1 Corinthians 7:6

7:1-9 The apostle tells the Corinthians that it was good, in that juncture of time, for Christians to keep themselves single. Yet he says that marriage, and the comforts of that state, are settled by Divine wisdom. Though none may break the law of God, yet that perfect rule leaves men at liberty to serve him in the way most suited to their powers and circumstances, of which others often are very unfit judges. All must determine for themselves, seeking counsel from God how they ought to act.

6 . by permission ] i.e. by way of permission on the Apostle’s part to the Corinthian Church, not of God to him, as it is sometimes misunderstood. The original signification of the word thus rendered is agreement . Thence it comes to mean permission, indulgence, concession . Vulgate, indulgentia ; Calvin (and Estius), venia ; Beza, concessio ; Wiclif, well, giving leave ; Tyndale, of faveour .

(6) But I speak this by permission. —Better, Now I say this as a permission, and not as a command. As the passage is given in our English version, it might seem as if the Apostle implied that he had no actual command, but only a permission to write this, which is not at all his meaning. What he does say is, that the foregoing instructions are not to be considered as absolute commands from him, but as general permissive instruction, to be applied by each individual according to circumstances. It has been much discussed as to what part of the previous passage the word “this” refers. It is perhaps best to take it as referring to the leading thought of the whole passage, which is that marriage is allowable, expressed especially in 1Corinthians 7:2.

Verse 6. - I speak this. The "this" applies to his advice in general, but especially to the last verse. By permission. This phrase is generally misunderstood. It does not mean that St. Paul was permitted though not commanded to give this advice, but that his gentle advice was given "by way of permission" to Christians, not "by way of injunction." He means to say that he leaves the details of their lives, whether celibate or married, to their individual consciences, though with large hearted wisdom and charity he would emancipate them from human and unauthorized restrictions. The clause is not, therefore, a parallel to the restrictions on the authority of his utterances, such as we find in vers. 12, 29, 40, and in 2 Corinthians 8:10 ; 2 Corinthians 11:17 . 1 Corinthians 7:6

Some refer these words to all that had gone before in this chapter; but the best interpreters rather refer them to what went immediately before in the preceding verse, declaring, that he had no express command from God, as to those things of abstaining for a time for fasting and prayer, and then coming together again, but he spake what he judged equitable and reasonable; but as to particular persons, they ought to judge and govern themselves according to their particular circumstances.

1 Corinthians 7:6-7 . τοῦτο δὲ λέγω points to the leading direction given in 1 Corinthians 7:2 , from which 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 digressed: “I advise you to be married (though I think celibacy good, 1), κατὰ συνγνώμην ,” secundum indulgentiam (Vg[1021])— i.e. , συγκαταβαίνων τ . ἀσθενείᾳ ὑμῶν (Thp[1022]); οὐ κατʼ ἐπιταγήν ,— ex concessione, non ex imperio (Bz[1023]). The rendering “permission” is somewhat misleading; συνγνώμη is quite distinct from the γνώμη opposed to ἐπιταγὴ in 1 Corinthians 7:25 ; it signifies either pardon ( venia , excuse for a fault), or, as here, allowance , regard for circumstances and temperament.—In θέλω δὲ κ . τ . λ . the Ap. states his personal bent, which he had set aside in the recommendation just given: “But I would have all men to be as indeed myself,” sc. cœlibem —and contentedly so ( cf. Acts 26:29 ). ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτόν , paratactic acc[1024] (attracted to πάντας ἀν θρώπους ) = ὡς καὶ αὐτός εἰμι ; καὶ emphasises the assertion that the writer is what he would like others to be. It is manifest (see also 1 Corinthians 9:5 ) that the Ap. was unmarried, although Clem. Alex. and some moderns have inferred otherwise from Php 4:3 . That he had never been married is by no means certain.

Two things, however, are clear: that if P. had known the married state, it was before his apostleship—“wife and children are never hinted at, he goes about entirely free from such ties” (Lt[1025]); further, that if in early life he had entered this state, it was not διʼ ἀκρασίαν ; he possessed the “grace-gift” ( χάρισμα ) of undisquieted continence (opposed to πυροῦσθαι , 1 Corinthians 7:9 ; cf. Matthew 19:12 ), which was in his case an adjunct of his χάρις ἀποστολῆς .—“However (= I cannot have every one like myself, but ) each has a charism of his own from God, the one in this shape and the other in that.” ὁ δὲ οὕτως does not refer to the married Christian, as though his state were in itself a charism, but to any special endowment for service in Christ’s kingdom other than that stated. On χάρισμα see 1 Corinthians 1:7 ; and cf. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 . [1021] Latin Vulgate Translation. [1022] Theophylact, Greek Commentator. [1023] Beza’s Nov. Testamentum: Interpretatio et Annotationes (Cantab., 1642). [1024] accusative case. [1025] J. B. Lightfoot’s (posthumous) Notes on Epp. of St. Paul (1895).

But I speak this by permission ... - It is not quite certain whether the word "this" (τοῦτο touto), in this verse, refers to what precedes, or to what follows. On this commentators are divided. The more natural and obvious interpretation would be to refer it to the preceding statement. I am inclined to think that the mare natural construction is the true one. and that Paul refers to what he had said in 1 Corinthians 7:5 . Most recent commentators, as Macknight and Rosenmuller, however, suppose it refers to what follows, and appeal to similar places in Joel 1:2 ; Psalm 49:2 ; 1 Corinthians 10:23 . Calvin supposes it refers to what was said in 1 Corinthians 7:1 . By permission - συγγνώμην sungnōmēn. This word means "indulgence," or "permission," and stands opposed to that which is expressly enjoined; compare 1 Corinthians 7:25. "I am 'allowed' to say this; I have no express command on the subject; I give it as my opinion; I do not speak it directly under the influence of divine inspiration;" see 1 Corinthians 7:10, 1 Corinthians 7:25, 1 Corinthians 7:40. Paul here does not claim to be under inspiration in these directions which he specifics. But this is no argument against his inspiration in general, but rather the contrary. For: (1) It shows that he was an honest man, and was disposed to state the exact truth. An impostor, pretending to inspiration, would have claimed to have been always inspired.

Who ever heard of a pretender to divine inspiration admitting that in any thing he was not under divine guidance? Did Mahomet ever do this? Do impostors now ever do it? (2) it shows that in other cases, where no exception is made, he claimed to be inspired. These few exceptions, which he expressly makes, prove that in everywhere else he claimed to be under the influence of inspiration. (3) we are to suppose, therefore, that in all his writings where he makes no express exceptions, (and the exceptions are very few in number,) Paul claimed to be inspired. Macknight, however, and some others, understand this as mere adVice, as an inspired man, though not as a command, Not of commandment - Not by express instruction from the Lord; see 1 Corinthians 7:25. I do not claim in this to be under the influence of inspiration; and my counsel here may be regarded, or not, as you may be able to receive it.