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Sunday, October 20th, 2024
the Week of Proper 24 / Ordinary 29
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

1 Corinthians 7:6

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Continence;   Marriage;   Stoicism;   Wife;   Word of God;   The Topic Concordance - Marriage;   Sexual Activities;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Mission;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Marriage;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Polygamy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Inspiration;   Holman Bible Dictionary - 1 Corinthians;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Marriage;   Woman;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Abstinence;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Inspiration;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Corinthians;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
I say this only to give you permission to be separated for a time. It is not a rule.
Revised Standard Version
I say this by way of concession, not of command.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
This I saye of faveour not of comaundement.
Hebrew Names Version
But this I say by way of concession, not of mitzvah.
International Standard Version
But I say this as a concession, not as a command.1 Corinthians 7:12,25; 2 Corinthians 8:8; 11:17;">[xr]
New American Standard Bible
But this I say by way of concession, not of command.
New Century Version
I say this to give you permission to stay away from sexual relations for a time. It is not a command to do so.
Update Bible Version
But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.
Webster's Bible Translation
But I speak this by permission, [and] not as a commandment.
English Standard Version
Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.
World English Bible
But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But I say this by way of advice, not by way of precept. For I would that all men were even as myself:
Weymouth's New Testament
Thus much in the way of concession, not of command.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But Y seie this thing as yyuyng leeue, not bi comaundement.
English Revised Version
But this I say by way of permission, not of commandment.
Berean Standard Bible
I say this as a concession, not as a command.
Contemporary English Version
In my opinion that is what should be done, though I don't know of anything the Lord said about this matter.
Amplified Bible
But I am saying this as a concession, not as a command.
American Standard Version
But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.
Bible in Basic English
But this I say as my opinion, and not as an order of the Lord.
Complete Jewish Bible
I am giving you this as a suggestion, not as a command.
Darby Translation
But this I say, as consenting [to], not as commanding [it].
Etheridge Translation
But this I speak as to the infirm; (and) not from commandment.
Murdock Translation
But this I say, as to weak persons, not of positive precept.
King James Version (1611)
But I speake this by permission, and not of commandement.
New Living Translation
I say this as a concession, not as a command.
New Life Bible
This is what I think. I am not saying you must do it.
New Revised Standard
This I say by way of concession, not of command.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But I speake this by permission, not by commandement.
George Lamsa Translation
But I say this only to weak persons, for it is not part of the law.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
This, however I am saying, by way of concession, not of injunction;
Douay-Rheims Bible
But I speak this by indulgence, not by commandment.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
This I say of fauour, & not of commaundement.
Good News Translation
I tell you this not as an order, but simply as a permission.
Christian Standard Bible®
I say this as a concession, not as a command.
King James Version
But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
Lexham English Bible
But I say this as a concession, not as a command.
Literal Translation
But I say this by permission, not by command.
Young's Literal Translation
and this I say by way of concurrence -- not of command,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But this I saye of fauoure, and not of commaundemet.
Mace New Testament (1729)
but as for the rest, I speak it by way of counsel, and not of command.
New English Translation
I say this as a concession, not as a command.
New King James Version
But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment.
Simplified Cowboy Version
I say these things, not as a command from God, but as a permission from him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But this I say by way of concession, not of command.
Legacy Standard Bible
But this I say as a concession, not as a command.

Contextual Overview

1 Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations? 2Certainly—but only within a certain context. It's good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality—the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to "stand up for your rights." Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it's for the purposes of prayer and fasting—but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. I'm not, understand, commanding these periods of abstinence—only providing my best counsel if you should choose them. 7 Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me—a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others. 8I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me. But if they can't manage their desires and emotions, they should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually tortured life as a single.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

by: 1 Corinthians 7:12, 1 Corinthians 7:25, 2 Corinthians 8:8, 2 Corinthians 11:17

Reciprocal: Matthew 19:8 - suffered

Cross-References

Genesis 5:32
When Noah was 500 years old, he had Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 8:13
In the six-hundred-first year of Noah's life, on the first day of the first month, the flood had dried up. Noah opened the hatch of the ship and saw dry ground. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the Earth was completely dry.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But I speak this by permission,.... Referring either to what he had said before, though not to all; not to 1 Corinthians 7:2 that for the avoiding of fornication, every man should make use of his own wife, and every woman of her own husband; since this is not by permission, but by command, Genesis 2:24 that carnal copulation should be between one man and one woman in a married state; nor to 1 Corinthians 7:3 for that married persons ought to render due benevolence to, and not defraud each other, having a power over each other's bodies, is a precept, and not a permission, Exodus 21:10 but to 1 Corinthians 7:5 their parting for a time, and coming together again: it is not an absolute command of God that they should separate for a time, on account of fasting and prayer, but if they thought fit to do so by agreement, they might; nor was there any positive precept for their coming together again directly, after such service was over. The apostle said this,

not of commandment; but, consulting their good, gives this advice, lest Satan should be busy with them, and draw them into sin; but if they had the gift of continence, they might continue apart longer; there was no precise time fixed by God, nor did the apostle pretend to fix any: or it may refer to what follows after, that he would have all men be as he was; though he laid no injunction, but left them to their liberty; unless it can be thought to regard marriage in general, and to be said in opposition to a Jewish notion, which makes marriage מצוה, a "command";

"a man, they say f, is bound to this command at seventeen years of age, and if he passes twenty and does not marry, he transgresses, and makes void an affirmative precept;''

but the apostle puts it as a matter of choice, and not of obligation.

f Maimon. Hilch, Isbot, c. 15. sect. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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; Psa 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 7:6. I speak this by permission, c.] It was a constant custom of the more conscientious rabbins, to make a difference between the things which they enjoined on their own judgment, and those which they built on the authority of the law. Thus Rabbi Tancum: "The washing of hands before meat is in our own power washing after meat is commanded." In relation to this point Dr. Lightfoot produces some examples from the Jewish writers: "The man is commanded concerning begetting and multiplying, but not the woman. And when does the man come under this command? From the age of sixteen or seventeen years; but, if he exceeds twenty years without marrying, behold he violates and renders an affirmative precept vain. The Gemara says: It is forbidden a man to be without a wife; because it is written, It is not good for man to be alone. And whosoever gives not himself to generation and multiplying is all one with a murderer: he is as though he diminished from the image of God, c." We may understand the apostle here as saying that the directions already given were from his own judgment, and not from any Divine inspiration and we may take it for granted that where he does not make this observation he is writing under the immediate afflatus of the Holy Spirit.


 
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