What does "I say this as a concession, not as a command" mean in 1 Corinthians 7:6? Immediate Context (7:1-7) Paul addresses questions from Corinth (“Now for the matters you wrote about…,” v. 1). He affirms— • Marriage is honorable: each man should have his own wife, each woman her own husband (v. 2). • Marital partners owe each other conjugal rights (vv. 3-4). • Temporary abstinence for prayer is permissible by mutual consent, but Satan exploits prolonged deprivation (v. 5). Verse 6 follows directly on these statements, clarifying the apostle’s intention: his permission for temporary abstinence is a pastoral allowance, not a universal, compulsory law. Pauline Rhetorical Method: Concession vs. Command Paul often distinguishes personal judgment from direct divine mandate while still writing under inspiration (cf. 7:12, 25, 40). Concession signals: • Flexibility—space for voluntary choice within godly bounds. • Sensitivity—awareness of the Corinthians’ cultural pressures, imminent persecution (cf. v. 26 “the present distress”). Command signifies: • Non-negotiable moral precept grounded in God’s revealed will. Inspiration ensures everything Paul writes is true (2 Timothy 3:16), yet God, through Paul, differentiates between binding moral law and discretionary counsel. Canonical Harmony on Marriage and Celibacy Genesis 2:24 institutes marriage. Matthew 19:11-12 recognizes celibacy “for the sake of the kingdom.” 1 Timothy 4:3 condemns ascetic forbidding of marriage. Hence Scripture upholds both callings: marriage as normative, celibacy as a Spirit-given charism. Paul’s “concession” safeguards freedom without elevating celibacy to a superior law. Concession for the Present Distress Verse 26 indicates extraordinary circumstances—likely famine, persecution under Claudius/Nero, or economic upheaval attested by Tacitus (Annals 15.44). Temporary abstinence for focused prayer fitted that urgent milieu. The concession is therefore situational, not timeless prohibition or requirement. Pastoral Implications 1. Marriage partners must mutually agree to abstain; unilateral vows foster temptation (v. 5). 2. Prayer and fasting gain intensity when physical desires are temporarily set aside (cf. Exodus 19:15; Joel 2:16). 3. Spiritual gifts differ; not all possess the gift of continence (v. 7). 4. Leaders must avoid legalism—granting allowance where Scripture allows, commanding only where God commands. Historical Reception • Clement of Alexandria (Stromata 3.11) interprets “concession” as permission for those “unable to contain.” • Chrysostom (Hom. 19 on 1 Cor) notes Paul “makes laws adaptable, not burdensome.” • Reformers—Calvin’s Commentary affirms concession “belongs not to doctrine, but to liberty.” Theological Summary 1. Divine Inspiration: Even Paul’s concessions carry God’s authority yet distinguish between moral imperative and pastoral allowance. 2. Liberty in Christ: Christian freedom accommodates differing callings while preserving chastity. 3. Continence as Gift: Celibacy is commendable when gifted, not mandated. 4. Marital Duty: Scripture binds spouses to mutual physical care except for consensual, temporary seasons of devotion. Practical Application • Couples may schedule brief, agreed-upon fasts from intimacy for heightened intercession. • Singles should neither despise marriage nor idolize celibacy; seek God’s specific gift. • Churches must teach both the goodness of marriage and the honor of devoted singleness. • All decisions must aim at undivided devotion to the Lord (v. 35) and the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Conclusion “I say this as a concession, not as a command” delineates permissive pastoral guidance, Spirit-endorsed yet non-compulsory, granting believers liberty to pursue either marital intimacy or temporary abstinence for prayer, according to gifting and circumstance, always subject to Scripture’s unchanging moral framework. |
    |