Glad that you brought that up, this is because it contains an unpopular message, which is contrary to the general drift in society.

The unpopular message is celibacy.

In verse 35, Paul gives the reason for giving such a message. "And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction."

The unmarried will have better capacity to do God's work because they will have less distraction.

It is believed that most disciples were married, hence:

1 Cor
7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;

It is because of the above that the disciples were able to work and all of them became martyrs, maybe except from John who was exiled on the island of Patmos.

Certain types of missionary work cannot allow marriage to occur, such as those that the disciples had.

Below is Paul differentiating married vs unmarried men and women relative to service.

1 Cor
7:32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
7:33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

7:34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

Paul acknowledges those who have power to maintain celibacy, and praises them.

7:37 Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast 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 virgin, doeth well.

Pauls message is very balanced, while he does acknowledge that an unmarried person can do more service, he also does acknowledge that not everybody has the capacity to celibacy hence:

1 Cor
7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

Missionaries can marry, if their mission work can permit a healthy marriage to occur.

Neither is Paul saying that a married person should divorce for the cause of God.

1 Cor 7:27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

Matthew 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Matthew 19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Money is as good as what it can buy, or so it has been said. I believe the question can only be tackled by first exploring 2 issues surrounding it, which really are interlinked:
1) What is money really? Coins and notes perhaps?
some of the definitions include: a) medium of exchange; is the medium much more important than what is exchanged? b) symbol or store of value; is the symbol much more important than what it represents? c) etc
2) Do you treat money as a means or an end?
Money as a symbol represents our capacity (means) to acquire what we want (end), but I believe many people have it the other way around; the reason it justifies any means. It is really what determines what we want (the end) that we should examine critically.
And finally a 3rd issue for me is: what do people mean when they say ‘MY MONEY’? when and how did it become yours? Was it minted or printed specifically for you? How long does it remain ‘yours’? this is a misconception and my hypothesis is that you can never really own money. you can however derive utility from it (depending on how you answer question 2) as it flows to you and outwards from you (the reason it’s called current, oh currency). What determines how much of this current flows your way? Are you positioned upstream or downstream?

True love ama?



NOTE: I admire the attitude of this man. I mean, what he can do, many here cannot even do with all the legs and hands, pines, and airports.