As he had spoken of fornication, he now appropriately proceeds to speak of marriage which is the remedy for avoiding fornication. Now it appears, that, notwithstanding the greatly scattered state of the Corinthian Church, they still retained some respect for Paul, inasmuch as they consulted him on d... [ Continue Reading ]
2._But to avoid fornication _He now commands, that those who are liable to the vice of incontinency should have recourse to the remedy. For though it may seem that the statement is universal, it ought, nevertheless, to be restricted to those who feel themselves urged by necessity. As to this, every... [ Continue Reading ]
3._The husband to the wife. _He now prescribes the rules to be observed in the marriage connection, or he teaches what is the duty of husband and wife. And in the first place he lays down a general doctrine as to mutual benevolence — that the husband love his wife, and the wife her husband; for as t... [ Continue Reading ]
5._Defraud ye not one the other _Profane persons might think that Paul does not act with sufficient modesty in discoursing in this manner as to the intercourse of a husband with his wife; or at least that it was unbecoming the dignity of an Apostle. If, however, we consider the reasons that influenc... [ Continue Reading ]
6._By permission _That they might not, by taking their stand upon a precept of the kind that he had prescribed, loosen unduly the restraints of lust, (380) he adds a limitation — that he had written these things on account of their infirmity — that they may bear in mind that marriage is a remedy for... [ Continue Reading ]
7._For I should wish, that all. _This is connected with the exposition of the foregoing statement; for he does not fail to intimate, what is the more convenient way, but he wishes every one to consider what has been given him. (387) Why, then, has he, a little before, spoken _not by way of commandme... [ Continue Reading ]
8._I say, then, to the unmarried. _This depends on what goes before, and is a sort of inference from it. He had said that the gifts of God are variously distributed — that continency is not in the power of all, and that those who have it not ought to have recourse to the remedy. He now directs his d... [ Continue Reading ]
9._But if they cannot contain _While he advises to abstain from marriage, he always speaks conditionally — _if it can be done, if there is ability_; but where the infirmity of the flesh does not allow of that liberty, he expressly enjoins marriage as a thing that is not in the least doubtful. For th... [ Continue Reading ]
10._To the married I command. _He now treats of another condition of marriage — its being an indissoluble tie. Accordingly, he condemns all those divorces that were of daily occurrence among the heathens, and were not punished among the Jews by the law of Moses. _Let not, _says he, _the husband put... [ Continue Reading ]
11._But if she depart _That this is not to be understood of those who have been put away for adultery, is evident from the punishment that followed in that case; for it was a capital crime even by the Roman laws, and almost by the common law of nations. But as husbands frequently divorced their wive... [ Continue Reading ]
12._To the rest I say _By_the rest _he means those who are exceptions, so that the law, common to others, is not applicable to them; for an unequal marriage is on a different footing, when married persons differ among themselves in respect of religion; Now this question he solves in two clauses. The... [ Continue Reading ]
14._For the unbelieving husband is sanctified _He obviates an objection, which might occasion anxiety to believers. The relationship of marriage is singularly close, so that the wife is the half of the man — so that _they two are one flesh _— (1 Corinthians 6:16) — so that _the husband is the head o... [ Continue Reading ]
15._But if an unbeliever depart. _This is the second department of his statement, in which he sets at liberty a believing husband, who is prepared to dwell with an unbelieving wife, but is rejected by her, and in like manner a woman who is, without any fault on her part, repudiated by her husband; f... [ Continue Reading ]
16._For what knowest thou, O woman? _Those who are of opinion that this observation is a confirmation of the _second _department of his statement, expound it thus. “An uncertain hope ought not to detain thee,” etc. But, in my opinion, the exhortation is taken from the advantage to be derived; for it... [ Continue Reading ]
17._Unless every one, according as God has dispensed his grace, _etc. Such is the literal meaning: only I have in my rendering made use of the nominative, (405) in order that the connection may be more easy and natural. The meaning is: “What, then, is to be done, _unless _(406) that every one walk a... [ Continue Reading ]
18._Circumcised_, etc. As he had made mention of the _calling_, he takes occasion, from a particular instance, to make a digression for a little into a general exhortation, as he is wont to do in many instances; and, at the same time, he confirms, by different examples, what he had said respecting m... [ Continue Reading ]
19._Circumcision is nothing _While this similitude was suited to the subject in hand, it appears to have been designedly made use of with the view of reproving, in passing, the superstition and haughtiness of the Jews. For, as the Jews gloried in circumcision, it was possible that many might feel di... [ Continue Reading ]
20._Every man in the calling in which. _This is the source from which other things are derived, — that every one should be contented with his _calling_, and pursue it, instead of seeking to betake himself to anything else. A _calling _in Scripture means a lawful mode of life, for it has a relation t... [ Continue Reading ]
21._Art thou called being a servant _? We see here that Paul’s object (412) is to satisfy their consciences; for he exhorts servants to be of good cheer, and not be cast down, as if servitude were a hinderance in the way of their serving God. _Care not for it then_, that is to say, be not concerned... [ Continue Reading ]
22._For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant _To be _called in the Lord, being a servant_, is to be chosen out of the rank of servants, and made a partaker of the grace of Christ. Now this statement is designed to furnish consolation to servants, and, at the same time, to beat down the hau... [ Continue Reading ]
23._Yea are bought with a price _We had these words in the preceding chapter, (1 Corinthians 6:20,) but for a different purpose. As to the word _price_, I have stated there, what is my view of it. The sum is this, that he exhorts servants, indeed, not to be anxious as to their condition, but wishes... [ Continue Reading ]
24._Let him abide with God. _I have already noticed above, that men are not here bound by a perpetual necessity, so as never to have it in their power to change their condition, if at any time there should be a fit occasion for it; but that he simply represses those thoughtless humors, which hurry m... [ Continue Reading ]
25._Concerning virgins _He now returns to treat of marriage, of which he had begun to speak in the commencement of the chapter. What he is now about to state he had previously touched upon, but briefly and somewhat obscurely. He accordingly intimates more explicitly what his views are respecting _vi... [ Continue Reading ]
26._I think therefore that this is good. _While I translate this passage of Paul’s writings differently from Erasmus or the Vulgate, I at the same time do not differ from them as to its meaning. They divide Paul’s words in such a way, that the same thing is repeated twice. I, on the other hand, make... [ Continue Reading ]
27._Art thou bound to a wife? _Having stated what would be most advantageous, he adds at the same time, that we ought not to be so much influenced by the advantages of celibacy, that one that is bound by the tie of marriage should shake off the connection. It is therefore a restriction upon the prec... [ Continue Reading ]
28._But if thou shouldest even marry. _As there was a danger of one’s thinking from the preceding statement, that he tempted God, if he knowingly and willingly bound himself to marriage, (as that would be to renounce his liberty,) he removes this scruple; for he gives liberty to widows to marry, and... [ Continue Reading ]
29._Because the time is short_, etc. Again he discourses respecting the holy use of marriage, for the purpose of repressing the wantonness of those who, when they have married, think of nothing but the delights of the flesh. They have no remembrance of God. Hence he exhorts believers not to give way... [ Continue Reading ]
31._And they that use this world _In the _first _clause there is the participle χρώμενοι (_using_,) in the _second_, there is a compound of it — καταχρώμενοι (_abusing_.) Now the preposition κατα in a compound state is generally taken in a bad sense, or at least denotes intensity. (426) Paul, theref... [ Continue Reading ]
32._But I would wish you. _He returns to the _advice _which he had spoken of, (1 Corinthians 7:25,) but had not as yet fully explained, and in the outset he pronounces, as he is wont, a commendation upon celibacy, and then afterwards allows every one the liberty of choosing what he may consider to s... [ Continue Reading ]
33._He that is married careth for the things of the world_. By _the things of the world _you must understand the things that belong to the present life; for the world is taken here to mean the condition of this earthly life. But from this someone will infer, that all, therefore, who are married are... [ Continue Reading ]
34._The unmarried woman and the virgin. _What he had laid down as to men he now declares in like manner as to women — that virgins and widows are not prevented by earthly things from devoting their whole cares and their whole affections to God. Not that all act this part, but that there is opportuni... [ Continue Reading ]
35._And this for your benefit. _Observe the Apostle’s moderation. (436) Though he knew the vexations, troubles, and difficulties of the married life, and, on the other hand, the advantages of celibacy, yet he does not venture to prescribe. On the contrary, having commended celibacy, and being afraid... [ Continue Reading ]
36._But if any one thinketh that it were unseemly for his virgin. _He now directs his discourse to parents, who had children under their authority. For having heard the praises of celibacy, and having heard also of the inconveniences of matrimony, they might be in doubt, whether it were at all a kin... [ Continue Reading ]
37._But he who standeth firm in his heart. _Here we have the _second _part of the statement, in which he treats of young women who have the gift of abstaining from marriage. He commends therefore those fathers who make provision for their tranquillity; but let us observe what he requires. In the _fi... [ Continue Reading ]
38._Therefore he that giveth in marriage. _Here we have the conclusion from both parts of the statement, in which he states, in a few words, that parents are free from blame if they give away their daughters in marriage, while he at the same time declares that _they do better _if they keep them at h... [ Continue Reading ]
39._The wife is bound _He had previously spoken indiscriminately of husbands and wives, but as wives, on account of the modesty of their sex, might seem to have less liberty, he has thought it necessary to give in addition some special directions in reference to them. He now, therefore, teaches that... [ Continue Reading ]
40._But she is happier if she so abide _Why? Is it because widowhood is of itself a virtue? No; but because it will have less to distract, and is more exempt from earthly cares. As to what he adds — _according to my judgment_, he does not mean by this expression that his opinion was doubtful; but it... [ Continue Reading ]