Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. I think that, in view of the impending crisis, it is well for you to remain as you are. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you marry, you do not sin, and if a virgin marries, she does not sin. (1Corinthians 7: 25-28)

Marriage, at least, is not a sin. This is the strongest endorsement Paul can muster.

Questions concerning marriage, circumcision, food laws, sexuality, matters of dress and decorum seem to dominate Paul's letters. He provides answers - even where Jesus did not - and even where his answers are contrary to Jewish convention.

There is a sense, though, that Paul perceives the questions often miss the point. A better question would be how do we cultivate our relationship with God, how do we accept the self-giving of Christ, how do we prepare for our lives - and the world - to be transformed.

His world had already been totally transformed. All about him Paul perceived the birth pangs of a new reality. The real problem at Corinth was being so distracted by issues of pride, position, and preference that God's transformation of the world was lost in the noise.

Eliminating unimportant distractions and focusing attention on God may be the principle behind most of Paul's advice and direction.