1 Corinthians 7:35

7:25-35 Considering the distress of those times, the unmarried state was best. Notwithstanding, the apostle does not condemn marriage. How opposite are those to the apostle Paul who forbid many to marry, and entangle them with vows to remain single, whether they ought to do so or not! He exhorts all Christians to holy indifference toward the world. As to relations; they must not set their hearts on the comforts of the state. As to afflictions; they must not indulge the sorrow of the world: even in sorrow the heart may be joyful. As to worldly enjoyments; here is not their rest. As to worldly employment; those that prosper in trade, and increase in wealth, should hold their possessions as though they held them not. As to all worldly concerns; they must keep the world out of their hearts, that they may not abuse it when they have it in their hands. All worldly things are show; nothing solid. All will be quickly gone. Wise concern about worldly interests is a duty; but to be full of care, to have anxious and perplexing care, is a sin. By this maxim the apostle solves the case whether it were advisable to marry. That condition of life is best for every man, which is best for his soul, and keeps him most clear of the cares and snares of the world. Let us reflect on the advantages and snares of our own condition in life; that we may improve the one, and escape as far as possible all injury from the other.

Snare (βρόχον) Lit., a noose or slip-knot for hanging or strangling. Thus Homer of Jocasta: "She went to Hades having suspended a noose on high from the lofty roof" ("Odyssey," 11, 278). Sophocles, of Antigone: "We descried her hanging by the neck, slung by a thread-wrought halter of fine linen" ("Antigone," 1222). Also a snare for birds; the meshes of a net. That ye may attend (πρὸς - εὐπάρεδρον) Only here in the New Testament. From εὐ well, πάρεδρος setting beside. That ye may attend is a kind of circumlocution. The Greek reads literally: for that which is seemly and for that which is assiduous. Assiduous conveys the sense of the word as nearly as possible, since etymologically it means sitting close at. One is reminded of Mary at Bethany sitting at Jesus' feet, Luke 10:39. Without distraction (ἀπερισπάστως) See on Luke 10:40. The same word compounded here with ἀ not, is used of Martha's being cumbered or distracted with much serving.

And this I speak for your own {g} profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. (g) He means that he will force no man either to marry or not to marry, but to show them plainly what type of life is most advantageous.

(35) And this I speak for your own profit. —The reference is to the preceding passage, commencing with 1Corinthians 7:32 ; and the writer explains that these instructions are given, not to please himself, but for (emphatically) your own advantage; not to entangle you in a noose, and so take away your liberty, but with a view to comeliness (or, honesty, Romans 13:13 ), and to your waiting upon the Lord without being cumbered with earthly things (as, in Luke 10:40 , Martha was “cumbered”).

1 Corinthians 7:35 . Αὐτῶν , your own .— βρόχον , a snare ) A snare , the fear of committing sin, where there is no sin, or even forced service. Men are unwillingly drawn into a snare, Proverbs 7:21 , LXX. That is readily considered as a snare, which is most conducive to profit [ σύμφερον ].— εὔσχημον ) an antithesis to ἀσχημονεῖν , in the following verse.— εὐπάρεδρον ) akin to this is the verb προσεδρεύειν , in 1 Corinthians 9:13 . An example is found in Luke 10:39 .— τῷ Κυρίῳ , to the Lord ) εὐπάρεδρον , as well as παρεδρεύω , governs the dative.— ἀπερισπάστως ) This explains the word εὐπάρεδρον , for assiduous attendance upon the Lord, and distraction , are the reverse of each other. Sitting [involved in the εὐπάρεδρον ] assists the devout mind. Comp. Luke 10:39-40 . Paul says something similar of the widow, 1 Timothy 5:5 .

35. for your own profit—not to display my apostolic authority. not … cast a snare upon you—image from throwing a noose over an animal in hunting. Not that by hard injunctions I may entangle you with the fear of committing sin where there is no sin. comely—befitting under present circumstances. attend upon—literally, "assiduously wait on"; sitting down to the duty. Compare Lu 10:39, Mary; Lu 2:37, "Anna … a widow, who departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day" (1Ti 5:5). distraction—the same Greek as "cumbered" (Lu 10:40, Martha).

Verse 35. - For your own profit. My advice turns simply on questions of expedience. Not that I may cast a snare upon you. He does not wish to "fling a noose" over them to win them over to his own private views, and entangle them in rules which they might not be able to bear. That which is comely. Seemliness; "the beauty of holiness" ( Romans 13:13 ). Without distraction . The phrases used in this clause make it probable that St. Paul had heard how Martha was "anxious" and distracted ( περιεσπᾶτο ) about much serving, while Mary sat at Jesus' feet ( Luke 10:39-41 ). 1 Corinthians 7:35

And this I speak for your own profit; for your advantage both as to your converse in the world, and also for your religious conversation, and the performance of those duties which you owe unto God; for those that are married must meet with more troubles and cares in this life, and cannot have so much time and leisure for religious duties, as others have that are not entangled in the domestic cares of a family. Not that I may cast a snare upon you; yet I would not bring you under a snare, imposing what God hath not imposed, and obliging you where God hath not obliged you. But for that which is comely; the word here is euschmon, it strictly signifies a thing of a good figure, and is translated in Scripture honourable, Mark 15:43 Acts 13:50 17:11 ; where it signifies what is of a fair and good repute in the eye of the world; which is also the sense of it, 1 Corinthians 12:24 , where we read of the comely parts of man’s body; but in this place the word signifies most largely, the same with profitable and convenient. For marriage is a state which neither is in itself indecent, nor ever was so reputed in the world by any nation, and the Scripture tells us, that marriage is honourable amongst all, Hebrews 13:4 . The word therefore here is of the same significancy with sumferon, which in the beginning of the verse is translated profit, and 1 Corinthians 6:12 , is translated expedient.

And that you may attend upon the Lord without distraction; the phrase in the Greek is very difficult to be translated properly into our English language, word for word it is, to sit well to the Lord without distraction; our translators render it, attend upon the Lord. We have something like it in our language, when we express our diligent attendance to a thing, under the notion of sitting close to a business; which is opposed to such an attendance to business as we give when we have many avocations and callings away, so as we cannot sit close to it. The apostle saith, that this was the end of his advising those who could contain not to marry under that state of things in the world referring to the church, that they might with more ease and conveniency attend to the great concerns of their souls, without those distracting and dividing thoughts which they must have who were entangled with domestic businesses and relations.

1 Corinthians 7:35 . A third time P. declares that he is consulting for the welfare of his readers ( cf. 28 b , 32 a ), not insisting on his own preference nor laying down an absolute rule: “looking to ( πρός ) your advantage I say (it)”. τὸ σύμφορον is the abstract of συμφέρει ( 1 Corinthians 6:12 , 1 Corinthians 10:23 ).—The βρόχος is the noose or lasso by which a wild creature is snared: P. does not wish by what he says to deprive the Cor[1200] of any liberty,—to capture his readers and shut them up to celibacy—“not that I may throw a snare over you”. He aims at what is socially εὔσχημον , “of honourable guise,” as belonging to the Christian decorum of life (see parls.); and at what is religiously εὐπάρεδρον τῷ Κυρίῳ , “promotive-of-fit-waiting on the Lord”.— ἀπερισπάστως recalls the περιεσπᾶτο used of Martha in Luke 10:38-42 , and suggests that the Ap. had this story in his mind, esp. as μεριμνάω , his leading expression in this Section, is the word of reproof used by Jesus there.