Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Corinthians 7:31

"and those that use the world, as not using it to the full: for the fashion of this world passeth away." — 1 Corinthians 7:31 (ASV)

And they that use this world. Those who make a necessary and proper use of it to furnish clothing, food, medicine, protection, etc. It is right to use the world in this way, for it was made for these purposes. The word using here refers to the lawful use of it (chrōmenoi).

As not abusing it. katachrōmenoi. The preposition kata, in composition, here has the sense of too much, too freely. It is taken not merely in an intensive sense but also to denote evil—the abuse of the world. It means that we are not to use it to excess. We are not to make it a mere matter of indulgences or the main object and purpose of our living. We are not to give our appetites to indulgence, our bodies to riot, or our days and nights to feasting and revelry.

For the fashion of this world. to schēma. The form, the appearance. In 1 John 2:17, it is said that the world passeth away and the lust thereof. The word "fashion" here is probably taken from the shifting scenes of a drama, where, when the scene changes, the imposing and splendid pageantry passes away. The form, the fashion of the world is like a splendid, gilded pageant. It is unreal and illusory. It continues for only a short time. Soon the scene changes, and the fashion that allured and enticed us passes away, and we move on to other scenes.

Passeth away. paragei. It passes away like the splendid, gaudy, shifting scenes of the stage. What a striking description of the changing, unstable, and unreal pageantry of this world! Now it is bright, splendid, gorgeous, lovely; tomorrow it is gone, succeeded by new actors and new scenes. Now all is busy with one set of actors; tomorrow a new company appears, and they, in turn, are succeeded by another. All are engaged in scenes that are equally changing, vain, gorgeous, and illusory.

A similar idea is presented in the well-known and beautiful description by the great British dramatist:

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances.
And one man in his time plays many parts."

If this is the character of the scenes in which we are engaged, how little should we fix our affections on them, and how anxious we should be to prepare for the real and unchanging scenes of another world!