1 Corinthians 7:6 is Paul’s clarification that what he has just said about marriage and sexual intimacy is a permission he is granting, not a rule he is imposing. He is making sure his readers understand the difference between advice that God requires and a practical allowance that fits their circumstances. The apostle Paul wrote this to the church in Corinth, responding to questions the believers had raised in a letter to him.
But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.
1 Corinthians 7:6 (WEB)
What 1 Corinthians 7:6 Means
The word “concession” means a allowance or a yielding on a point, something granted to accommodate a situation. When Paul says “this I say by way of concession,” he is telling the Corinthians that the advice he has just given, that spouses should not withhold themselves from each other except briefly and by mutual agreement for prayer, is a practical provision rather than a divine command issued with full authority. It is wise and loving counsel, but it leaves room for the reader’s own situation.
The phrase “not of commandment” carries the contrast. A commandment is something you must do. Paul is saying that his words here are not in that category. He is not claiming that a temporary season of abstinence is required of anyone; he is allowing it as a possibility that can be chosen freely within a marriage. The verse does not promise that any particular arrangement will guarantee spiritual health, and it does not forbid other choices. It simply marks the boundary between what Paul insists on and what he permits.
The Context of 1 Corinthians 7:6
First Corinthians is a letter Paul wrote to a congregation in the Greek port city of Corinth, a place known for its commerce and its moral looseness. Paul addresses a range of problems in the church, and chapter 7 answers questions about marriage, celibacy, and singleness. The Corinthians appear to have been debating whether it is spiritually better to avoid marriage altogether, and Paul gives a careful, pastoral reply that honors both marriage and the single life.
Verses 3 through 5 instruct married couples to give each other their due affection and not to deprive one another. Verse 6 steps back from that instruction and clarifies its status. Verses 7 through 9 then move on to Paul’s own preference for singleness, while acknowledging that each person has a gift from God and that marriage is better than burning with desire. Read in this sequence, verse 6 functions as a hinge: it keeps the earlier counsel from being mistaken for a strict law.
Key Phrases in 1 Corinthians 7:6
1 Corinthians 7:7
Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind.
(WEB)
Verse 7 comes directly after verse 6 and explains that each person has a unique gift from God, whether for marriage or for singleness. It shows that Paul’s allowance is rooted in the reality that God distributes different callings, so no single pattern is imposed on everyone.
1 Corinthians 7:9
But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn.
(WEB)
Verse 9 gives a practical reason for marriage, that it is better than being consumed with desire. Reading it alongside verse 6 helps the reader see that Paul is balancing honest realism about human need with a steady hope that God provides appropriate paths for every believer.
A Short Prayer From 1 Corinthians 7:6
Lord, thank you that your word speaks with both clarity and gentleness to the real circumstances of our lives. Where I have felt pressured to treat every good suggestion as a rigid rule, help me to receive wisdom with freedom and discernment. Give my marriage, or my singleness, the grace to be shaped by your gifts rather than by comparison. Teach me to seek agreement, prayerfully and honestly, in every decision that touches the people I love most. Keep me humble before you and generous toward others who walk a different path. Amen.
