Satan tempt you not for χεσθε, ἵνα μη πειραζῃ ὑμας ὁ Σατανας δια την ακρασίαν

your incontinency.

6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.

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.

8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

ἱμων.

κατα

6 Τουτο δε λεγω συγγνωμην, ου κατ' επιταγήν.

7 Θελω γαρ παντας ανθρώπους ειναι ὡς και εμαυτον· Αλλ' έκαςος ίδιον χαρισμα έχει εκ Θεου, ὃς μεν όντως, ὁς δε όντως.

8 Λεγω δε τοις αγαμοις και ταις χηραις, καλον αυτοις εςιν, εαν μείνωσιν ὡς καγω.

9 But if they cannot 9 Ει δε ουκ εγκρατευονται, contain, let them marry, γαμησάτωσαν κρείσσον γαρ for it is better to marry εςι γαμησαι η πυρούσθαι.

than to burn.

10 And unto the marri

10 Τοις δε γεγαμηκοσι ed I command, yet not I, παραγγελλω, ουκ εγώ, αλλ'

2. And again come ye together to the same place. So the original phrase, επι το αυτο, properly signifies. From this it appears, that in the first age, when married persons parted for a time to employ themselves in the duties of devotion, they lived in separate habitations, or rather in different parts of their own house. For in the eastern countries, the houses were so built, that the women had apartments allotted to themselves. See Rom. xvi. 1. note 3.

3. That Satan may not tempt you through your incontinency. The word augao, translated incontinency, properly signifies, the want of the government of one's passions and appetites.-Here I must observe, that marriage being an affair of the greatest importance to society, it was absolutely necessary that its obligation and duties, as well as the obligation and duties of the other relations of life, should be declared by inspiration in the scriptures. This passage, therefore, of the word of God, ought to be read with due reverence, both because it was dictated by the Holy Spirit, and because throughout the whole of his discourse, the apostle has used the greatest chastity and delicacy of expression.

Ver. 6.1. But this which follows.

in scripture denotes what follows in

Because the pronoun τετο, this, often the discourse, see Ess. iv. 68. 1 have

added in the translation, which follows, to shew that by the word this, the apostle means not what he had said, but what he is going to say.

2

the same place, that Satan may not tempt you through your incontinency. 3

6 But this WHICH FOLLows, I speak as an advice, 2 AND not as an injunction,

7 (yag, 95.) That I vish

all men to be even as I myself AM. However, each hath his proper gift from God, one, indeed, after this manner, and another after that.

8 I say, then, to the unmarried MEN, and to the widows, It is good for them, if they can remain even as I DO.

9 Yet, if they cannot live continently, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn. (See ver. 2. note 2.)

too long, but again come ye together, to the same habitation and bed, that Satan may not tempt you to commit adultery, through your incontinency.

6 These things are precepts, but this which follows, I speak as an advice to those who are able to receiv it, and not as an injunction to all;

7 That I wish all the disciples of Christ, who can live chastely, to be unmarried, even as I myself am. However, each hath his proper gift from God, one indeed after this manner, and another after that: their bodily constitutions are different, and their strength of mind different.

8 This then is my advice to the unmarried men, and to the widows; it is good for them, at present, if they can remain chastely unmarried, even as I do. See ver. 26. note 2. Philip. iv. S. note 1.

9 Yet, if they cannot live continently in a single state, let them marry, because it is better for them to bear the inconveniencies attending marriage, than to be tormented with unchaste desires.

10 Now those who have 10 Now, from what I have said, married (agayyλ) I ye must not conclude, that married

2. 1 speak, nara ouggrouny, as an advice. Bengelius says, ruggraun, denotes an opinion rightly suited to the state or disposition of another; and in support of that sense of the word, quotes Aristot. Eth. Lib. vi. 10. Zuggvau, therefore, is an advice. The word van, hath the same meaning, 2 Cor. viii. 10. and is so translated in our bibles.

Ver. 8.-1. I say then, rois ayaμois xai rais xngass, to the unmarried men, and to the widows. Because xngaus signifies widows, Grotius contends, that ajapas denotes widowers. To this it is objected, that if by unmarried men, widowers are meant, it will follow, that the apostle was a widower. But the answer is, that this advice, being given to widows as well as widowers, the phrase remain as I do, no more implies that the apostle was a widower, than that he was a widow. All that the expression implies, is, that at the time he wrote this letter he was unmarried.

but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to herhus. band : and let not the husband put away his wife.

ὁ Κύριος, γυναικα απο ανδρος μη χωρίσθηναι.

11 Εαν δε και χωρίσθη, μενέτω αγαμος, η τῳ ανδρι καταλλαγητω· και ανδρα γυναικα μη αφιέναι.

Ver. 10.-1. Now those who have married I charge. So Tois de gegaμnno-' o waguyzennw, should be translated. For it is the same phrase with "Ive wagagguinḥs riol, 1 Tim. i. 3. which our translators have rendered, That thou mightest charge some.

2. Yet not I but the Lord. The Lord Jesus during his ministry on earth, delivered many precepts of his law in the hearing of his disciples. And those which he did not deliver in person, he promised to reveal to them by the Spirit, after his departure. Therefore, there is a just foundation for distinguishing the commandments which the Lord delivered in person, from the commandments which he revealed to the apostles by the Spirit, and which they made known to the world in their sermons and writings. This distinction is not peculiar to Paul. It is insinuated likewise by Peter and Jude: See 2 Pet. iii. 2. Jude ver. 17. where the commandments of the apostles of the Lord and Saviour are mentioned, not as inferior in authority to the commandments of the Lord, (for they were all as really his commandments, as those which he delivered in person,) but as different in the manner of their communication. This authority of the commandments of the apostles will be acknowledged, if we consider that, agreeably to Christ's promise, John xiv. 16. the Holy Spirit dwelt with the apostles for ever, xvi. 13. to lead them into all truth, that is, to give them the perfect knowledge of all the doctrines and precepts of the gospel. This abiding inspiration St. Paul enjoyed equally with the rest of the apostles, since as he himself tells us repeatedly, 2 Cor. xi. 5. xii. 11. He was in nothing behind the very greatest of the apostles. So that he could say with truth concerning himself, as well as concerning them, 1 Cor. ii. 17. We have the mind of Christ : And affirm, 1 Thess. iv. 8. He who despiseth us, despiseth not man but God, who certainly bath given his Spirit, the Holy Spirit to us. Since, therefore, the apostle Paul enjoyed the abiding inspiration of the Spirit, it is evident, that in answering the questions proposed to him by the Corinthians, when he distinguished the commandments of the Lord from his own commandments, his intention was not, as many have imagined, to tell us in what things he was inspired, and in what not; but to shew us what commandments the Lord delivered personally in his own lifetime, and what the Spirit inspired the apostles to deliver after his departure. This Paul could do with certainty; because, although he was not of the number of those who accompanied our Lord during his ministry, all the particulars of his life and doctrine were made known to him by revelation, as may be gathered from 1 Cor. xi. 23. note 1. xv. 3. 1 Tim. v. 18. and from the many allusions to the words and actions of Christ, found in the epistles which Paul wrote before any of the gospels were published; and from his mentioning one of Christ's sayings

charge,1 YET not I, but the Lord; 2 Let not a wife depart from HER husband:

11 But if she even depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to HER husband; and a husband MUST not put away HIS wife. Matt. xix. 9.

persons may leave each other when they please; for those who have married, I charge, yet not I only, but the Lord, Mark x. 12. Let not a wife depart from her husband, except for adultery.

11 However, if she even depart, let her remain unmarried: or if she cannot live chastely in a state of separation, let her be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not put away his wife; but if he puts her away, let him remain unmarried, or be reconciled to his wife.

not recorded by any of the evangelists, Acts xx. 35.-Farther, that the apostle's intention in distinguishing the Lord's commandments, from what he calls his own commandments, was not to shew us what things he spake by inspiration, and what not, I think evident from his adding certain circumstances, which prove that in delivering his own commandments he was really inspired. Thus when he says, ver. 25. Now concerning virgins I have not a commandment of the Lord, but I give my judgment as having obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful, by affirming that he had obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful, he certainly meant to tell us, that in giving his judgment concerning virgins he was inspired.—So also when he gave his judgment that a widow was at liberty to marry a second time, by adding, ver. 40. She is happier if she so abide, according to my judgment. And I am certain, that even I bave the Spirit of God, he plainly asserted, that he was inspired in giving that judgment or determination.-Lastly, when he called on these among the Corinthians who had the gift of discerning spirits, to declare whether or not all the doctrines and precepts which he had delivered in this his first epistle to the Corinthians, were the commandments of the Lord, he certainly, in the most express manner, asserted that he had delivered these doctrines and precepts by the inspiration of the Spirit. 1 Cor. xiv. 37. If any one is really a prophet, or a spiritual person, let him acknowledge the things which I write to you, that they are the commandments of the Lord.Upon the whole, I appeal to every candid reader, whether the apostle could have said these things, if the judgment which he delivered on the different subjects in this chapter, had been a mere human or uninspired judgment, and not a judgment dictated by the Spirit of God.

Ver. 11.-1. A husband must not put away his wife. Because the obligations lying on husbands and wives are mutual and equal, the apostle, after saying to the wife, If she even depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband, did not think it necessary to add in his command to the husband, If he put her away, let him remain unmarried, or be reconciled to his

wife. Yet for the sake of plainness, I have supplied this in the commentary. Ver. 12. Let him not put her away. Perhaps some of the more zealous Jewish converts, on the authority of Ezra's example, recorded Ezra x. 3. contended, that the Corinthians who before their conversion had been married to idolaters, were bound to put away their spouses if they continued in idolatry. Wherefore the sincere part of the church having consulted the apostle on that question, he ordered such marriages to be continued, if the parties were willing to abide together. But as difference in religion, often proves an occasion of family quarrels, the apostle in his second epistle advised them in contracting marriages after their conversion, by no means to marry idolaters. 2 Cor. vi. 14.

Ver. 14.1. Otherwise certainly your children were unclean. Our translators seem here to have understood the terms sanctified, unclean, and holy, in a federal sense, which indeed is the common opinion. But first, it is not true in a federal sense, that the unbelieving party in a marriage is sanctified by the believing party; for evidently no one hath any right to the blessings of the gospel covenant, by the faith of those to whom they are married. In the second place, it is as little true, that the children procreated between believ ing and unbelieving parents, become unclean by the separation of their parents, and clean, by their continuing together, as the apostle asserts, if by unclean we understand exclusion from the covenant, and by clean, admission into it. For the title which children have to be members of the covenant, depends not on their parents living together, but on the faith of the believ ing parent. I therefore think with Elsner, that the words in this verse have