1 Corinthians 7:6–7

1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 7

Instructions with Regard to Marriage. 1 Cor. 7, 1—40.

Marriage an obligation under circumstances: V. 6. But I speak this by permission and not of commandment. V. 7. For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner and another after that.

The apostle here refers to the leading sentence of the chapter, according to which he made marriage the rule, although he thought celibacy good. This he speaks according to allowance. The Lord, who inspired Paul to write this letter, has allowed him to take regard for circumstances and temperament, to apply general principles to conditions as they existed at that time. But that does not change the commandment and institution of the Lord. Wherever Paul speaks in matters of Christian liberty, giving his opinion and counsel, v. 25, he is conscious of speaking as a man that has the Spirit of God, v. 40.

In this sense also he writes: But I would have all men to be as also myself. God had given him the special gift of continence, and in view of the near approach of Christ's second advent, when all marrying and giving in marriage would cease, his wish was that this gift might be possessed more generally.

"He desired that everybody might have the extraordinary grace of continence, in order that he might be spared the cares and the anxiety of marriage, and in perfect freedom be concerned only with God and with His Word" ( Luther, 8, 1039).

But he is no fanatic, he knows that every one has received his own gift of grace from God, one in this way, another in that. The Lord distributes His gifts for the service of His kingdom as He chooses, endowing each of His servants according to the work that He expects from them. In most cases the fitness of a Christian for the marriage state is in itself a special gift of God, for the care and government of a family is an excellent training for the larger duties in the Church, 1 Tim. 3, 4. 5.