1 Corinthians 7:25

“Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord; but I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.”

The form of transition used by the apostle would lead us to suppose that he is replying to a special article of the letter of the Corinthians (comp. 1 Corinthians 7:1); questions had certainly been put to him on the subject which he proceeds to treat.

If we compare 1 Corinthians 7:27-29, where the apostle addresses young men, a reason might be found for applying the word παρθένος, virgin, with Bengel, to bachelors as well as to spinsters. Rev 14:4 has been quoted for this wide meaning. But the uniform use of the word in classic and sacred literature does not authorize this meaning. In the passage of the Apocalypse it is an adjective, and ought probably to be taken in a moral sense. The entire sequel, 1 Corinthians 7:32-38, proves that it is of maidens Paul meant to speak, and that if he says a word about young men, it is only in passing and to show that radically he makes no difference, in what he says here, between the two sexes. The principle which guides him is and remains this: to abide in the position where the Divine call found us.

The expression commandment of the Lord cannot denote, as in 1 Corinthians 7:10, an order that proceeded from the mouth of Jesus during His earthly life. The form οὐκ ἔχω, I have not, would not be suitable in this sense, a commandment of Jesus not being Paul's personal property, but belonging to the whole Church. Paul therefore does not possess, either by way of tradition or of revelation, an order emanating from Jesus on this point.

But, as the Corinthians may desire to know his personal opinion, he does not refuse to communicate it to them. He rests the value of his counsel on the mercy of which he has been the object, a mercy which has made him a man worthy to be believed. The word πιστός, faithful, has, as we have seen, 1 Corinthians 4:17, two closely connected meanings: one who believes firmly, and one who may be trusted. The second meaning appears in the context the more natural: “I have no infallible direction, coming from the Lord, to give you. But through the grace shown to me, I find myself in a position to give you a good advice.” Comp. 1 Corinthians 7:40.

Hence it follows that Paul does not give the counsel immediately to be mentioned in virtue of his apostolic authority, but as a simple Christian. The words are very instructive, as showing with what precision he distinguished apostolical inspiration from Christian inspiration in general, making the former not only the highest degree, but something specifically different from the second. He thus, with a consciousness perfectly assured, traced the limit between what he had directly received by way of revelation, with a view to his apostolic teaching, and what he himself deduced from Christian premisses by his own reflections, as any believer may do under the guidance of the Spirit. We thus see what is implied in his view by the title of apostle, under the guarantee of which he places the contents of his Epistles. He was not of the mind as is sought to persuade the Church in our day that his gospel was only the result of his meditations and researches.

After this preface, he states the advice he has to give.