1 Corinthians 7:31

Contextual Overview

²⁵ Now I write about people who are not married. I have no command from the Lord about this, but I give my opinion. And I can be trusted, because the Lord has given me mercy. ²⁵ Now concerning the unmarried, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. ²⁵ As concernynge virgins I have no comaundment of the lorde: yet geve I counsell as one that hath obtayned mercye of the lorde to be faythfull. ²⁵ Now concerning virgins, I have no mitzvah from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy. ²⁵ Now concerning virgins, although I do not have any command from the Lord, I will give you my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.1 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 8:8,10; 2 Corinthians 8:8,10, 1 Timothy 1:12,16;">[xr] ²⁵ Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I am offering direction as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. ²⁵ Now I write about people who are not married. I have no command from the Lord about this; I give my opinion. But I can be trusted, because the Lord has shown me mercy. ²⁵ Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give my judgment, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be trustworthy. ²⁵ Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment as one that hath obtained mercy from the Lord to be faithful. ²⁵ Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

use: 1 Corinthians 9:18, Ecclesiastes 2:24, Ecclesiastes 2:25, Ecclesiastes 3:12, Ecclesiastes 3:13, Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, Ecclesiastes 9:7-10, Ecclesiastes 11:2, Ecclesiastes 11:9, Ecclesiastes 11:10, Matthew 24:48-50, Matthew 25:14-29, Luke 12:15-21, Luke 16:1, Luke 16:2, Luke 19:17-26, Luke 21:34, 1 Timothy 6:17, 1 Timothy 6:18, James 5:1-5

for: Psalms 39:6, Psalms 73:20, Ecclesiastes 1:4, James 1:10, James 1:11, James 4:14, 1 Peter 1:24, 1 Peter 4:7, 1 John 2:17

the fashion: ן [Strong's G3588], ףקחלב [Strong's G4976], the form or appearance. Grotius remarks that the apostle's expression is borrowed from the theatre, where פן [Strong's G3588], ףקחלב [Strong's G4976], פחע ףךחםחע [Strong's G4633], נבסבדוי means that the scene changes, and presents an appearance entirely new.

Reciprocal: Luke 4:5 - taking Acts 25:23 - with Revelation 21:4 - the former

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they that use this world, as not abusing it,.... Such as have a large affluence of the things of this world, should use them in a moderate and temperate manner; should not squander them away extravagantly, or spend them on their lusts, and use them intemperately, which is to abuse them:

for the fashion of this world passeth away; not the nature, matter, and substance, but the figure and form of it; for after this world is burnt up, a new one, as to form and fashion, will arise, in much more beauty and glory; all that looks glorious and beautiful in the present world, as riches, honour, c. are all mere show and appearance, having nothing solid and substantial in them and are all fluid and transitory, are passing away; there is nothing firm and permanent; in a little time, all will be at an end, the world itself, as to its present form, and all that is in it; when there will be no more marrying, nor giving in marriage, no more buying and selling, no more of the present changes and vicissitudes of prosperity and adversity, of joy and sorrow; these scenes will be all removed, and quite a new face of things appear: wherefore what the apostle exhorts unto, with respect to present conduct and behaviour, must be right and good.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And they that use this world - That make a necessary and proper use of it to furnish raiment, food, clothing, medicine, protection, etc. It is right so to use the world, for it was made for these purposes. The word using here refers to the lawful use of it (χρώμενοι chrōmenoi).

As not abusing it - καταχρώμενοι katachrōmenoi. The preposition κατα kata, in composition here has the sense of “too much, too freely,” and is taken not merely in an intensive sense, but to denote evil, the abuse of the world. It means that we are not to use it to EXCesS; we are not to make it a mere matter of indulgences, or to make that the main object and purpose of our living. We are not to give our appetites to indulgence; our bodies to riot; our days and nights to feasting and revelry.

For the fashion of this world - (τὸ σχῆμα to schēma.) The form, the appearance. In 1 John 2:17, it is said that “the world passeth away and the lust thereof.” The worst “fashion” here is probably taken from the shifting scenes of the drama where, when the scene changes, the imposing and splendid pageantry passes off. The form, the fashion of the world is like a splendid, gilded pageant. It is unreal and illusive. It continues but a little time; and soon the scene changes, and the fashion that allured and enticed us now passes away, and we pass to other scenes.

Passeth away - (παράγει paragei). Passes off like the splendid, gaudy, shifting scenes of the stage. What a striking description of the changing, unstable, and unreal pageantry of this world! Now it is frivilous, splendid, gorgeous, lovely; tomorrow it is gone, and is succeeded by new actors and new scenes. Now all is busy with one set of actors; tomorrow a new company appears, and again they are succeeded by another, and all are engaged in scenes that are equally changing, vain, gorgeous, and delusive. A simliar idea is presented in the well known and beautiful description of the great British dramatist:

“All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players.

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts.”

If such be the character of the scenes in which we are engaged, how little should we fix our affections on them, and how anxious should we be to be prepared for the “real and unchanging” scenes of another world!

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 31. And they that use this world — Let them who have earthly property or employments discharge conscientiously their duties, from a conviction of the instability of earthly things. Make a right use of every thing, and pervert nothing from its use. To use a thing is to employ it properly in order to accomplish the end to which it refers. To abuse a thing signifies to pervert it from that use. Pass through things temporal, so as not to lose those which are eternal.

For the fashion of this world — Το σχημα του κοσμον τουτου signifies properly the present state or constitution of things; the frame of the world, that is, the world itself. But often the term κοσμος, world, is taken to signify the Jewish state and polity; the destruction of this was then at hand, and this the Holy Spirit might then signify to the apostle.