Lessons #233 and 234
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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Apostle’s reasons for singleness (1 Cor 7:29-35)
29 What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. 32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
Let me refresh your mind of the message of this section that we started to consider in our last study which is You should not allow anything of this life to affect your devotion to the Lord since the world is slowly dying. This message, we indicated, places some responsibilities on you the believer. We started considering the first which is You should remember that you can leave this planet anytime. This responsibility we indicated is derived from the sentence of verse 29 the time is short that is the apostle’s first reason for advocating singleness in Corinth. So, we indicated that this responsibility demands that the believer should have a change of view of things of this life or a change in attitude of things of this life from the moment such believer hears this message as conveyed beginning in the phrase From now on. The first thing the apostle mentioned that required a change in attitude is marriage as in the clause of 1 Corinthians 7:29 who have wives should live as if they had none. Consequently, we started to consider the question of what the apostle means in this clause. To answer this question, we summarized the responsibilities of husbands and wives since that will enable us to answer the question. We asserted a common responsibility of husband and wife is to maintain regular sexual intercourse. We then considered the responsibilities unique to each person in the marriage relationship. The primary responsibility of the husband is to love the wife as evident in his taking care of the wife’s material needs. The wife’s primary responsibility is to submit to the husband’s authority that is evident in how she takes care of her husband that includes preparing food for him. Thus, for a man or woman to live as a married person requires carrying out the responsibilities we have stated. Our concern is to answer the question of what the apostle meant by saying that those who are married should live as if they are not.
The apostle could not have possibly meant that those who are married should immediately divorce their spouses or to ignore the responsibilities we have stated. He could not mean that the couples should cease having sexual relationship as that would then contradict the instruction, he gave earlier in 1 Corinthians 7:3-5. The apostle could neither have meant that a husband should not love the wife nor for the wife not to submit to the authority of the husband as we explained, since that would contradict his own writing that demands husbands to love their wives and wives to submit to their husbands. So, what is it that the apostle meant? Simply, the apostle meant that a spouse should not allow any of these responsibilities distract from being devoted to the Lord because of the shortness of time left before a person meets the Savior either through death or the Lord’s second coming. The interpretation we have given is supported by what the apostle states later regarding the impact of marriage on a person’s devotion to the Lord. Furthermore, the preceding context helps us to understand that the apostle was concerned with not allowing marriage responsibilities to keep a believer from devotion to the Lord. The apostle had provided an example that should make it easy to recognize that our interpretation is indeed correct. The apostle instructed that husbands and wives should fulfill their sexual responsibility to each other, but he made an exception that involved spiritual exercise, as he penned in 1 Corinthians 7:5:
Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Here the apostle focused on prayer but that is really an example of spiritual exercise. Thus, the apostle certainly had a broader view of spiritual exercises than prayer. For example, sexual responsibility should never keep a married person from devoting self to daily study of the word of God as the Lord required of Joshua that is applicable to all believers, as we read in Joshua 1:8:
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Meditation is an activity that involves reflection or giving serious thought and consideration about a selected information. For example, meditation may be concerned with thinking about the Lord Himself as the psalmist stated in Psalm 63:6:
On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
It could involve reflecting on God’s word as the psalmist stated in Psalm 77:12:
I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
In Joshua 1:8, the object of meditation is the law of God. It is true that the word “meditate” is translated from a Hebrew word (hāḡāh) that literally means “to read in a low voice” but the sense of the word in Joshua 1:8 is probably that of “to study” since studying something is different from reading the same material. When you study something, you ponder over it so that is what the Lord instructs Joshua to do whether on a personal worship or in a corporate worship of Israel. Thus, the requirement of meditation is best understood today as studying the Scripture hence the command of Joshua 1:8 meditate on it day and night in the NIV is translated in the TEV as Study it day and night. In application, it is required that a believer should study the word of God daily. You certainly should read your Bible daily, but you need to study it daily. Those of you in this congregation, you can easily do that in that after you read a portion of the Scripture that you should spend time either going over your note from our Bible studies if you take an excellent note or you could listen to a lesson on our website. Of course, I recommend that you should listen to a lesson daily because it is unlikely that your note captures everything that is taught in any study period. Anyway, the Lord commanded Joshua to meditate on the law; this translates to you and me spending time in the study of the word of God. I submit to you that there is no more important activity that you can be involved with as a believer that advances your spiritual life as studying the word and applying it. This being the case, when the apostle states that those who are married should live as if they are not, he requires any married believer not to allow the marital responsibility to keep him or her from devotion to the study of the word of God. I am saying, in application, a husband should not because he wants to meet the material needs of the wife work so hard that he has no time to devote to the study of the word of God on a personal basis, meaning that I am not talking of the study of the word of God that is part of a local church worship. No! I mean spending time every day in the study of the word of God. Similarly, a wife should not because she needs to take care of the house and do other chores that she would neglect her daily study of the word of God as we have suggested. You should maintain proper balance between your responsibility as a wife and taking care of your spiritual life. You can say that you are too busy in your life and that there are not enough hours in the day for you to do all that but that is not an excuse not to carve out time to attend to the most important thing in your life which is maintenance of your relationship with the Lord that is to be nurtured through the study of the word of God. A person who understands the importance of spending time studying the word of God not merely reading the Bible, as many do, will do everything to plan his or her time around that activity. For example, you may have to wake up early in the morning to study before you go to work, or you can do it before you go to sleep which may be difficult if you have put an honest hard work in the day. In effect, you should take a hard look at how you utilize the hours of the day that the Lord has given you to see if you are carefully using it. There are many activities many of us get involved that are nothing but pleasure. If these activities make it difficult for you to spend time daily in the study of the word of God, you should cut them out or reduce them. Remember that pleasure is one of those things that affect responding to the word of God as one should in order to attain spiritual maturity, according to Luke 8:14:
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
I am saying that as some of you schedule various activities that you participate, be it sporting events others, you must carve out time to study the word of God. In any event, the first thing Apostle Paul mentioned that required a change in attitude is marriage as in the clause of 1 Corinthians 7:29 who have wives should live as if they had none. We have indicated that this clause means that you should not allow your marital obligations distract your devotion to the Lord, especially in the most important activity of your spiritual life which is the daily study of God’s word.
The second thing Apostle Paul mentioned that required a change in attitude is believer’s emotional expression. This is described both negatively and positively. The negative description of emotional expression that requires a change is given in the first clause of 1 Corinthians 7:30 those who mourn, as if they did not. Literally the Greek reads and those who weep as not weeping. To understand what the apostle conveyed in this clause requires examination of the key word “mourn” used in our clause in the NIV.
The word “mourn” is translated from a Greek word (klaiō) that may mean “to weep, cry” although when weeping and crying involved the dead, the word may be translated “to mourn” as it is used to describe what some Jews in Mary’s house that came to comfort her thought she was going to the tomb of her brother, Lazarus, to do as we read in John 11:31:
When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
Beside death, there are other reasons people weep or cry. A person may cry because of sin. It seems that for the most part, we modern believers no long weep for sin. In fact, many of our Bible commentaries gloss over those passages of the Scripture that speak of a person weeping because of sin. In effect, our attitude towards weeping for sin is contrary to the examples we find in both the OT and NT Scriptures probably because we often do not have the high view of sin as those who preceded us in the faith. Or in some cases, we think a person does not understand God’s grace if the individual cries because of sin. Nonetheless, we have examples of believers in the OT weeping because of sin. Ezra, the priest, wept because of Israel’s sins as he confessed them, as recorded in Ezra 10:1:
While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly.
Prophet Jeremiah wept because of the sin of pride of the Israelites and God’s judgment that was to follow as we read in Jeremiah 13:17:
But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly,
overflowing with tears, because the LORD’s flock will be taken captive.
When we come to the NT, we find examples of people weeping for their sins. The woman who wetted the Lord Jesus’ feet with her tears did so because of her sins as the context would suggest although we are simply told she wept in Luke 7:38:
and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
Apostle Peter wept because of his sin or failure of denying the Lord Jesus, as we read in Matthew 26:75:
Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
That aside, our Greek word may mean an expression of a feeling of sadness, care, or anxiety. It is in the sense of expressing sadness that the word is used in the Lord Jesus’ statement to His disciples regarding His coming death as we read in John 16:20:
I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
It is in the sense of an expression for sadness that the word is used by Apostle Paul to indicate he wept as he wrote to the Philippians as he described those he termed “the enemies of the cross of Christ” as implied in Philippians 3:18:
For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
The phrase even with tears is literally even weeping. Another reason people may cry is when they recognize an impeding danger that awaits someone that would cause the person to suffer. It is both in the sense of expression of sadness and care that the word is used to describe the feelings of believers in Caesarea who heard the prophecy of Prophet Agabus regarding the suffering and imprisonment that wait Apostle Paul in Jerusalem as we read in Acts 21:13:
Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
In our passage of 1 Corinthian 7:30, it is in the sense of an expression of a feeling of anxiety or care that it is used.
Our interpretation that the Greek word translated “mourn” in the NIV of 1 Corinthians 7:30 or “weeping” in our literal translation has the sense of a feeling of anxiety or care means that the clause those who mourn describes those who have a feeling of anxiety or care or distress. In short, we can say that the apostle described those who worry because of stressing situations of life. To further understand those the apostle described, we need to briefly consider the things that bring distressing condition or a feeling of anxiety or cause us to worry as humans. Death of a loved one often leads to distressing situation where many grieve almost uncontrollable. Of course, believers are instructed not to grieve for those who are believers as unbelievers do, as we read in the instruction of the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13:
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
Distress due to loss of a loved one notwithstanding, the most factor that causes us to be in anxiety or worry is when we face an uncertain future that creates fear also. This truth is illustrated by Jacob. When he was returning to Canaan from Paddan Aram and knowing that he would have to face his brother, Esau, because of uncertainty of how Esau would react, he experienced great anxiety as indicated in how he divided his people and flock, as we read in Genesis 32:7–8:
7 In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.”
If Jacob knew ahead of time that Esau would welcome him with open arms without holding grudge against him, he would not have been in distress or have a feeling of anxiety. The anxiety or distress that is due to uncertain future is that associated with the anxious mind that the Lord said He would inflict on Israel when they failed to keep to the terms of their covenant with Him, as we read in Deuteronomy 28:65–66:
65 Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. 66 You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life.
The anxiety Israel would experience as part of God’s judgment is, they would never be sure of what will happen to them. Certainly, this anxious mind was present in those who lived in the time of the Holocaust because they were never certain if they would die or not. The point is that when we live in an uncertain future, we become anxious and worry about life. Related to the matter of uncertainty of the future, worrying for our life’s sustenance is another factor that leads to a feeling of anxiety. We know this because our Lord commanded us not to worry about our necessities in life, as recorded in Matthew 6:25:
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
We are saying that worrying and anxiety are connected in that anxiety is usually fear or worry about something in the future. Anyway, in the context of 1 Corinthians 7:30, those who were having a feeling of anxiety might have been in that condition because of the situations that caused the apostle to provide the situational advice against marriage. It is possible that these individuals were living in a state of anxiety because they were uncertain of their food, or they were uncertain about the persecution they were facing. Such condition would have caused anxiety to them. They would have been in an emotional state of feeling of anxiety or caring about the things of this life so that such feeling would possibly depress them. Some of us may be feeling the same way because of situations of things in our world today but what we have here indicates that is an irrational state of mind for a believer to be.
The apostle, based on what he had stated about shortness of time, encouraged those who were feeling anxiety because of whatever they faced not to do so, that is, that they should not live in anxiety as an emotional state as in the clause of 1 Corinthians 7:30 as if they did not. Before we examine this clause, we should recognize that although the apostle implies that it is because of the shortness of time that he requires what is given in our clause, but we should recognize that it is not beneficial for a believer to live in anxiety. This is because such a state is not beneficial since anxiety could lead a person to become depressed or dejected as conveyed in Proverbs 12:25:
An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.
To say that an anxious heart weighs a person down is to indicate that worrying affects a person’s mind to the point that it can lead to depression. A person who is depressed could hardly be living the spiritual life in the sense that such a person could not be under the control of the Holy Spirit.
In any case, the Holy Spirit directed the apostle to state what is to be preferred to living in anxiety which is not to do so as stated in the clause of 1 Corinthians 7:30 as if they did not. This clause although not a command has the sense of command not to be involved in anxiety. The Scripture in many places commands against anxiety or worrying. The Holy Spirit through Solomon offered the instruction to the young man regarding anxiety in Ecclesiastes 11:10:
So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.
The Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry commands against anxiety, as we read in Luke 21:34:
“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.
The Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul gives the same command in Philippians 4:6:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Thus, it should be clear to you that as believers we are not to live in anxiety as that is contrary to God’s will for us. If you think about it you will agree that when we worry about the future, for example, it is because we have not recognized that we may leave this planet any time. I am saying that we may worry how we are going to take care of this and that of life say next year but how do you know that you are going to live till next year. It is usually the case that we do not think that we can leave this planet any time, especially if a person is young. However, the truth is that we do not know when we will leave this planet. If that is the case, we should not worry about tomorrow or the next year as that is what the Lord implied in Matthew 6:34:
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
The point we are stressing is that we often worry about the future or be anxious about the future because we do not recognize that there may not be a tomorrow for us. Be careful to understand that we are not saying that you should not plan for the future. You should but we are saying do not worry about the future.
How can a believer not live in anxiety in the kind of world we find ourselves, you may ask? First, let me remind us that it is possible to live a life that is free of worry or anxiety. For our Lord would not mock us by commanding us to do that which is impossible. I mean that the Lord Jesus would not have commanded us not to worry about the future if that is impossible. Having said this, let me proceed to describe how we can live free of worry. It is by having the right relationship of trusting in the Lord in whatever state we are that includes believing what He said in His word since He is the One that will bring comfort or quieten down our anxiety in the midst of the troubles of this life or give us the assurance He would take care of us as the psalmist confessed in Psalm 94:19:
When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.
The psalmist indicates that when he experienced a state of anxiety the Lord brought consolation to him. Consolation here refers to God’s comfort or assurance that comes through His word that we claim during a crisis or any suffering as the psalmist also implied in Psalm 119:50:
My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.
Hence, it should be clear that it is as we trust the Lord that we will not be guilty of anxiety. Nonetheless, we need to comment further on how we should function to avoid being consumed by anxiety when we face a troubling situation of life. To begin with, when we face situations that would cause us anxiety, we should begin with the understanding that the Lord is in control of all things and He has a plan for us. This will enable us to be thankful in whatever situation we find ourselves, as commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5:18:
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Once we offer thanks to the Lord then we proceed to the next thing which is to place to the Lord whatever that causes anxiety in keeping with the command of 1 Peter 5:7:
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
How can I cast my anxiety on the Lord, you may ask? It is through prayer as the Holy Spirit conveyed through Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:6:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Thanksgiving is designed to settle your soul and to give you confidence that the God who had done great things for you in the past, especially in terms of your salvation is the same God to whom you have committed your problems. You will recognize that the One who has done the more difficult thing as your salvation would certainly not fail to deal with the lesser problem you have as the Holy Spirit tells us through Apostle Paul in Romans 8:32:
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Of course, when you hand your problem to the Lord that does not mean that your mind would go blank about the problem. So, what is involved is that you must get ready for a battle. Because Satan will continue to come into your mind to remind you of that problem. When he does, you say to him that the problem is in God’s hand already and that you know who He is. At this point, you should once again offer thanks to God because you know that He is dealing with your problem according to His wisdom. You can be confident that He is dealing with your problem in accordance with His plan because as the Holy Spirit gave through Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:7 that we cited since we have the clause because he cares for you. Fellow believers, there are not many assertions that can be as comforting as a statement such as this. We are told that we should throw our problems in the hands of God and leave them there and become satisfied that He will handle the problem because He cares and is willing to take care of the problem. Many people derive satisfaction or comfort with the knowledge that someone loves and cares for them even though that person is limited in what he or she can do. But here we have an assurance of love and concern and readiness to do something from the God of the universe. My friends, there are not many assurances better than this. So, if we truly believe that He cares for us then when faced with problems, all we have to do is to throw the problem to the One who cares about us and able to do something about it. He is no ordinary person. He is God who is all powerful so we can relax and know that He cares about us. His care for us is not something that just started. It began in eternity when He elected us and decided to send His Son Jesus Christ to die for us. If He could send His Son to die for us, why should we ever live a life of worry or live in anxiety? Anyway, the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul says in the passage of 1 Corinthians 7:30 those who mourn, as if they did not; implying that if you have been living in anxiety then you should desist from it so that it can be said that you no longer live that way but that you are living with confidence in the Lord’s ability to handle whatever that causes your anxiety. The fact that time is short or because we do not know when we are going to leave this life then we should live as those who are not anxious about anything because of the reality of eternal state or going to be with God. In any event, we have considered the negative description of emotional expression that the apostle says requires a change, so we proceed to consider an emotional expression given positively that requires a change.
The positive description of emotional expression that requires a change is given in the second clause of 1 Corinthians 7:30 those who are happy, as if they were not. Literally the Greek reads those who rejoice as not rejoicing. This clause is an interesting one especially the literal translation since the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul commands believers to rejoice always, as we read in Philippians 4:4:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
If believers are expected to rejoice always but the apostle tells those who rejoice or are happy to live as if they are not, then we need to carefully interpret what he said. Hence, we begin with considering the key word in the clause those who are happy, as if they were not.
The key word “happy” is translated from a Greek word (chairō) that may mean “to rejoice, be glad,” that is, “to be in a state of happiness and well-being.” It may refer to the opposite of weeping or mourning as it is used in Romans 12:15:
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
The word means “to be glad” as Apostle Paul used it to describe his confidence regarding the Corinthian as we read in 2 Corinthians 7:16:
I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.
The word may mean “to delight” as Apostle Paul used it to express his state because of the experience of Titus as stated in 2 Corinthians 7:13:
By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
The word may be used for a formalized greeting, wishing one well. Thus, the word may mean “to hail” as it is used in the greetings of the soldiers who mocked Jesus before His crucifixion as recorded in Mark 15:18:
And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”
In the same usage, the word may mean “to welcome” as in giving full acceptance to those who promote false teaching as we read in 2 John 10–11:
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11 Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
The word may mean “to gloat” as it is used to describe the response of people in the future regarding the death of the two witness that God will send on earth as we read in Revelation 11:10:
The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
In 1 Corinthians 7:30, the word means “to rejoice,” that is, “to feel happiness or joy.”
A further help we need in interpreting the clause those who are happy, as if they were not is to consider factors that lead to rejoicing for a believer or in specifically for the Apostle Paul. There are several reasons that could lead to such a state. Remembering the reality of eternal reward during persecution should lead to rejoicing as our Lord commands us in His Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5:12:
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Speaking of persecution, suffering for Christ should lead to rejoicing as the apostles demonstrated in that they rejoiced they had been counted worthy of suffering because of Christ as it is narrated in Acts 5:41:
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
Salvation in and of itself should be a reason to rejoice as displayed by the Ethiopian eunuch, as recorded in Acts 8:39:
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
Observance of evidence of God’s grace among believers is a cause for rejoicing as we may learn from Acts 11:23:
When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
Repentance on the part of those who have sinned is a cause for rejoicing or for being happy as Apostle Paul states in 2 Corinthians 7:9:
yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.
The happy state of another believer may be a cause for rejoicing, as in the passage we cited previously, that is, 2 Corinthians 7:13:
By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
The sentence we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was is literally we rejoiced much more over the joy of Titus. Right spiritual life or faithfulness on the part of believers is another reason for rejoicing. This, we see reported of Apostle Paul. He rejoiced because of the obedient life of the Roman believers according to Romans 16:19:
Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
The clause so I am full of joy over you is literally therefore I am rejoicing over you. The conduct of the Corinthians towards Titus and their concern for the apostle was a reason for rejoicing, as recorded in 2 Corinthians 7:7:
and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
The clause so that my joy was greater than ever is literally so that I rejoiced even more. That the apostle rejoices for spiritual life of others is conveyed in his willingness to be wrong about the Corinthians provided they are growing spiritually, as he states in 2 Corinthians 13:9:
We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection.
The sentence We are glad is literally For we rejoice. To be “weak” here probably refers to being wrong or suffering defeat while “strong” refers to living victorious Christian life. The apostle rejoiced because of the faithfulness of Colossians as we read in Colossians 2:5:
For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
The clause and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is is literally rejoicing and seeing your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
The same cause of rejoicing is given in to 3 John 3:
It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth.
The sentence It gave me great joy is literally For I rejoiced exceedingly.
We have considered some of the reasons for rejoicing, especially as given in Apostle Paul’s epistles so we ask what the apostle meant in the clause of 1 Corinthians 7:30 those who are happy, as if they were not or literally those who rejoice as not rejoicing? The apostle could not have meant that believers who rejoice should stop rejoicing, as we have stated, that will contradict the instruction of the Holy Spirit through the apostle for believers to rejoice always. He could not have instructed those who rejoice in the face of persecution to stop rejoicing for, as we have noted, the Holy Spirit had conveyed to him the necessity of believers rejoicing even in the midst of suffering. He himself was able to rejoice while in prison as implied in his singing of song in the Philippian jail, according to Acts 16:25:
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Although the word “rejoicing” does not appear in this verse but that is what the apostle was doing for unless he was happy or rejoicing, he and Silas would not have been singing. Furthermore, he must have known how the other apostles rejoiced because they were put in prison and flogged because of their faith in Christ as stated in the passage we cited previously, that is, Acts 5:41:
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
Apostle Paul knew about this incident so it would not be surprising for him to rejoice in the jail. Of course, in his epistle to the Corinthians he had indicated that he always rejoiced or was happy even when in sorrowful situation of sufferings as he wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:10:
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
Based on of these facts, we are confident that the apostle was not advocating for those who rejoice not to do so in the clause those who are happy, as if they were not or literally those who rejoice as not rejoicing. Thus, the traditional explanation of this clause is that the apostle is saying that those who rejoice should not be carried away because of the shortness of time. While this makes sense, it seems to me the apostle had much more in mind as he wrote this clause. Thus, the key to understanding what the apostle meant in the clause we are considering is those he had in mind in the clause those who are happy or literally those who rejoicing. In effect, we contend that the apostle did not have all Corinthians in mind when he penned the clause but a select group in the same way that when he spoke of those married, he did not mean all Corinthians.
Those the apostle had in mind in the clause those who are happy must not have been truly those who are happy or who are rejoicing because of persecution or suffering or those who are truly living the spiritual life. Therefore, we believe that those he had in mind were believers in Corinth who appear to be in a happy state or who were rejoicing because of something they have attained or because they are satisfied with their spiritual life. This being the case, the apostle could have meant those who considered themselves spiritually sufficient and who think they have arrived to be in a position to judge the apostle. I am referring to those he addressed in an ironical manner in 1 Corinthians 4:8:
Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings—and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you!
The apostle could also have in mind those in Corinth who think they are now in a superior spiritual state so they rejoiced as illustrated in their rejoicing because of the man who was in incestuous relationship with the step mother that the apostle rebuked them about in1 Corinthians 5:1–2:
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?
If the apostle had these individuals in mind, then it makes sense for him to inform such individuals that they should be like those who are not rejoicing in the same way they were. They should truly be devoted to the Lord instead of the kind of devotion they have. The point then is that the clause those who are happy, as if they were not indicates that those who think they have arrived spiritually should become like those who have not but are pushing forward to have a better relationship with the Lord because of the shortness of time. These individuals should become like those who cry or mourn because of the sinfulness of people in this planet as in the examples of the Ezra and Prophet Jeremiah we cited previously. In any event, let me reminder you the apostle’s first reason for advocating singleness in Corinth is shortness of time and the message we are considering, that is, You should not allow anything of this life to affect your devotion to the Lord since the world is slowly dying. This message we indicated puts a first responsibility on you which is: You should remember that you can leave this planet anytime.
06/26/20