John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 7:8

"But I say to the unmarried and to widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I." — 1 Corinthians 7:8 (ASV)

I say, then, to the unmarried. This depends on what was said before and is a sort of inference from it. He had said that the gifts of God are variously distributed—that continence is not in the power of all, and that those who do not have it should turn to the remedy.

He now directs his discourse to virgins, to all who are unmarried, and to widows. He allows that an unmarried life should be desired by them, provided they have the ability; but each individual must always consider the ability that they possess.

The sum is this: an unmarried life has many advantages, and these are not to be despised, provided everyone measures themselves according to their own capacity. Hence, though virginity should be extolled to the third heavens, this, at the same time, always remains true—that it does not suit all, but only those who have a special gift from God.

As for the objection brought forward by Papists—that in baptism we also promise God purity of life, which it is not in our power to perform—the answer is easy. In baptism, we promise nothing but what God requires from all His people, but continence is a special gift, which God has withheld from many. Therefore, those who make a vow of continence act precisely as if any unlearned and illiterate person were to present himself as a prophet, teacher, or interpreter of languages.

We must also carefully note the word continue. It is possible for a person to live chastely in a state of celibacy for a time, but in this matter, no determination must be made for tomorrow. Isaac was unmarried until he was thirty years of age and passed those years in chastity when the passions of irregular desire are most intense; yet afterwards, he was called to enter into married life.

In Jacob, we have an even more remarkable instance. Therefore, the Apostle would wish those who are currently practicing chastity to continue in it and persevere. But as they have no security for the continuance of the gift, he exhorts all to consider carefully what has been given to them.

This passage, however, shows that the Apostle was unmarried at that time. As for the inference drawn by Erasmus—that he was married because he mentions himself in connection with married persons—it is frivolous and silly. By the same reasoning, we might infer that he was a widower because he speaks of himself in connection with widows.

Now, the words imply that he was unmarried at that time, for I do not give any credence to the conjecture that he had divorced his wife somewhere and had voluntarily abandoned the use of the marriage bed. For if that were the case, what of the injunction, Come together again without delay (1 Corinthians 7:5)? It would certainly be an absurdity to say that he did not obey his own precepts and did not observe the law he imposed upon others.

It is, however, a remarkable sign of modesty that, while he himself is endowed with the gift of continence, he does not require others to bind themselves to his rule but allows them that remedy for infirmity which he does without. Let us, then, imitate his example, so that if we excel in any particular gift, we do not rigorously insist upon it from others who have not yet reached that height.