1 Corinthians 7:31

1 Corinthians 7:31 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
• New International Version (NIV)those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.

Context of 1 Corinthians 7:31

29My Christian friends, this is what I mean: The time that remains is very short. So men who have wives should live as if they had no wife. 30People who are sad should live as if they were not sad. People who are happy should live as if they had nothing to laugh about. People who buy things should live as if those things do not belong to them. If you enjoy the things of this world, do not live as if those things are important. This world, as it is now, will soon finish. 32I do not want you to worry about troubles. A man who has not married wants to serve the Lord. He wants to live in a way that makes the Lord happy. 33But a man who has married thinks a lot about this world's things. He wants to live in a way that makes his wife happy.

1 Corinthians 7:31 word by word

καὶ οἱ χρώμενοι τὸν κόσμον ὡς μὴ καταχρώμενοι. παράγει γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• theyὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• that useχράωchraomai · to useG5530
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• notμήmē · notG3361
• abusingκαταχράομαιkatachraomai · to use upG2710
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• the fashionσχῆμαschēma · formG4976
• passeth awayπαράγωparagō · to passG3855

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 7:31

• 1 Corinthians 9:18So what kind of pay do I receive? It is this: I do not take any money from people when I tell them God's good news. I do not use all the authority that I could use when I tell God's good news to people.
• Ecclesiastes 2:24So I decided what is best for us to do. We should be happy to eat and to drink. And we should enjoy our work. I realized that all these things are gifts from God.
• Ecclesiastes 3:12So I realized that people should be happy. They should enjoy good things as long as they live. There is nothing better for people to do than that.
• Ecclesiastes 5:18But I realized that there is one good thing for people to do. We should be happy to eat and to drink. And we should enjoy the hard work that we do on the earth. That is what God wants us to do during the short time that he has given us on this earth.
• Ecclesiastes 9:7So be happy as you eat your food. Be happy as you drink your wine. God is pleased with you as you do these things.
• Ecclesiastes 11:2Share your things with several other people. You do not know when trouble will come. Then those people can help you.
• Matthew 24:48But another servant might be bad. He might say to himself, “My master will not come yet.”
• Matthew 25:14Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is also like a man who began a journey. Before the master went away, he told his servants to come to him. He said to them, “Take care of all my money and all my things for me.”
• Luke 12:15Then he said to all the people, ‘Be very careful! Do not want more things than you really need. A person's life is worth more than the things that he has, even if he is very rich.’
• Luke 16:1Jesus told another story to his disciples: ‘A rich man had a servant who worked for him. The servant took care of the money and things that belonged to the man. Then some people told the rich man that his servant was wasting his master's things.
• Luke 19:17The king was happy and said to his servant, “You have done well. You are a good servant that I can trust. You have used a small amount of money well. So now you will rule over ten cities.”
• Luke 21:34But be careful, and watch how you live. Do not eat or drink too much. Do not waste your time like that. Do not waste time by having troubles in your mind about your life. If you do, that day will surprise you. It will come when you are not looking.
• 1 Timothy 6:17Warn those people who are rich with many things that belong to this world. Tell them not to think that they are more important than other people. They must not think that their money will keep them safe. They could easily lose all of it. Instead, they should trust God. He gives us many things, so that we can enjoy all of them.
• James 5:1Now, listen to me, you rich people. Weep and cry aloud, because many troubles will soon happen to you.
• Psalms 39:6As we live, we are just like shadows. We work to get things for ourselves. We may get a lot of money, but we do not know who will have it after we die.’
• Psalms 73:20They will completely disappear, like a dream disappears after you wake up. Lord, when you decide to do something, you will forget that they were there!

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 7:31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31And they that use this world - Let them who have earthly property or employments discharge conscientiously their duties, from a conviction of the instability of earthly things. Make a right use of every thing, and pervert nothing from its use. To use a thing is to employ it properly in order to accomplish the end to which it refers. To abuse a thing signifies to pervert it from that use. Pass through things temporal, so as not to lose those which are…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31And they that use this world - That make a necessary and proper use of it to furnish raiment, food, clothing, medicine, protection, etc. It is right so to use the world, for it was made for these purposes. The word using here refers to the lawful use of it ( ́ chrōmenoi). As not abusing it - ́ . The preposition katain composition here has the sense of “too much, too freely,” and is taken not merely in an intensive sense, but to denote evil, the abuse of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 25-35Verses 25-35 Considering the distress of those times, the unmarried state was best. Notwithstanding, the apostle does not condemn marriage. How opposite are those to the apostle Paul who forbid many to marry, and entangle them with vows to remain single, whether they ought to do so or not! He exhorts all Christians to holy indifference toward the world. As to relations; they must not set their hearts on the comforts of the state. As to afflictions; they…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 25-35Paul provides three reasons why it is often better for single people to stay unmarried. First, single people face fewer daily problems than married people. Second, since the end is near, Christians should not let marriage and worldly matters be their main focus. Their main focus should be Christ and eternity. Third, marriage involves earthly responsibilities and divided interests, so those who stay single can dedicate their lives more fully to serving…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3131. not abusing it--not abusing it by an overmuch using of it. The meaning of "abusing" here is, not so much perverting, as using it to the full [Bengel]. We are to use it, "not to take our fill" of its pursuits as our chief aim (compare Lu 10:40-42). As the planets while turning on their own axis, yet revolve round the sun; so while we do our part in our own worldly sphere, God is to be the center of all our desires. fashion--the present fleeting form…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 7:31

• Marriage
• Spirituality
• Watchfulness
• Worldliness
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Abuse
• Attend
• Consent
• Contain
• Distraction
• Loose
• Mercy
• Revelation of Christ
• Snare
• Sorrow

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings