1 Corintios 7:29

29 Pero esto digo, hermanos, que el tiempo es corto; para los demás es, que los que tienen mujer sean como los que no la tienen

1 Corintios 7:29 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 7:29

But this I say, brethren, the time is short
This is another reason, with which the apostle supports his advice to virgins, and unmarried persons, to remain so; since the time of life is so very short, and it is even but a little while to the end of the world, and second coming of Christ; and therefore seeing the marriage state is so full of care and trouble, and it affords still less time for the service of Christ and religion, he thought it most advisable for them to, continue in a single life, that they might be more at leisure to make use of that little time they had for their spiritual good and welfare, the edification of others, and the glory of Christ: unless it should be rather thought that the apostle is still enlarging upon the former argument, taken from the present time, being a time of distress and persecution; and so the phrase, "the time is short", or "contracted", and full of anguish and affliction, is the same with the present necessity, and trouble in the flesh; and since this was the case, he suggests again, that an unmarried state was most preferable:

it remaineth that both they that have wives,
be as though they had none: and as for the rest, they that were married, his advice to them was, that they should so behave as if they were not married; not that he would have them put away their wives, or fancy with themselves that they had none, or make no use of the marriage bed; but suggests a moderate use of it; he would not have them give up themselves to lasciviousness and carnal lusts and pleasures, even with their own wives, and spend their time altogether in their company and embraces: but since the time of life was short, and that full of troubles, they should spend it in the service and worship of God, private and public, as much as possible; and not in the indulging and satisfying of the flesh.

1 Corintios 7:29 In-Context

27 ¿Estás ligado a mujer? No procures soltarte. ¿Estáis suelto de mujer? No procures mujer

28 Mas también si tomares mujer, no pecaste; y si la virgen se casare, no peca; pero aflicción de carne tendrán los tales; mas yo os dejo

29 Pero esto digo, hermanos, que el tiempo es corto; para los demás es, que los que tienen mujer sean como los que no la tienen

30 y los que lloran, como los que no lloran; y los que se regocijan, como los que no se regocijan; y los que compran, como los que no poseen

31 y los que usan de este mundo, como los que no lo usan como si fuera propio; porque la apariencia de este mundo se pasa