“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
The Basket Case Chronicles #79
“Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well” (1 Cor. 7:37).
This is where we see the true oddity of what Paul is describing here. If the man being described here is the young woman’s father, then why does Paul speak of such things as “necessity,” and “will power,” and “decreeing in the heart.” But if it is the young lady’s fiancé, then why on earth would anyone, much less an apostle, encourage him to see how long he can go in a state of betrothed virginity? Now admittedly, the alternative that I am proposing here (that Paul is talking about celibate marriages) is every bit as odd as these two options, but it has the advantage of not being creepy—because both partners in the arrangement would have been part of the decision.