The Chosen Key Word in this Chapter is “Gift” it comes from the Greek Word “charisma” which means “a gift.”
Paul answers a whole set of practical questions the Corinthians had written to ask him about marriage. Welcome to Bible Life Basics Chapter Reviews, I am Chris and this is 1 Corinthians 7.
Paul addresses questions the Corinthians had raised about marriage, affirming that each person should have their own spouse to avoid immorality, and that husbands and wives should not deprive one another except by mutual agreement for a season of prayer. He offers his personal preference for singleness, wishing everyone had the same gift he has, but acknowledges plainly that “every man hath his proper gift,” “charisma” in Greek, of God, some in one way and some in another, so his instruction is not a rigid command applying equally to everyone.
Paul instructs married believers not to depart from one another, and if a believer is married to an unbeliever willing to remain in the marriage, they should not separate, since the unbelieving spouse is sanctified through the believing one, though if the unbeliever chooses to depart, the believer is not bound in such cases, “but God hath called us to peace.” He counsels believers generally to remain in whatever situation they were called, whether circumcised or uncircumcised, bond or free, since “ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.”
Regarding virgins, Paul again offers his personal judgment rather than a direct command from the Lord, believing it good, given “the present distress,” for a person to remain as they are, though clarifying this is not sin either way, whether marrying or not. He counsels that those who marry will face additional trouble in this life, and encourages undivided devotion to the Lord, though he closes emphasizing that a widow is free to marry again, “only in the Lord,” while affirming that remaining single, in his own careful judgment, may bring greater happiness in this particular season.
Paul is remarkably careful throughout this chapter to distinguish between direct commands from the Lord and his own thoughtful, personal counsel, refusing to bind consciences where Scripture itself leaves genuine freedom. That kind of honest humility, admitting the difference between clear command and wise personal judgment, is worth noticing in how we handle disputable matters today.
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