25. Concerning virgins He now returns to treat of marriage, of which he had begun to speak in the commencement of the chapter. What he is now about to state he had previously touched upon, but briefly and somewhat obscurely. He accordingly intimates more explicitly what his views are respecting virginity; but as it is a matter that is liable to be misapprehended, and is full of difficulties, he always speaks, as we shall see, conditionally. Virgins here I understand as meaning virginity. As to this, he says he has no commandment of the Lord; because the Lord does not in any part of the Scriptures declare what persons ought to remain unmarried. Nay, on the contrary, inasmuch as the Scripture says, that
male and female were created together, (Genesis 2:21,)
it seems as if it called every one equally and without exception to marriage: (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.
(414) “ Appelle indifferemment et sans exception tous hommes et femmes a se marier;” — “Calls all men and women indiscriminately and without exception to marry.”
(415) Such 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.
(416) The 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.”