Verse 26
What is the present distress or crisis (Gr. anagke) to which the apostle referred? It may have been a crisis in the Corinthian church or in Corinth, about which we have no more specific information. However in view of Paul’s description of this distress (1 Corinthians 7:29-31) it seems as though he was speaking of the fact that we live in the last days. [Note: Barrett, p. 175; Barclay, The Letters . . ., p. 77; et al.] They are last days because the Lord’s return for us could end them at any time.
If this is correct, we live in the same present distress as the Corinthian believers did. It is a time of distress because of the hostility of unbelievers and increasing apostasy (cf. 1 Timothy 4; 2 Timothy 3). Committed Christians constantly face opposition, antagonism, and stress because we hold values, morals, and priorities that the world rejects. The Apostle Paul consistently viewed the inter-advent age as a time of crisis and distress.
The last part of the verse restates Paul’s basic principle of abiding in one’s calling (1 Corinthians 7:17; 1 Corinthians 7:20; 1 Corinthians 7:24). "Man" (NASB) or "you" (NIV) is anthropos, meaning "person."
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