I Corinthians 7:29 · Bible study
1 Corinthians 7:29 Commentary: Shortened Time, Detached Devotion
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What did Paul mean by 'as though they had none'?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Paul calls believers to live with detachment from earthly ties because the present age is compressed.
- Key words: kairos (season of crisis), sunestalmenos (contracted, furled), hina (purpose clause).
- Main debate: Is Paul commanding neglect or a mindset shift? The consensus is mindset, not neglect.
- Theological theme: Eschatological urgency shapes Christian ethics; the temporary nature of this world demands undivided devotion to God.
- Best use: Teaching on priorities in light of eternity; counseling married couples to keep God central.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
What I am saying, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;
WEB World English Bible 2000
But I say this, brothers: the time is short. From now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none;
KJV King James Version 1769
But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But this I say, brethren, the time is shortened, that henceforth both those that have wives may be as though they had none;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And this I say, brethren, the time henceforth is having been shortened--that both those having wives may be as not having;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But this I say, brethren, the time is straitened. For the rest, that they who have wives, be as not having [any]:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
This therefore I say, brethren: The time is short. It remaineth, that they also who have wives be as if they had none:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Esto empero digo, hermanos, que el tiempo es corto: lo que resta es, que los que tienen mujeres sean como los que no las tienen;
Porém digo isto, irmãos, porque o tempo que resta é breve; para que também os que tem mulheres, sejam como se não as tivessem;
Voici ce que je dis, frères, c’ est que le temps est court; que désormais ceux qui ont des femmes soient comme n’ en ayant pas,
Das sage ich aber, liebe Brüder: Die Zeit ist kurz. Weiter ist das die Meinung: Die da Weiber haben, daß sie seien, als hätten sie keine; und die da weinten, als weinten sie nicht;
Maar dit zeg ik, broeders, dat de tijd voorts kort is; opdat ook die vrouwen hebben, zouden zijn als niet hebbende;
Ma questo io dichiaro, fratelli, che il tempo è ormai abbreviato; talché, d’ora innanzi, anche quelli che hanno moglie, siano come se non l’avessero;
A toć mówię, bracia! ponieważ czas potomny ukrócony jest, aby i ci, którzy żony mają, byli, jakoby ich nie mieli;
Я вам сказываю, братия: время уже коротко, так что имеющие жен должны быть, как не имеющие;
弟兄們，我對你們說：時候 減少了。從此以後，那 有 妻子的，要 像 沒 有妻子；
But I say this, my brothers, the time is short; and from now it will be wise for those who have wives to be as if they had them not;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Corinthians 7:29
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Paul is not commanding married believers to abandon their spouses or neglect marital duties. Rather, he is urging a deep reorientation of priorities. The key Greek phrase 'the time is short' (ὁ καιρὸς συνεσταλμένος) uses a perfect participle meaning 'drawn together' or 'furled,' like a sail reduced in a storm (Vincent, Barnes). This suggests the present age is compressed, its end imminent. Consequently, those who have wives should live 'as though they had none', not by ceasing to love or care for them, but by holding everything loosely. Calvin says marriage must not plunge believers into the world; Gill stresses moderation in marital pursuits; Clarke sees readiness for persecution. The goal is undivided devotion to the Lord amid a passing world.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Paul is not commanding neglect of marriage but a spiritual posture that prioritizes God over all earthly ties.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'time is short' (kairos) | It refers to the present age leading up to Christ's return or a coming crisis, not merely human lifespan. | Some emphasize impending persecution (Clarke, Barnes); others stress the general brevity of life (Wesley, Calvin). |
| Application to marriage: literal desertion or mental detachment? | Paul does not command leaving one's spouse; marriage is lawful and can be holy. | Catholic tradition tends to see a higher calling to celibacy; Protestant traditions read it as a temporary posture in crisis, not a permanent ideal. |
| Situational vs. universal applicability | The principle of holding earthly ties loosely applies to all Christians. | Some argue the specific advice (preferring singleness) was for a time of persecution; others see it as a timeless wisdom for living with eternity in view. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul writes to a church in Corinth, a city known for economic prosperity and moral license, yet facing social instability. In verse 26 he names 'the present distress', likely persecution and upheaval, possibly the growing threat under Nero (Clarke). Many early Christians expected Christ's return soon, and Paul's language reflects this eschatological urgency. The word for 'time' (καιρός) is not simply duration but a decisive season, the last opportunity before a crisis. The participle συνεσταλμένος, 'shortened,' was used in Greek for furling sails or packing luggage, bringing something within a narrow compass (Barnes, Vincent). This imagery would resonate in a port city like Corinth. Paul’s cross-references to Psalms and Job (e.g., Ps 90:10, Job 14:1-2) reinforce the biblical theme of life’s brevity, but he adds a distinct Christian hope: the world is passing away. Marriages, sorrows, joys, and buying, all are temporary. The apostle’s counsel is situational: in a time of crisis, the single state offers fewer distractions, but marriage is not sin. His aim is to spare believers 'oppression in the flesh' (v.28) and help them focus on the Lord.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The perfect participle συνεσταλμένος is secure across manuscripts. One interpretive question is punctuation: whether τὸ λοιπόν ('henceforth') belongs to the preceding clause ('the time is shortened henceforth') or the following ('henceforth that both...'). Either reading does not alter the sense of urgency. The variant readings in some early versions (e.g., Cyprian’s Latin) do not affect the Greek text.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this verse has been read as a call to spiritual detachment. Early Christian ascetics and monastic traditions (e.g., the Desert Fathers) took it as a mandate for simplicity and even celibacy, seeing marriage as a potential distraction from the coming kingdom. The Reformation, while affirming marriage, used the verse to caution against worldly entanglements: Calvin exhorted moderation in marital delights, and Wesley urged believers to be 'swallowed up in eternity.' In times of persecution, from the Roman empire to later martyrs, the verse has given courage to hold family and life loosely. Modern evangelical movements have used it to challenge materialism and over-commitment to earthly pleasures.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The urgency of the present moment: ‘The time is short’, not just brief, but compressed. The perfect participle suggests an action completed: God has drawn the age together. Our deadline for faithfulness is now.
- The posture of detachment: ‘As though they had none’, not neglect but a conscious loosening of grip. Married believers are to hold their spouses as gifts, not as anchors that prevent them from following Christ.
- The purpose: undivided devotion: Verses 32-35 reveal Paul’s heart: that believers be free from cares and ‘attend upon the Lord without distraction.’ Marriage is good; but undistracted focus on God is better in a compressed time.
Five-point outline
- The fact: The season is shortened (v.29a).
- The command: Married live as if not married (v.29b).
- The extension: The same detachment applies to weeping, rejoicing, buying, using the world (vv.30-31a).
- The reason: The world’s form is passing away (v.31b).
- The goal: Freedom from cares, to please the Lord without distraction (vv.32-35).
Illustration hooks
- A family discovers they must move to a new country in one month. Furnishings become functional, not permanent; relationships deepen even as they release the house. They live ‘as though they had none’ of their normal stability.
- A soldier deployed soon limits new commitments, not out of rejection of family but because readiness for departure governs his decisions.
- A person caring for a dying parent rearranges priorities: still present and loving, but with eyes on the coming transition.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If I’m married, does this passage mean I should love my spouse less?
- How do I hold my spouse, children, or career loosely without becoming indifferent?
- Was Paul just writing for a crisis, or does this apply to us today?
Leading a Discussion
This passage challenges us to hold earthly ties loosely, not because they are bad, but because the age is compressed. Paul’s counsel is born from love: he wants believers to be free for God. As you discuss, resist the temptation to see this as anti-marriage; focus instead on the call to undivided devotion.
Discussion questions
- What first strikes you when you read verse 29? What feelings or questions does it raise?
- How does the phrase ‘the time is short’ change how you view your daily priorities?
- In what practical ways can a married person live ‘as though they had none’ without neglect?
- How might this detachment apply to other attachments, job, hobbies, possessions?
- Verse 31 says ‘the form of this world passes away.’ How does that truth reshape what we worry about?
- How can your small group help each other hold good things with open hands?
- What is one thing the Spirit might be saying to you through this passage this week?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 14:1 | “Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble. |
| Job 14:2 | He grows up like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn’t continue. |
| Psalms 39:4 | “Yahweh, show me my end, what is the measure of my days. Let me know how frail I am. |
| Psalms 39:7 | Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. |
| Psalms 90:5 | You sweep them away as they sleep. In the morning they sprout like new grass. |
| Psalms 90:10 | The days of our years are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty years; yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for it passes quickly, and we fly away. |
| Psalms 103:15 | As for man, his days are like grass. As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. |
| Psalms 103:16 | For the wind passes over it, and it is gone. Its place remembers it no more. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke sees "the time is short" as a warning of the Neronian persecutions already brewing. Believers must hold everything loosely, even spouses and homes, because persecution will force them to choose Christ or die. Pagan philosophy offers cold comfort in such trials, and modern unbelief offers no more.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that Paul's phrase "the time is short" literally means time is furled up like a sail, reduced to narrow limits. Because life is so brief, Christians must not let even good attachments like marriage interfere with their complete devotion to God. They should live as faithfully toward God as if they had no earthly ties.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin warns that even marriage, a gift from God, can become a snare if it leads to fleshly indulgence rather than meditation on heaven. Because life is short, believers should use marriage with moderation and live as though they had none, keeping their hearts fixed on what is eternal.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator stresses that Paul uses a specific Greek word for time—not time in general but a definite, compressed season. The word “short” actually means “shortened” or “folded together,” as if many years are packed into one. Believers should therefore hold everything loosely, ready to let go at God’s call.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes that Paul's instruction to live as though unmarried stems from the shortness of the time remaining before Christ's return. Marriage itself is not wrong, but the believer's urgent calling must take priority even over the closest human ties.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill presents two ways to read "the time is short": either life itself is brief until Christ's return, or the present era is one of distress and persecution. Either way, he argues, marriage brings extra cares that distract from spiritual priorities, so the unmarried should stay single and the married should live with restraint.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that the time is not merely short but contracted, as if folded up. This squeezing of the present age calls believers to stop treating anything in this world as a permanent possession, holding everything loosely.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Paul carefully distinguishes his personal judgment from a direct command from the Lord, yet presents it with apostolic authority. The core principle is avoiding worldly entanglements and distractions because the time is short and the present distress makes marriage a source of additional trouble. Paul's advice aims for the believer's undivided devotion to the Lord.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent stresses that "the time is shortened" means time itself has been contracted, drawn together like furled sails. He notes that Paul's word for "abuse" actually means using something to the full, not misusing it. Christians should hold earthly ties loosely because the present world is passing away.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that Paul, aware of life's brevity, urges even married believers to live with the same single-minded devotion as the unmarried. The apostle smoothly turns from every temporal concern toward the one thing needful, swallowed up in eternity.