Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians John Calvin
John Calvin
414 at least celibacy is nowhere enjoined upon any one, or commended. He says that he gives advice, not as if there were anything doubtful in it, and had little or no stability, but as being certain, and deserving to be maintained without any controversy. The word, too, that he employs, {γνώμη}, signifies not merely advice, but a decisive judgment. 415 Papists, however, rashly infer from this, that it is allowable to go beyond the limits of God's word, since nothing was farther from Paul's intention than to go beyond the limits of God's word for if any one attends more closely, he will see, that Paul here advances nothing but what is included in what Christ says in Matthew 5:32, and Matthew 19:5; but in the way of anticipating an objection, he acknowledges that he has no express precept in the law, pointing out who ought to marry, and who not
Having obtained mercy to be faithful. He secures authority for his decision, that no one may think himself at liberty to reject it, if he chooses. For he declares that he does not speak simply as a man, but as a faithful teacher of the Church, and an Apostle of Christ. According to his custom, he declares himself to be indebted for this to the mercy of God, 416 as it was no common honor, nay superior to all human merits. Hence it appears, that whatever things have been introduced into the Church by human authority, 417 have nothing in common with this advice of Paul. But faithful here means truthful — one who does not do what he does merely from pious zeal, but is also endowed with knowledge, so as to teach with purity and faithfulness For it is not enough for a teacher to be conscientious, if he has not also prudence and acquaintance with the truth.
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 it simply one proposition, and not without authority, for I follow ancient and approved manuscripts, which make it all one sentence, with merely a colon between. The meaning is this: "I think it expedient on account of the necessity, with which the saints are always harassed in this life, that all should enjoy the liberty and advantage of celibacy, as this would be of advantage to them." There are some, however, that view the term necessity as referring to the age of the Apostle, which was, undoubtedly, full of trouble to the pious: but he appears to me to have had it rather in view to express
414"Appelle indifferemment et sans exception tous hommes et femmes a se marier;" — "Calls all men and women indiscriminately and without exception to marry."
415Such is the view that Beza takes of the meaning of the term here — "Sententiam in hac re meam dico;" — "I give you my authoritative decision as to this matter." — Ed.
416The original word, {ἠλεημένος}, which has occasioned no inconsiderable difficulty to interpreters, is ingeniously supposed by Granville Penn, in his Supplemental Annotations, to be a dialectic variation of {ηλημενος}, for {ειλημενος}, bound, (from {ειλεω}, to bind,) in which case the meaning would be this: ``as one bound by the Lord to be faithful.'' Taking the word in this light, the expression is much similar to what we find employed by the Apostle in a subsequent chapter of this Epistle --- {ἀνάγκη} {γάρ} {μοι} {ἐπίκειται}, necessity is laid upon me (1 Corinthians 9:16.) --- Ed
417"Du cerueau des hommes;" — "From man's brain."