it is certainly good for the daughter to remain single. It is better for the daughter to remain unmarried than to be pressured into an undesired marriage.

For our purposes today, it would do every family well to take note of the authority and headship of the father over his daughter. She must seek his approval and guidance in marriage. Nowhere is the daughter given license to act on her own accord in a matter as serious as marriage. She is under her father’s authority until she is given away by her parents to her husband.

How is this male headship of fathers and even brothers denied in today’s society? What practices today go against Scripture’s teaching that daughter’s are to be given away under the authority of their fathers? What changes need to be made For our church families to act more biblically in this matter?

The Time is Short (1 Corinthians 7:29-31)

"… even those who have wives should be as though they had none …" (1 Cor. 7:29).

After calling the unmarried to consider the times in which they live and its conduciveness to following the will of God for their lives, he calls the married to consider their own relationships in light of the brevity of life. Because we are only on this earth for a brief period of time, we should not become entrenched in the concerns of this world. Our minds need to focus on heavenly matters. This does not mean that we refuse to act responsibly, but it does mean that we do not allow earthly concerns to rule us. We should ultimately set our affections on things above, not on earthly things.

It is very easy for Christians to become so attached to earthly things that they cannot imagine being parted from them. Each of us can easily lose sight of the eternal because we become so overwhelmed by our every-day affairs. Paul warns us against falling into this kind of trap. We should carry out our daily responsibilities with an eye to heaven, with an eye to eternity. If we start to act as if all we have is today, then we will lose sight of the things that really matter, of worshiping God, living to glorify Him, and being daily conformed to His image.

In Romans 13:11–14, Paul tells his readers to awake out of their sleep because the day of their salvation is near. Every day is one step closer to heaven, and we should spend each as if it were our last. We are, therefore, to “cast off the works of darkness” and “put on the armor of light.” Living with an eye to eternity instead of being swallowed by the concerns of this life is extremely difficult for every Christian. It is difficult because the daily concerns we have to deal with are sometimes more real, more pressing to us than preparing for eternity. We put off prayer, Bible study, worship of God, and fellowship with other believers because of temporal concerns and even because of pleasures. Instead of living for the moment and being consumed by things of the world, let us do as Paul says in Col. 3:2–3: “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1–22. What is Paul’s teaching here? Paul’s implication is that we should keep a loose grip on the things of this world as we pursue holiness. What things do you hold too tightly? Pray that you will loosen your grip on those things so that you can have greater longing for Christ’s return and serve Him more freely.

“The Present Distress” (1 Corinthians 7:25-28)

"Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife" (1 Cor. 7:27).

Paul urges the married and unmarried to remain as they are because of the “the present distress.” While he maintains that marriage is not sinful, he still considers the burden and troubles of marriage in light of external calamities and trials. But what “present distress” is Paul talking about? Most commentators agree that the “present distress” was probably not some particular trouble which the Corinthian Church faced, but something more general. Paul might have had in mind the troubles that would precede the second coming of Christ, but how and when those calamities would come was not known. The desolation which would soon fall upon Jerusalem, a destruction that had been predicted by the prophets, might have been in the back of Paul’s mind.

But, despite these concerns, the context calls for something more general. “It is not necessary, therefore, to assume, as is so often done, that the apostle anticipated the second advent of Christ during that generation, and that he refers to the calamities which were to precede that event,” Hodge wrote. “Such expectation would not, indeed, be incompatible with his inspiration. It was revealed to him that Christ was to come a second time; and that He was to come as a thief in the night. He might, therefore, naturally look for it at any time.… Still, he knew not … when Christ would come. It was not, however, to the calamities which are to precede the second advent to which Paul here refers, but rather to those which it was predicted should attend the introduction of the Gospel.”

Christians can expect persecution because of their faith, as Jesus warned in Matthew 5. Paul describes these final days as “a present evil age” (Gal. 1:4), wrought with hardship, struggle, and fiery trials. Whenever one considers marriage, he or she must take into consideration the struggles that life holds and how those struggles might be eased or, as Paul indicates, increased by marriage. It would be unwise to enter blindly into marriage without weighing the pros and cons and examining one’s willingness and ability to deal with the difficulties that await. This is what Paul wants to emphasize here as he maintains that marriage is good, but is attended with troubles especially in the evil days in which we live.

If someone were to come to you for advice about getting married, what would you advise them to consider? What are some pros and cons of marriage? If you are unmarried, ask a married person you know well to tell you some of the troubles and advantages of marriage that you should consider before getting married.

Live As You Are Called (1 Corinthians 7:17-24)

"Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called" (1 Cor. 7:20).

We return today to our study of 1 Corinthians to find Paul exhorting the Corinthians to be content in whatever social, marital, or ethnic situation they were in when they became Christians. Paul’s point in these verses is two-fold. He wants believers to be content in whatever circumstance they might be in, and to understand that Christianity does not give them the right to break free from the social structures in which they find themselves. This, however, does not mean that Paul was opposed to self-improvement. This is evidently not the case because he explicitly encourages slaves (in v. 21) to become free if the opportunity is made available. But, his point is that the believer’s relation to Christ is compatible with any social relation or position. “It matters not whether they were circumcised or uncircumcised, bond or free, married to a Christian or married to a Gentile, their fellowship with Christ remained the same,” Hodge wrote. “Their conversion to Christianity involved, therefore, no necessity of breaking asunder their social ties. The Gospel was not a revolutionary, disorganizing element.”

The things that a Christian ought to be concerned about is conformity in the heart and life to the revealed will of God. As Paul said in other letters, what matters is not circumcision or social status, but faith working itself out in love, or in other words, keeping the commandments of God.

“In whatever station or condition a man is called, therein let him remain,” Hodge wrote. “This of course is not intended to prohibit a man’s endeavoring to better his condition. If he be a laborer when converted, he is not required always to remain a laborer. The meaning of the apostle evidently is, that no man should desire to change his status in life simply because he had become a Christian; as though he could not be a Christian and yet remain as he was. The Gospel is just as well suited to men in one vocation as in another, and its blessings can be enjoyed in all their fullness equally in any condition of life.” Our primary concern should be to obey God, to be slaves to His Word and not to men. In Christ, we are free from the controlling influences of men, yet slaves to righteousness, bond-servants of the Lord; and in the eyes of God, equal to one another in value and worth.

What are some other ways that people try to change their social status, marital or family ties when they become a Christian? How do people try to use Christianity as an excuse to get out of difficult situations? How would you advise someone who is struggling with being content in a difficult circumstance? (Read verses below.)

Humble Submission (Philippians 2:1-18)

"… He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:8).

He who is King of all creation humbled Himself, submitted to the will of His Father, served sinful, rebellious human beings, washed their dirty feet, and ultimately died the death of a criminal to bring glory to God. Here we have an exalted portrait of how Christ maintained His rank and station, His equality with God, and yet subordinated Himself to a role of submission and service. Can a wife do any less? Is she too grand, too self-reliant, too noble to submit to the authority of her husband? Does she lose her character, her personality, her equality, her status as a human being when she submits to her husband? Did Christ lose His dignity, His worth, His nobility, His divinity when He humbled Himself and became obedient even to death on a cross? No, quite the contrary. His submission to the will of His Father brought Him even greater glory. And in like manner, the wife who submits to the authority of her husband brings honor not only to herself but to the man she loves and the God she adores.

God created Eve out of the side of Adam. There was a never a time when the woman existed alone, separate from her husband, just as the church has never existed outside of Christ as its head. Like the vine that has its own root, but wraps itself around the sturdy oak, the wife is a distinct person with an identity all her own, but she is dependent on her husband for support and strength. This arrangement of the husband-wife relationship does not dishonor the woman any more than Christ’s role as our Redeemer dishonors Him. Through her submission, the wife brings honor to her husband. Through her submission, she instructs her children by way of example on how to respect those in authority. Through her submission, she shows a rebellious world the honor, peace, and dignity that come through willing obedience to God. Through her submission, the wife conforms to the image of her Redeemer “who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation.… humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” As B. M. Palmer writes, “It is enough for her, if she, like Him is exalted through submission to a station of privilege and glory.”

Read Titus 2:3–5. What should older women teach younger women? What does Paul say would be the consequence if wives are not loving their husbands, self-controlled, pure, busy at home, subject to their husbands (end of v. 5)? Pray that older women in your church will instruct the younger women so God’s Word won’t be maligned.