Marry in the Lord

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In the BSB wording, Paul speaks of a man and his betrothed, a woman he has promised to marry. If he thinks he is treating her inappropriately and they ought to marry, he should proceed. Marriage is not a sin. Paul's concern for devoted service does not turn a faithful marriage into disobedience.

If the man is firmly resolved, under no constraint and able to remain unmarried, Paul says he does well. He then says that the one who marries does well and the one who does not does even better. That preference belongs with his concern about the present crisis and undivided service in the preceding verses. It does not make married believers less worthy of God's love.

Paul then speaks about a wife whose husband is alive. She is bound to him as long as he lives, but if he dies, she is free to marry whom she wishes, only in the Lord. The phrase places a new marriage within shared allegiance to Christ, not within a system where a widow's future is controlled by other people.

Paul gives his judgment that she is happier remaining as she is, and says he thinks he also has the Spirit of God. He is confident, but the passage still has the shape of pastoral counsel rather than a command that cancels every person's circumstances.

The lasting principle is faithful freedom under Christ. Marriage should be entered honestly, not from pressure or spiritual panic. Singleness should be honored, not treated as a failure. Widows and widowers should be allowed to make a wise future decision without shame.