In these verses Paul returns to the style of verse 21. He addresses rhetorical questions to a single reader. This would be a typical married (verse 27a) or unmarried (verses 27b-28a) reader. It is possible in many languages to translate these rhetorical questions as conditional sentences; for example, “If you are married….”

Do not seek to be free: the Greek verb means literally “loosen, untie,” and can refer figuratively to loosening the marriage bond. Each language has special words referring to the act of terminating or dissolving a marriage relationship.

Are you free from a wife? means “Are you in a state of freedom from the (marriage) bond?” It does not mean “Have you been divorced?”

Do not seek marriage may be translated as “Do not try to get married,” “Do not attempt to find a mate,” or “You should remain single.”

The verbs you do not sin and does not sin are past tenses in the Greek. Some translators can translate these past tenses by a present tense, or a future perfect tense “you will not have sinned.” Some, however, can combine the two parts of the verse: “If, however, you do marry, it is no sin, either for you or the young woman.”

Girl: the context suggests that Paul is more concerned with her unmarried state than her lack of sexual experience (virginity) or her age. Therefore Good News Bible‘s rendering “unmarried woman” is the better translation here, but see verses 36, 37, where Good News Bible has “young woman.”

The future tense will have and the phrase “from now on” in verse 29 suggest that the end is coming soon and the signs of its coming can already be seen (verse 26). However, the end has not come yet (compare 2 Thes 2.2). Therefore verse 28b should not be translated as a general statement that marriage brings trouble.

The Greek word for troubles is often used in describing the last days. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente expands the phrase worldly troubles to “because of family life”; New English Bible has more generally “in this bodily life”; Translator’s New Testament “in the world.” Revised English Bible undertranslates: “those who marry will have hardships to endure.”

Spare may be expressed as “protect from” or “keep from.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .