In 1 Corinthians 7:1, celibacy is good — the starting point for the comparative 'does better' here.

In 1 Corinthians 7:2, each man should have his own wife to avoid immorality — supporting the commendation of marriage here.

In 1 Corinthians 7:8, Paul states it is good for the unmarried to remain single as he does — reinforcing the preference for singleness in 7:38.

In 1 Corinthians 7:28, marriage is not sin — the basis for saying he who marries does well in this verse.

In 1 Corinthians 7:32-34, Paul explains the unmarried are free from marital anxieties — showing why refraining from marriage is 'better' in 7:38.

1 Corinthians 7:37 describes the one who decides not to marry as doing well — a direct parallel to 7:38's 'he who refrains does even better.'

1 Corinthians 7:26 cites the 'present distress' as reason to stay as you are — providing the contextual basis for 7:38's 'better' to refrain from marriage.