1 Corinthians 7:32-35

"I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord."

This is a rather puzzling passage. It seems to be arguing against marriage on the basis of the devotional division it causes. It seems to be saying that single people can be entirely devoted to the Lord (without any major distractions), but married people's devotion is naturally divided between the Lord and the spouse. In the past I've discounted this argument by assuming that it was said because of the persecution of the day, but I now think that past line of reasoning was flawed.

I believe that the persecution is a factor here, but more than that, the passage seems to be addressing what normally happens when people get married. And yet, I do not believe that the verses teach that it must be this way. These words are written, "not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord." We are not being told to abstain from marriage. We are being told that marriage can distract you from devotion to God. Don't be distracted. And if marriage is going to distract you, you probably shouldn't get married.