Weaver1has's Blog

2^nd July

1 Corinthians chapter 7 verses 6-7

⁶ But this I say by way of concession, not of command. ⁷  Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. 1 Corinthians 7:6-7

Verse 6

The word I am interested in is the word concession.  W.E. Vine give us the definition below

Permission sungnome (4774), lit., “a joint opinion, mind or understanding” (sun, “with,” gnome, “an opinion”), “a fellow feeling,” hence, “a concession, allowance,” is translated “permission,” in contrast to “commandment,” in 1 Cor. 7:6. 1 Corinthians 7:6

In other words Paul is permitting and not commanding.  I have read a couple of strange definitions;

1. One said in the Old Cambridge Bible commentary if this life was supposed to end in the very close immediate future it makes perfect sense to get married… This is assuming that the eschaton could happen any moment that there is a tension of the immediate eschaton as Schweitzer suggested. In this chapter in the background there could be an intimation of the eschaton and the end of the age.
2. Barrett on the other hand said that verse one talks of ascetics. And the word ‘concession’ found in verse 6 might point back to verse 1. I don’t see that either.

I think we take the word on its face value and if the word takes on the English meaning ‘giving in on some point’ or ‘permission’ as opposed to command this makes the best sense to me.   Barclay is right though that they had a low view of the body.  Pauls advice keeps them on the road without sin entering into the church.

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