1 Coríntios 7

Ambrosiaster · Comentário Patrístico (catena)

1 Coríntios 7:1

Stirred up by the depraved minds of the false apostles, who in their hypocrisy were teaching that marriage ought to be rejected in order that they might appear to be holier than others, the Corinthians wrote to Paul to ask him about these things. Because they were unhappy about this teaching, they ignored everything else and concentrated exclusively on this. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:3

Husband and wife must submit to one another in this matter, since the two of them are one flesh and one will, according to the law of nature. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:6

No one should be forced to do something unlawful on the ground that he is forbidden to do what is lawful. It is up to each person to discern which path to follow. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:7

Paul's intention is to avoid fornication, not to put hindrances in the way of those seeking a higher way of life. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:11

A woman may not marry if she has left her husband because of fornication or apostasy, if he wishes to have sexual relations with her. But if the husband turns away from the faith or desires to have extramarital sexual relations, the wife may neither marry another nor return to him. The husband should not divorce his wife, but one should add the clause "except for fornication." — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:13

Paul says this in the case of two Gentiles, one of whom has become a believer. Normally, a pagan detests Christianity, and a Christian does not want to be contaminated by paganism, which is why Paul says that if they are happy to stay together, they should continue to do so. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:14

These unbelievers have the benefit of good will, which protects them from detesting the name of Christ. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:15

A marriage contracted without devotion to God is not binding, and for that reason it is not a sin if it is abandoned because of God. But the unbelieving partner sins both against God and against the marriage, because he or she is unwilling to live in a marriage relationship dedicated to God. It is not right to go to court over this because the one who leaves the marriage is doing so out of hatred for God, and for this reason he or she is not to be considered worthy of such attention. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:16

Paul says this because it is always possible that the unbelieving partner will come to believe if he or she does not detest the name of Christ. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:17

God has assigned to each person the time of his salvation, that is, the time when he might believe, and he will keep that person until then. Paul tells the Corinthians that this is his general rule, so that when they hear that others are expected to follow it, they will be more willing to do so themselves. It is always easier to do something when you see others doing the same. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:21

Paul encourages slaves to serve their earthy masters well, so that they may appear to them to deserve their freedom. A slave who did not do his work properly would blaspheme the name of Christ and do nothing to further God's cause. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:22

Whoever has been delivered from sin is truly free. The ancients used to say that anyone who acts unwisely is a slave. They called all wise men free, and all the unwise were slaves as far as they were concerned. In any case, even a free believer is a slave of Christ, for to be free from God is the greatest sin of all. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:23

We have been bought at so high a price that only Christ, who owns everything, is able to pay it. Therefore whoever is bought with a price ought to serve all the more, in an effort to pay back the buyer. Having been bought by God, we must not once again become slaves of men. Slaves of men are those who accept human superstitions. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:24

Paul repeats what he said above in order to underline its importance. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:26

Here Paul teaches that virginity is better, not just because it is more pleasing to God but also because it is the more sensible course to follow in the present [end-time] circumstances. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:27

Paul says that no one should be divorced from his wife except in a case of fornication. As for the unmarried, what advantage is there in giving in to the lusts of the flesh? — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:28

The man who marries does not sin because he is doing something which is permitted. But if he refuses to do it, he earns merit and a crown in heaven, for it takes great self-control to avoid doing something which is not expressly forbidden. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:29

Paul means by this that the end of the world is coming soon. Given this fact, believers should not worry about having children and instead should dedicate themselves to the service of God. For there will be many unprecedented pressures on them, and many will fall into the devil's trap. No one among us who has a proper fear of the pressures which the Savior predicted will want to be caught like that. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:30

Those who know that the end of the world is near realize that they will soon be consoled, and they comfort each other with this hope. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:31

Note that Paul says that the form of this world is passing away, not the substance of it. Therefore if the form of the world is going to perish, there is no doubt that everything in the world will vanish. It will all pass away. Every day the world gets older. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:33

Looking after a wife and family is a worldly thing. Sometimes, just to keep them happy, it even leads to doing things which ought to be punished. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:34

It is the human spirit which either sanctifies or corrupts the body. If anyone tries to have a pure body but a corrupt soul, he will soon have to choose between them. Either the soul must be honored, or the body will be drawn toward corruption. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:35

What Paul has just said may seem harsh to some people, which is why he adds this here. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:36

Paul always wants the best out of Christians. If someone really wants to get married, then it is better to marry publicly according to the permission given than to behave badly and be ashamed in private. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:38

The one who refrains from marriage does better because he earns merit for her with God and delivers her from the cares of this world. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:39

Paul writes this in order to make it clear that a woman who has been rejected by her husband is not free to marry again. If he should die, then she may remarry, but only in the Lord, which means without any suspicion of wrongdoing and within the bounds of the church. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

1 Coríntios 7:40

Paul adds that he has the Spirit of God in order to show that his advice is reliable. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES