Homilies on First Corinthians

“Are you bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife.”

These words carry no contradiction to what had been said before but rather the most entire agreement with them. For he says in that place also, “Except it be by consent:” as here he says, “Are you bound unto a wife? Seek not separation.” This is no contradiction. For its being against consent makes a dissolution: but if with consent both live continently, it is no dissolution.

Then, lest this should seem to be laying down a law, he subjoins, “but if you marry, you have not sinned.” He next alleges the existing state of things, “the present distress, the shortness of the time,” and “the affliction.” For marriage draws along with it many things, which indeed he has glanced at, as well here as also in the discourse about continence: there, by saying, “the wife has not power over herself;” and here, by the expression, “You are bound.”

“But if and thou marry, you have not sinned.” He is not speaking about her who has made choice of virginity, for if it comes to that, she has sinned. Since if the widows are condemned for having to do with second marriages after they have once chosen widowhood, much more the virgins.

“But such shall have trouble in the flesh.” “And pleasure too,” you will say: but observe how he curtails this by the shortness of the time, saying, “the time is shortened;” that is, “we are exhorted to depart now and go forth, but you are running further in.” And yet even although marriage had no troubles, even so we ought to press on towards things to come. But when it has affliction too, what need to draw on one's self an additional burden. What occasion to take up such a load, when even after taking it you must use it as having it not? For “those even that have wives must be,” he says, “as though they had none.”

Then, having interposed something about the future, he brings back his speech to the present. For some of his topics are spiritual; as that, “the one cares about the things which be her husband's, the other about those which be God's.” Others relate to this present life; as, “I would have you to be free from cares.” But still with all this he leaves it to their own choice: inasmuch as he who after proving what is best goes back to compulsion, seems as if he did not trust his own statements. Wherefore he rather attracts them by concession, and checks them as follows: