This post is third in a four-part series on the Biblical view of singleness.
One of the best ways for both single saints and married saints to gain a clear view of the value of singleness is to carefully study the entirety of 1 Corinthians 7. This chapter contains the Bible’s most concentrated teaching on singleness. Because it seems to be the modern church’s tendency to devalue singleness by emphasizing only those passages that show the benefits of marriage while ignoring or dismissing the way 1 Corinthians magnifies the benefits of singleness, a look at the whole chapter is important for grasping the Spirit’s mind about singleness.
The Apostle testifies near the beginning of the chapter, “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” (1 Cor. 7:7). This verse reveals that Paul viewed singleness as so advantageous that, theoretically, it would be the ideal status for all saints. Second, the verse teaches that some saints have a special gift from God that enables them to live a self-controlled, celibate life. This gifting indicates that God specifically designs some people to live a single life singly devoted to Christ. The next verse, 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, goes on to give a general recommendation to single saints: “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.” The apostle’s Spirit-inspired perspective was that singleness is “good,” a recommended status. Paul conceded that those who could not control their passions should marry instead of burn, but the apostle made sure that he carved out space for some saints to follow his steps of singleness. The church today is following apostolic example when it guards the same space and heartily affirms the advantages of a single life.
Affirmation of singleness is not limited to the early verses of 1 Corinthians 7. In 1 Corinthians 7:17, Paul states, “As the Lord has called each one, so let him walk.” Then, 1 Corinthians 7:24 adds, “Let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.” Both 1 Corinthians 7:17 and 1 Corinthians 7:24 are general statements that can be applied to a wide variety of conditions that attend a believer’s life at the time of conversion. It is significant, however, that the principle is laid down in the middle of an entire chapter discussing singleness and marriage. The context suggests that a believer should contentedly accept the single or married status that he or she is experiencing when called to Christ. Paul goes on to affirm in 1 Corinthians 7:26 that singleness is particularly good in light of the “present distress.” The distress in Paul’s day likely referred to a time of intense persecution in the Roman Empire. Persecution is particularly difficult to endure for those weighed down with marital and family concerns. Because the twentieth century saw more martyrs for the cause of Christ than any other century in human history, and since Satanic oppression is emerging in countries that have historically had the most freedom to spread the gospel, Paul’s recommendation of singleness on account of persecution need not be viewed as irrelevant for today.
The end of 1 Corinthian supplies what is perhaps Paul’s strongest argument for singleness: eternity is near. In 1 Corinthians 7:29, the Apostle states, “The time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none.” Life on earth is fleeting. We are here one moment and gone the next, so the key is to focus on God as the one absolute essential in life, not marriage. The apostle’s point is that the present world is about to pass away (v. 31), so the less one is attached to this world, the better off he or she is. In 1 Corinthians 7:32-34, Paul boldly and unequivocally states, “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. But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. 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.” These strong affirmations of singleness by the Apostle Paul are not intended to debase the honorable nature of marriage but to highlight and promote the value of a single life singly devoted to God. The point of the entire chapter is that there is great “profit” in singleness because a single saint has the freedom to “serve the Lord without distraction” (7:35). Both in part and in whole, 1 Corinthians 7 presents single living as first-tier, not second-tier Christian living.
