NOTES for Co1 7:35-40
The God-inspired nature of Scripture is an astonishing phenomenon. Where could people have gotten the absurd idea that God dictated it word for word, an idea that still appears now and then in discussions? In any case, there are several places in Scripture where it is obvious how far such a primitive notion is from the truth, and today's passage from the apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthians is one of them.
Reading what the apostle writes about the desirability or undesirability of marriage for a Christian, one clearly hears a certain tension in his words and thought. In the first century it was common among Christians to think that the end of the world would happen literally any day, and only toward the end of his life did the apostle Paul himself move somewhat away from this view. It is understandable that, in this perspective, marriage appeared rather unnecessary. Besides this, the apostle's own experience, apparently involving a painful break with his family, could serve as confirmation of the Savior's words, "a man's enemies are the members of his own household." According to his own understanding at the time he wrote the letter, the apostle would have recommended to his correspondents that they refrain from the bonds of marriage.
But in his words one feels that some power keeps him from expressing such a definite opinion. This is how the Spirit of God acts in His servants, and they must make an effort to overcome their attachment to what is merely human in order to serve God's work. Only in such rare places, where the author's personal opinion does not fully coincide with the opinion of the Holy Spirit, does this become noticeable.