{"id":46746,"date":"2022-10-20T10:32:26","date_gmt":"2022-10-20T07:32:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=46746"},"modified":"2025-05-22T02:01:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T23:01:02","slug":"what-kind-of-person-is-one-who-guards-his-virgin-daughter-1-corinthians-736","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2022\/10\/20\/what-kind-of-person-is-one-who-guards-his-virgin-daughter-1-corinthians-736\/","title":{"rendered":"What Kind of Person Is One Who Guards His Virgin Daughter? (1 Corinthians 7:36)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Question:<\/strong>
In 1 Corinthians 7:36, the Apostle Paul teaches that if a man sees that he is not treating his virgin daughter properly, he should allow her to marry. What exactly does this mean? What is the overall message of this passage?<\/p>\n

Answer:<\/strong>
To understand this well, let’s look at the passage starting a bit earlier, from verse 34:<\/p>\n

\n

“There is a difference, however, between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit. But she who is married cares about worldly things, how to please her husband. This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.”<\/em>
(1 Corinthians 7:34-31, ESV)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Paul is giving pastoral advice about marriage and singleness. He encourages believers that while marriage is honorable and not sinful, singleness allows for undivided devotion to God\u2019s work without the worldly distractions that marriage can bring.<\/p>\n

Paul is not issuing a command that everyone must remain unmarried but rather presenting a practical wisdom: singleness can be a spiritual advantage for those called to serve the Lord fully (1 Corinthians 7:32-35).<\/p>\n

He then addresses parents, particularly fathers, who have virgin daughters at home. The Apostle advises that if the father wishes for his daughters to remain single to serve the Lord without distraction\u2014and if he himself can control his own desires (i.e., he is not pressuring them to marry for worldly reasons)\u2014this is commendable and spiritually beneficial.<\/p>\n

\n

“But if anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if he is giving her in marriage, he does well. Let him who gives his virgin in marriage do so with the consent of the virgin, and let him not be at peace with himself who has no such practice.”<\/em>
(1 Corinthians 7:36-38, ESV, paraphrased)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This passage teaches us that:<\/p>\n