Commentary on 1 Corinthians
Lecture 7. Supplement
Marriage causes division
7:32 But I would have you be without solicitude. He who is without a wife is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord: how he may please God. [n. 390]
7:33 But he who is with a wife is solicitous for the things of the world: how he may please his wife. [n. 393]
7:34 And he is divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinks on the things of the Lord: that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married thinks on the things of the world: how she may please her husband. [n. 394]
7:35 And this I speak for your profit, not to cast a snare upon you, but for that which is noble and which may give you power to attend upon the Lord, without impediment. [n. 397]
390. Above he first gave virgins the counsel to remain continent; second, he gave married persons instruction on living well; third, he shows here that at this time it is more advantageous to remain continent.
First, by reason of greater tranquility;
second, by reason of greater holiness, at the unmarried woman;
third, by reason of greater utility, at and this I speak for your profit.
391. The first reason is as follows: tranquility in the love of God alone is preferable to solicitude for worldly things; but persons living continence have tranquility, while married persons have worldly solicitude; therefore the state of persons living continence is preferable to the state of married persons.
First, therefore, he advises against worldly solicitude, then adds that persons living continence are solicitous only for the things of God, at he who is without a wife; third he shows that married persons must be solicitous for the things of the world, at he who is with a wife.
392. He says therefore but I would have you, as though to say: if you marry, I advise you to do the aforesaid, but even more I would have you be without solicitude of marital affairs: be solicitous about nothing (Phil 4:6).
Note that Scripture advises us against three kinds of solicitude: namely, as regarding a woman, as here: I would have you be without solicitude; as regarding the stomach: be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat (Matt 6:25); and as regarding money: the expectation of the solicitous shall perish (Prov 11:7).
And rightly I wish this, since he who is without a wife, is solicitous for the things of the Lord, to please him. For he does not have the excuse of those who say: I have taken a wife and cannot come (Luke 14:20). Solicitous, I mean, for how he may please God, namely with his inner beauty. Happy the man who vows to avoid taking a wife, whose solicitude is to serve the Lord, whose intention is to please God.
393. Then, when he says he who is with a wife, he shows how spouses must be solicitous for the things of the world, wherein four important things are included. First, the marital bond, at he who is with a wife; the marital devotion, at is solicitous; the subjection to his wife, at how he may please; the division of work, at and he is divided.
He says, therefore, he who is with a wife, namely in marriage, is solicitous for the things of the world, that is, for governing the family and other such things. Hence Jacob, having taken wives, said: it is just that I should also sometime provide for my house (Gen 30:30), that is, that I may be solicitous how I may please my wife. And to this end one can licitly adorn oneself. For, according to the Gloss, a sad wife is a great bitterness in the home. And such a person is divided, not in nature, but in activity, that is, by the division of service, not of principal intention: hence the Gloss says: he partly serves God and partly serves the world.
394. Then, when he says and the unmarried woman, he gives the second reason proving that it is better to hold to a resolution of continence than to marry, by reason of greater holiness. And his reasoning is as follows: the continent woman pursues holiness and divinity and love of God, while the married woman pursues the world; therefore the former is preferable to the latter.
Therefore, he first mentions what the unmarried woman pursues, that she thinks completely about how to please God;
second, what the married woman pursues, that she thinks partly about how to please the world, at but she who is married.
395. In the first part he includes three elements, namely the state, the thought, and the fruit of continent persons; the state is noble, at the unmarried woman and the virgin; the thought is right, at thinks on the things of the Lord; the fruit is many, at that she may be holy.
He says therefore: and similarly the unmarried woman, i.e., the widow, and the virgin thinks, i.e., has a greater ability to think, on the things of the Lord, i.e., spiritual and eternal things. Thinks, that is, so that she may be holy, more than the married woman. For many married women are holy. Augustine, in On the Good of Marriage: he wished a fuller sanctification of the unmarried both in body and in spirit to be understood, yet did not deprive married women of all sanctification. Holy, that is to say, both in body, i.e., bodily actions, and in spirit, i.e., spiritual actions. Or holy both in body, against fleshly vices, and in spirit, against spiritual vices.
396. Then, when he says but she who is married, he mentions the solicitude of married women, wherein he includes three things. First, the marriage; second the solicitude, at thinks on the things; third what marriage pursues, at how she may please.
He says, therefore: she who is married thinks on the things of the world, that is on the care of children, the ruling of the household, and things of this sort. Hence Sarah’s parents admonished her to honor her father-in-law, to love her husband, to govern her household, etc. (Tob 10:30). She thinks, I say, how she may please her husband, hence those who adorn themselves for this purpose do not sin; nevertheless they should be more zealous to please him with the adornment of good character than of clothing: women in honorable apparel, adorning themselves not with braided hair or gold (1 Tim 2:9).
397. Then, when he says, and this I speak for your profit, he lays down the third reason, namely greater utility.
And the reasoning is as follows: that which is more useful, is more advantageous; but being continent is more useful than marrying is; therefore it is more advantageous to choose continence than marriage.
He shows first, therefore, that it is useful to be continent, second that it is noble, at that which is noble, third that it is easy, at and which may give you power.
398. He says therefore and this I speak; as though to say, I do not advise you to marry, and this I speak for your profit, i.e., greater profit, that you may more expeditiously serve God, since thus is the flesh, the enemy of the spirit, mortified. Augustine in On the Words of the Lord: as an enemy once killed does not injure you, so mortified flesh does not trouble the soul. I say this, again, not to cast a snare, of fornication, that is upon you as incontinent persons, counseling something difficult in this matter: indeed he would rather be laying a snare if he counseled marriage, since it is said of woman that she is a hunter’s snare (Eccl 7:27); but intending, rather, to lead all to that which is noble, namely to holiness of body and soul, not that the married state is not noble, but that it is less noble. Augustine, in On the Good of Widowhood: he did not show marriage to be base, but commended what was more honorable with the name of honorable as such, advising that which would offer one power to heed himself in the Lord, i.e., unto the service of the Lord, and this without the impediment that marriage presented by marriage. I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ (2 Cor 11:2).
Truly the state of continence is worthy of choice, where there is greater gain, since, this I speak for your profit; where there is less danger, since I say this not to cast a snare; greater honor, since it is honorable; freer power to serve God, since it may give you power to attend upon the Lord, without impediment.
399. It should here be noted that many kinds of solicitude are good.
First the solicitude of someone in command, as a sailor is solicitous for the government of the ship, or a father for his children: he who rules, with solicitude (Rom 12:8).
Second, of preaching, as a tutor is solicitous for the child, or a teacher for his disciples: we had confidence to speak to you the word of God in great solicitude (1 Thess 2:2).
Third, of love, as a true friend is solicitous for the preservation of love: solicitous to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4:3).
Fourth, of compassion, as a merciful man is solicitous for the needy and afflicted: when he came to Rome, he solicitously sought me and found me (2 Tim 1:17).
Fifth, of devotion, as a servant is solicitous to please his master, or a religious to please God: I will show you, O man, what is good. . . to walk solicitous with your God (Mic 6:8).
Sixth, of caution, as a watchman is solicitous to guard the camp: solicitously guard your souls (Deut 4:15). For the body with its organs, and the soul with its powers is a kind of camp.
Seventh, of action, as a farmer is solicitous to complete his work: Martha, Martha, you are solicitous (Luke 10:41); solicitously take care to present yourselves to God as one approved (2 Tim 2:15).
Eighth, of provision, as a steward is solicitous for the household, or a merchant in reckoning, or a poor man in seeking bread: in solicitude, not slothful (Rom 12:11).