Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians John Calvin (continued)
John Calvin riage during their whole life, with a chaplet of chastity 420 — an honor that tended to reflect reproach upon those that had married repeatedly. And it is a well known saying of Valerius, 421 that "it betokens a legitimate excess 422 when a second marriage is desired." The Apostle, therefore, makes virgins and widows alike as to liberty of marriage.
Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh. He frequently repeats the reason why he leans more to the side of celibacy in his exhortations, lest he should seem to prefer the one condition to the other on its own account, rather than on account of its consequences. He says, that there are many troubles that are connected with the married life, and that on that account he wishes all to be free from marriage, who desire to be exempt from troubles. When he says, that they will have trouble of the flesh, or in the flesh, he means, that the anxieties and distresses in which married persons are involved arise from the affairs of the world. The flesh, therefore, is taken here to mean the outward man. To spare means to indulge, or to wish them to be exempted from the troubles that are connected with marriage. "I am desirous to make provision for your infirmity, that you may not have trouble: now marriage brings with it many troubles. This is the reason why I should wish you not to require to marry — that you may be exempt from all its evils." Do not, however, infer from this that Paul reckons marriage to be a necessary evil for those troubles of which he speaks do not arise so much from the nature of marriage, as from the corruption of it, for they are the fruits of original sin.
1 Corinthians 7:29-35
1 Corinthians 7:29-35 29. But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
29. Hoc autem dico, fratres, quia 423 tempus contractum est: reliquum est, ut qui uxores habent, sint tanquam non habentes:
30. And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
30. Et qui flent, tanquam non flentes: et qui gaudent, tanquam non gandentes: et qui emunt, tanquam non possidentes:
31. And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
420In accordance with this, Univira, (the wife of one husband,) is often found in ancient inscriptions as an epithet of honor. — Ed.
421"Autheur aneien;" — "An ancient author." 422"C'est a dire, coloree et reglee par les lois;" — "That is to say, colored over and regulated by the laws."
423"Ou, Mais ie vous di ceci, mes freres, que le temps;" — "Or, But I say this to you, my brethren, that the time."