The Word of the Day is “opinion.” In our daily scripture study of 1 Corinthians 7:24-35, Paul struggles to answer the questions that the Corinthians have asked about some practical matters of the Christian life. Note that Paul is writing a letter that will be considered inspired and timeless Scripture. Yet, today, we realize that Scripture is written in human terms, at specific times, and in particular places. Thus, the form of the message shapes its meaning.
Today, we find that in today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 7:24-35, Paul is struggling to answer the questions that the Corinthians have asked about some practical matters of the Christian life. Paul already addressed questions of marital relationships (1 Corinthians 7:2-23). Now, in today’s reading, he addresses the question of the relative merits of celibacy and marriage.
As we read these answers, we note that Paul sometimes refers to the commandment of the Lord. For example, in Chapter 7:10, he says, “I command, yet not I, but the Lord…” However, in other places, he says, “I, not the Lord say…” (1 Cor. 7:10), and at the beginning of our reading, he says, “Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, yet I give my judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy” (1 Cor. 7:25). The Greek word “judgment” refers to what is personally known. That is, Paul is saying that he is giving his “personal opinion” as one whose counsel is reliable. In summary, in today’s passage, Paul distinguished between the inspiration of the Spirit and his personal opinion in response to the social context of his day.
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Paul Lived in the First Century Roman World
Our discovery of personal opinion in the scriptures might surprise us, even when it comes from the mega-saint and apostle Paul. However, it reminds us that Paul was a historical person who lived and worked in the Roman world of the first century.
In this case, we are overhearing how St. Paul dealt with the current concerns of his congregation at Corinth. Several factors of the historical context of the letter help us interpret it. First, Corinth was a prosperous city in the Roman Empire and the site of the famous Temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of carnal love and pleasure. Consequently, the town was known for its sexual immorality. The questions of the Corinthians reflect this pagan setting. They are matters of sexuality, idol worship, food offered to idols, spiritual gifts, the belief in the resurrection of the dead, etc. These were not just idle questions but matters of critical concern for the faith and its application to life in the empire.
Paul’s Belief in the Return of Christ Explains His Counsel on Marriage
The second factor that informs our interpretation is that Paul and the faithful at that time believed that the Lord would soon return in his Second Coming. The Lord’s reappearance would signal an immediate and abrupt end to the affairs of this world (1 Cor. 7:29). In light of this belief, getting married would be a distraction, if not a complication (1 Cor. 7:32-33, 34-35).
A third contextual factor is that St. Paul refers to “the present distress” (OSB vs. 26). What is the crisis that St. Paul is speaking about? That is not clear. The word “present” can be translated as “at hand” or “impending” (Strong’s #2001, 89). Accordingly, The Orthodox Study Bible comments that the apostle is speaking about “the tribulations of the ‘end time’ that would happen before the Lord’s return” (OSB footnote of 7:26). The understanding of the pagan setting and the belief that the “form of the world is passing away” in the imminent return of Christ (1 Cor. 7:31) helps clarify what St. Paul is saying about remaining in the (social) place in which one was called. It also explains his bias for celibacy (1 Cor. 7:7) even though he also honors marriage (1 Cor. 7:38).
For Reflection
As we read the scriptures in our own time and place, we must strive to distinguish between genuine inspiration and our opinions, just as Paul did. This requires us to read the scriptures in the Spirit in which they were written, with prayer, reverence, and expectation. However, truly understanding the scriptures with both our minds and hearts necessitates a historical mindset. This mindset liberates us from the constraints of contemporary thinking and immerses our thoughts in a different worldview, challenging us to interpret the scriptures in their historical context.
Reading the Scriptures in Their Historical Context
For example, reading the scriptures in their past context helps us comprehend how Paul’s belief in the imminent Second Coming of Christ shaped and motivated His preaching of the Gospel and His counsel on living the Christian life. As we do, we realize that the belief that Christ will appear as Judge of the world at the moment we least expect (Luke 12:40) is just as essential to our faith as it was to the early Christians. The Lord repeatedly warned us to be prepared for His return (Matthew 24:44, Mark 13:32, Luke 12:40). And the New Testament resounds with the message that the coming of the Lord is near. [i] This proclamation challenges us to reconsider an essential part of the Creed that we profess in every Divine Liturgy.
Nowhere is the Orthodox faith in the Second Coming of Christ and the necessity of watchfulness expressed more beautifully than the “Bridegroom Matins sung on the first four weekdays of Holy Week. Its primary Troparion states: “Behold! The Bridegroom comes at midnight and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching; and again, unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless. Beware, therefore, O my soul, do not be weighed down with sleep, lest you be given up to death, and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom. But rouse yourself…” (Lazor and Garrett). The hymn teaches us how to live in vigilant expectation of seeing the Lord in His glory as He comes to judge the world.
How to Develop a Historical Mindset
H
ow, then, can we develop a historical mindset that appreciates the historical context of the writings of the Bible? The study of the scriptures and their vocabulary and thinking as we are doing is helpful. Then, too, the study of the church fathers and especially commentators on Scripture such as St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory of Nyssa are also necessary. As we pray, read, and study, we should aim to live and breathe the Spirit of the scriptures. In this way, the holy writing will become the “words of eternal life” for us in their testimony to Christ our Lord (John 6:68, John 20:31).
Works Cited
Lazor, Paul, and Paul Garrett. “The Bridegroom Services of Holy Week “. http://dce.oca.org/assets/files/resources/42.pdf.
Notes
[i] Rom. 8:19-25, 1 Cor. 1:7, Phil. 4:5, Jude 21, James, 5:8, Rev. 1:3, 22:1
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