Victor Porton's Christian Weblog

Almost surely some clever believing woman from Corinth has asked St. Paul after his lecture about Christian marriage approximately the following:

Wife is who follows after her husband. But I follow after your teaching. So then?

[More:]

And also, I think, she asked, You've told about marriage relations in the case of a dead man. But in an other lesson you have said I reckon myself dead. (Paul has meant that he is dead for the normal course of life of this world, as well as that Paul was able to move in spirit as a ghost just like a dead despite of having heavy body.) So what then? How you, Paul, would apply it to yourself?

I think so because of things written by Paul in I Corinthians 7:
39 A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whoever she desires, only in the Lord. 40 But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God's Spirit.

That words of Paul have multiple senses and I deem that one of the senses is directed personally to that woman.

What then St. Paul? The question of this woman was not simple. Paul thought about it also (1Cor. 7:40) I think also. That is he was also considering marriage with her. Yes, it is Paul's reply to that woman.

But Paul was operating not just on the level of the flesh. (Indeed I think that Paul has taken in account also the beautify of that woman.) Paul was operating on the level of spirit. As it is inscribed in 1Cor. 7:40, Paul has taken into account that he, Paul, has the Spirit of God; so then concluded Paul, as I have the Spirit of God I must not so to say commit adultery against Spirit of God going after a woman. But Paul has meant that he has Spirit of God also that is has as well as that Christian woman had Spirit of God also. So Paul was continuing to think: as I have the Spirit of God I must not commit adultery against Spirit of God with a woman, but on the other hand the Spirit of God is also in that woman, won't we just remain so (that is remain as is living with Spirit of God) if we will affirm marriage?

That is Paul was reasoning, what to remain so means for myself? Is it not to be married or maybe it is reversely to affirm marriage as a thing already happened (in the sense that we are already together in Spirit)? After all, thought Paul (or at least so think I) (Rom. 4:17) God... calls the things that are not existing, as though they were. So not having wife, what I, Paul, would to reply on the question, Who is your wife? If I would be indeed forced to name a particular woman instead of to say, it is not existing, I have no wife, then I would name this woman from Corinth. And if I follow the teaching of God, I shall name even not existing wife as existing. She is not my wife accordingly flesh, but accordingly the teaching of God, isn't she my wife already? Why not to legally assert our marriage?

And concerning Paul these questions were not simple: should he be considered as a living man or as a ghost for the purposes of marriage legalities? (After all, was it to be considered as a human body or as high energy body of light just having human form?) And is that woman a flesh or she practically should be considered as Spirit of God in human form? (Rom. 6:13) ... present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead. Paul was thinking how he should present himself to God in prayer regarding this marriage issue, whether as a living man or as dead (a ghost).

So was Paul married or not? Traditionally it is assumed that he was never married (at least after he has become a Christian). But the History is silent regarding this question, I cannot be sure that Paul has never married.

The lesson which I have taught you is: Gospel tells us regarding marriage is to remain so. But what is this so is different for every man in every particular case.
(1Cor. 7:17) Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the assemblies.

(1Cor. 7:27) Are you bound to a wife? Don't seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Don't seek a wife. It can be understand as the suggestion to not marry, but it can be alternatively understood as if a man already is with a girl, then they should be asserted as a couple.

The word marriage means different things for different people. It is not a registration in a church book. And as so every man should personally read the chapter 7 of Corinthians himself and do as he understands it himself.