Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will destroy them both.

“Therefore fornication is not indifferent, since it is a sin against one's own body, which, like the Lord for whom it is created, is not to be destroyed, but to be raised to eternal existence.”

By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and He will raise us also.

“Believers shall be raised up out of the rest of the dead (see on Php 3:11); the first resurrection (Re 20:5).”

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!

“For they cannot be at the same time "the members of an harlot," and "of Christ" [BENGEL]. It is a fact no less certain than mysterious, that moral and spiritual ruin is caused by such sins; which human wisdom (when untaught by revelation) held to…”

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

“Thus "YOUR [plural] body" is distinguished here from "HIS OWN [particular or individual] body" (1Co 6:18). In sinning against the latter, the fornicator sins against "your (ideal) body," that of "Christ," whose "members your bodies" are (1Co 6:15).”

Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good to abstain from sexual relations.

“Heb 13:4, in opposition to ascetic and Romish notions of superior sanctity in celibacy, declares, "Marriage is HONORABLE IN ALL."”

But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.

“The dignity of marriage is set forth by Paul (Eph 5:25-32), in the fact that it signifies the mystical union between Christ and the Church. The duty of cohabitation on the part of the married.”

The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife.

“She hath not power over her body, and yet it is her own. The oneness of body in which marriage places husband and wife explains this. The one complements the other.”

To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.

“In both cases alike the things written are inspired by the Spirit of God "but not all for all time, nor all on the primary truths of the faith" [ALFORD]. Let not the wife depart--literally, "be separated from."”

But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

“But and if she depart--or "be separated." If the sin of separation has been committed, that of a new marriage is not to be added (Mt 5:32). be reconciled--by appeasing her husband's displeasure, and recovering his good will. let not . . .”

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband.

“Children were included in the covenant, as God made it not only with Abraham, but with his "seed after" him (Ge 17:7).”

How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

“Or else (1Co 7:15), if thy unbelieving consort wishes to depart, let him go, so that thou mayest live "in peace": for thou canst not be sure of converting him, so as to make it obligatory on thee at all costs to stay with him…”

Regardless, each one should lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is what I prescribe in all the churches.

“Or, But if there be no hope of gaining over the unbeliever, still let the general principle be maintained, "As the Lord hath allotted to each, as God hath called each, so let him walk" (so the Greek in the oldest reading); let him walk…”

Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commandments is what counts.

“Circumcision . . . nothing, but . . . keeping of . . . commandments of God--namely, is all in all.”

Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let it concern you—but if you can gain your freedom, take the opportunity.

“This advice (if this translation be right) is not absolute, as the spirit of the Gospel is against slavery. What is advised here is, contentment under one's existing condition (1Co 7:24), though an undesirable one, since in our union with Christ all outward disparities of…”

Brothers, each one should remain in the situation he was in when God called him.

“This clause, "with God," limits the similar precept in 1Co 7:20. A man may cease to "abide in the calling wherein he was called," and yet not violate the precept here.”

Now about virgins, I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.

“In the third case (1Co 7:12), the Old Testament commandment of God to put away strange wives (Ezr 10:3), Paul by the Spirit revokes. mercy of the Lord-- (1Ti 1:13). He attributes his apostleship and the gifts accompanying it (including inspiration) to God's grace alone.”

Are you committed to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you free of commitment? Do not look for a wife.

“Illustrating the meaning of "so to be," 1Co 7:26. Neither the married (those "bound to a wife") nor the unmarried (those "loosed from a wife") are to "seek" a change of state (compare 1Co 7:20, 24).”

What I am saying, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;

“He uses the Greek expression which the Lord used in Lu 21:8; Mr 13:33. short--literally, "contracted." it remaineth--The oldest manuscripts read, "The time (season) is shortened as to what remains, in order that both they," &c.; that is, the effect which the shortening of the…”

those who weep, as if they did not; those who are joyful, as if they were not; those who make a purchase, as if they had nothing;

“Christ specifies as the condemning sin of the men of Sodom not merely their open profligacy, but that "they bought, they sold," &c., as men whose all was in this world (Lu 17:28).”

and those who use the things of this world, as if not dependent on them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

“The image is drawn from a shifting scene in a play represented on the stage (1Jo 2:17). Paul inculcates not so much the outward denial of earthly things, as the inward spirit whereby the married and the rich, as well as the unmarried and the…”

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

“Paul replies, "We are aware that we all have [speaking generally, and so far as Christian theory goes; for in 1Co 8:7 he speaks of some who practically have not] this knowledge." Knowledge puffeth up--when without "love."”

The one who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.

“The first step to knowledge is to know our own ignorance. Without love there is only the appearance of knowledge.”

So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.

“This does not contradict 1Co 10:20, which states that they who worship idols, worship devils; for here it is the GODS believed by the worshippers to be represented by the idols which are denied to have any existence, not the devils which really under the…”

But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that they eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol.

“But conscious of what it was, and not having such knowledge as other Corinthians boasted of, namely, that an idol is nothing and can therefore neither pollute nor sanctify meats, they by eating them sin against conscience (compare Ro 14:15-23).”

But food does not bring us closer to God: We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

“Other old manuscripts read, "Neither if we do not eat, are we the better: neither if we eat are we the worse": the language of the eaters who justified their eating thus [LACHMANN].”