If You Marry You Have Not Sinned 1 Corinthians 7:28

Paul the apostle asked the Corinthian church members, “are you bound to a wife?”, and he instructed, “seek not to be loosed”. He also wrote, “Are you loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife”, and in chapter seven and verse twenty-eight of First Corinthians, Paul told the church members, “but and if you marry, you have not sinned” where we read:

But and if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she has not sinned.

Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

The verse begins, “But and if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she has not sinned.” Paul began with the word, “But” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated “and if you marry” or “in case the church members take a wife or give themselves in marriage”, “you have not sinned” which means “the church members have not missed the mark, erred or are mistaken”; “and if a virgin” which means “and whether a marriageable maiden or woman who has not had sexual intercourse with a man” “marry” or “gives themselves in marriage”, “she has not sinned” which means “the virgin has not missed the mark, erred or are mistaken”. According to Paul, if the church members who were “unmarried” or “virgins” married, they did not sin.

The verse goes on to say, “Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.” Paul continued with the word, “Nevertheless” which means “moreover and” “such shall have” or “this kind or sort will hold, own and possess” “trouble” which means “pressure, oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress and straits” “in the flesh” which refers to “in the body, sensuous or animal nature with cravings which incite a man to sin without any suggestion of depravity”: “I” which means “Paul” “spare you” or “abstain, treat leniently and forbear the church members”.

When we think through these words from Paul, we see how it is not a “sin” for a “virgin” or “unmarried” person to be “married”, however, Paul shares how there will be “difficulties” in the “physical” life when a person does. Paul desired to “save them” from those “troubles”, but it was not a “sin” to marry. Jesus Christ desires for the people in His church to give “testimony” and “witness” to His glorious gospel, and sometimes “marriages” do not reflect His grace. Perhaps we should meditate and pray for the Lord's will in our lives concerning being “married”, and whatever we decide, let us allow our “lights” to shine in relationships with Jesus.

Next time Paul tells the church members, “the time is short”, 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.