The Berean Expositor
Volume 45 - Page 83 of 251
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were advised to be willing to stay as they were (21, 22). This was the wisest way of
being prepared and ready for the imminent coming of the Lord, which was the overriding
consideration.
A new section now commences. The peri de indicates that an answer follows to
another of the church's problems, concerning which they had written him. Three groups
are now dealt with (1) the unmarried young (25-35); (2) the parents or engaged couples
(36-38); and (3) widows (39, 40).  With the Lord's coming in mind, celibacy was
desirable but not enforced. The single man was wiser if he did not marry. Conversely a
married man should not seek release from marriage (27, 28). In giving his advice, Paul
had only one thing in mind, sparing them trouble and anxiety (28). If wars, rumours of
wars, earthquakes, pestilence and famine, were at hand, as the Lord Himself predicted
before His second coming (Mark 13: 7, 8, 17), then to take on the obligations of
marriage was a foolish act tending to multiply difficulties.
"But this I say, brethren, the time is shortened . . . . ." (7: 29).
The end of the age was near.
In  chapter 10: 11  the Apostle asserts that the
`conclusion of the ages' had arrived. The Apostle John in his first epistle stated that it
was the "last hour" (literally 2: 18), and Peter, that "the end of all things is at hand"
(I Pet. 4: 7). There can be no doubt that the age was drawing to a close, and the end,
which would be terminated by the Lord's coming, was imminent. It behooved every
believer to be on the alert, waiting for the Son from heaven (I Thess. 1: 10), and to see to
it that they were as loose as possible to all earthly relationships and cares that would
distract them from their final witness and service for the Lord, so that they might "attend
upon the Lord without distraction" (35). In the married state the tendency is for the
married man to be anxious (careful R.V.) as to how he may please his wife, and likewise
the wife her husband (32-34), whereas the unmarried can more easily be taken up with
the things of the Lord and how to please Him first and foremost.
Verses 36-38 creates a problem. What dos the word `virgin' mean in this context? At
least three ideas have been put forward (1) a father and his unmarried daughter is in view.
(2) A spiritual marriage in which people went through a form of marriage, and yet lived
together as brother and sister. We know that such relationships existed later in the history
of the church, though it is very doubtful if it took place as early as this, and also it is
difficult to conceive that such a union would have received Paul's approval. (3) An
engaged couple who are in doubt as to whether they should marry or not under the
circumstances. As for (1) the father had control of his daughter's marriage and this
interpretation is possible, though "his virgin" is a peculiar way of referring to his
daughter. The second interpretation (2) can be discounted. Taking everything into
consideration, the fewest difficulties seem to be raised by the third view (3). If such a
couple found the unmarried state too much of a strain, then marriage was desirable and
not a sin. On the other hand, were they able to exercise self-control, to stay as they were
would be better, for the reasons given before.
The Apostle now deals with the problem of widows. Marriage is a life-long tie (39),
but it a woman loses her husband by death, she is perfectly free to marry again, though