He that Stands Steadfast in His Heart 1 Corinthians 7:37

Paul the apostle told “any man” among the church members in Corinth that if he thought “he behaved himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require” he can “do what he wills” and marry her or if it's his daughter may giver her in marriage. In this case, he does not “sin”, and in chapter seven and verse thirty-seven of First Corinthians, Paul shares concerning the church member who, “stands stedfast in his heart” where we read:

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

The verse begins, “Nevertheless he that stands stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, ...” Paul began with the word, “Nevertheless” which means “moreover and also” “he that stands” or “the person who causes to be placed, put, set, made firm, fixed and established as” “steadfast” which means “sedentary, firm and immovable” “in his heart” or “the center of all physical and spiritual life”, “having” which means “holding, owning or possessing” “no necessity” or “no distress, must or need”, “but” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated “has power” or “has choice, liberty, ability and strength with which one is endued which he either possesses or exercises” “over” “about, concerning, on account of, because of and near” “his own will” which refers to “the person's wishes or what he has determined shall be done”. The man who has a “marriageable maiden” whether his daughter or his bride to be may have “choice and liberty” “over his own will”.

The verse continues, “... and has so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well.” Paul added the words, “and has so decreed” which means “the person has separated, put asunder, picked out, selected, chosen, approved, esteemed and preferred” “in his heart” or “he center of all physical and spiritual life” “that he will keep” which means “he will attend to carefully, take care of, guard, observe and reserve” “his virgin” which refers to “the man's marriageable maiden and a woman who has never had sexual intercourse with a man”, “does well” which means “does beautifully, finely, excellently, right, nobly, commendably and with honor”. If the man decides and prefers to “care for and guard” his “marriageable maiden”, he does a good thing.

When we think through these words from Paul, we see how the person who has “power” of deciding about whether to allow “marriage” of his daughter or marrying his “bride to be” is able to choose to do so and “does well”. The idea is the ability to “choose” is within the heart of the one who may decide. Jesus chooses people to believe in Him as “Savior and Lord”, and he, in a sense, offers to “wed” His bride. God desires a relationship with us through His Son Jesus, and since He has “power” to decide, perhaps if we have similar opportunity, we shall “do well” too.

Next time Paul shares with the church members how he that gets “married” “does well” but he that does not get “married”, “does better”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.