"Passing Away"

There are times when scripture can be difficult to understand and this is one text that may leave us scratching our heads. It seems that Paul is backtracking on what he has argued previously and is now presenting singleness as more "spiritual" than marriage. What a closer reading reveals is that both marriage and singleness are good, and out of pastoral concern and in light of some of the present realities the Corinthians face, Paul suggests that singleness may be a preferable option, while being very clear that it is not the only option. His primary contention is that, regardless of one's marital status, one is to live with your eyes fixed on "things unseen."