In answer to some questions, and for necessary instruction to the assembly, this chapter on marriage was written. Marriage was instituted by the Lord God when man was created in innocence. In Matthew 19 the Lord Jesus goes back to the original institution to show that it is still binding on the man and the woman in every country and clime where man is found. In this chapter we have directions given to the Christian whether married or single. He begins by telling them that to avoid fornication it was intended that every man should have his own wife, and every woman her own husband. The servant of the Lord, like Paul who walked in Spiritual power above what was right in natural things, this power given to him of God, is a sample of the exceptions in this chapter to the above rule. It is rare, and generally the servant of the Lord in the Word has free access visiting and ministering in households, because of his greater experience.
Verses 3-5 teach us that the marriage union consummated, the husband and wife belong to each other, and that they are to act mutually, so that with consent for a time they may give themselves to fasting and prayer and come together again, chaste and happy in the Lord.
This advice he gave them by permission, not of commandment. It could not apply to all.
Verse 7. He would that all men were even as he was. But every man had to do as it was given him of God. His advice to the unmarried and widows, was to abide in single life. But if they found the necessity to marry, they should marry. They would be happier then, and go on in it with the Lord, “heirs together of the grace of life.”
Verse 10. Now Paul the Apostle commands, but it is the authority of the Lord, “Let not the wife depart from her husband.” If that is impossible, and if she depart, she must remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband, and the husband is not to put away his wife.
Verse 12. But as to thee rest speak I, not the Lord: “If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath a husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him; for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.”
If a Jew under the law married a Gentile woman, God did not respect the marriage. The Jew was profaned, and the children were unclean (see Ezra and Nehemiah); but in Christianity, the marriage is recognized. The unbelieving partner is sanctified by the believing one, and the children are relatively holy, and to be trained in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:44And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)).
This does not give license to the believer to take an unconverted partner, in the hope that such a one will be brought to the Lord afterward. Where this has been done, it has often led to a miserable life; and wretched results in the loss of communion with the Lord.
Verse 15. “But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.”
Verse 16 holds out a hope that the faithful walk and testimony, as grace would lead, might be the means of reaching the conscience of the yet unconverted partner, and of bringing that one into salvation.
Verses 17-24. The great thing therefore is for each to find his own path, and to walk with God in it. It is keeping the commandments of God, that is, obedience of the heart to Him. We need to learn that our times are in the Father’s hands, so he was to abide wherein he was called, and therein abide with God. If one was a slave and could be set free, he was to take his freedom; then he was the Lord’s slave, so the freed men were to be true servants of the Lord as bought with a price.
“Savior, what a love is Thine!”
How careful the Lord is to gain our affections, and the poor slave under perhaps a hard, heathen master could there “adorn the doctrine of God in all things.” (Titus 2:1010Not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. (Titus 2:10)).
Verses 25-31. “Now concerning virgins (or unmarried ones, men or women) I have no commandment of the Lord,” yet he gives his judgment, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. So he looks at the wretched world in which we are, he thinks of the blessed hope, and of the heavenly calling of the saints, and tries to lift them up in their souls into a heavenly atmosphere. He advises them to go on as they are, and whether married or single, to be occupied with spiritual things. If man and woman marry they have not sinned, nevertheless there will be unavoidable trouble in the flesh, but he spares them, and writes, “But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as not disposing of it as their own; for the fashion of this world passeth away.” The apostle’s heart longed for their higher good for they had grown so little in divine knowledge. He would have them weigh the things of time in view of eternity, as his second epistle 4:17, 18 brings before them.
Verses 32-34. “I would have you without carefulness.” Then he puts their special privilege of devoting themselves, spirit, soul, and body to the things of the Lord, both single men and women, in a deeper way than married persons could. This was the path he walked in himself.
Verse 35. He said this not to cast a snare upon them. He knew the weakness, as well as the evil of the flesh, but for that which is comely, and that they might attend upon the Lord without distraction.
Verses 36-40. “But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward himself” (his virginity—that is what it means) “he does not sin: let them marry.” Nevertheless he that standeth steadfast in his heart having no necessity, but hath power over his own will and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virginity, he does well. So he that marries does well, but he that does not marry does better. The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth, but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will, only in the Lord, but the apostle’s judgment was that the greatest happiness was to be as he was—wholly given up to the Lord; and so the man thought who had the Spirit of God; and who, except our blessed Lord, walked as Paul did? May we indeed be more like our blessed Master, whether married or single we can seek to own His claims over all we have and are.