1 Corinthians 7
7
1 Corinthians 7
1¶ Now concerning the things of which ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence, and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4The wife does not have authority of her own body, but the husband; and likewise also the husband does not have authority of his own body, but the wife.
5Do not defraud one another, except it be with mutual consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer and come together again, that Satan not tempt you for your incontinency.
6But I speak this by permission, and not by commandment.
7For I would that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one after this manner and another after that.
8I say, therefore, to the unmarried men and widowers, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
9But if they do not have the gift of continence, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn.
10¶ And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife separate from her husband;
11and if she separates, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife.
12But to the rest I speak, not the Lord: If any brother has a wife that does not believe, and she consents to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
13And the woman who has a husband that does not believe and if he consents to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
15But if the unbelieving spouse separates, let them separate. The brother or the sister is not under slavery in such cases, but God has called us to peace.
16For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or what knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
17¶ But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let them walk. And so I ordain in all the congregations. {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}
18Is anyone called being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Is anyone called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised.
19Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the commandments of God.
20Let each abide in the same calling in which he was called.
21Art thou called being a slave? care not for it; but if thou may be made free, use it rather.
22For he that is called in the Lord, being a slave, is the Lord’s freeman; likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s slave.
23Ye are bought with a price; do not make yourselves the slaves of men.
24Each one, brothers, in that state in which he was called, let him abide with God.
25¶ Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord, yet I give my advice, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
26I hold, therefore, this to be good because of the present distress, that it is good for a man to be thus:
27Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife.
28But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have affliction in the flesh, but I forbear you.
29But this I say, brothers, the time is short; for the rest, let those that have wives be as though they had none;
30and those that weep, as though they wept not; and those that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those that buy, as though they possessed not;
31and those that use this world, as not using it as their own, for the fashion of this world passes away.
32But I would have you without worry. He that is unmarried cares for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
33but he that is married cares for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
34There is a difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit; but she that is married cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35And this I speak for your own profit, not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is honourable and that ye may attend upon the Lord without impediment.
36¶ But if anyone thinks it uncomely regarding his daughter, if she passes the bloom of life, and need so requires, let him do what he will, he does not sin: let them marry.
37Nevertheless, he that stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has liberty regarding his own, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his daughter, does well.
38So then he that gives her in marriage does well, but he that does not give her in marriage does better.
39¶ The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is free and may be married to whom she will, if it is in the Lord.
40But she shall be more blessed if she so abides, after my counsel, and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.
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1 Corinthians 7: JUB
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The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International
1 Corinthians 7
7
Principles for Marriage
1Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: #ver. 8, 26“It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3#Ex. 21:10The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5#[Ex. 19:15; 1 Sam. 21:4; Eccles. 3:5; Zech. 12:12-14] Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, #1 Thess. 3:5so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6Now as a concession, #ver. 12, 25; 2 Cor. 8:8; [ver. 10, 40]not a command, I say this.#7:6 Or I say this: 7#[Acts 26:29] I wish that all were #ver. 8; [ch. 9:5] as I myself am. But #ch. 12:4, 11; 1 Pet. 4:10; [Rom. 12:6] each has his own gift from God, #Matt. 19:11, 12one of one kind and one of another.
8To the unmarried and the widows I say that #ver. 1, 26 it is good for them to remain single, #ver. 7as I am. 9But if they cannot exercise self-control, #[1 Tim. 5:14]they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10To the married #See ver. 6 I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): #Mal. 2:16; See Matt. 5:32the wife should not separate from her husband 11(but if she does, #Mark 10:12 she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and #[See ver. 10 above]the husband should not divorce his wife.
12To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. #Ezra 9:2; Mal. 2:15Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you#7:15 Some manuscripts us #Col. 3:15; See Rom. 14:19to peace. 16For how do you know, wife, #1 Pet. 3:1; See Rom. 11:14whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Live as You Are Called
17Only let each person lead the life#7:17 Or each person walk in the way #See Rom. 12:3 that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. #ch. 4:17 This is my rule in #2 Cor. 8:18; 11:28all the churches. 18Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? #Acts 15:1, 5, 19, 24, 28; Gal. 5:2Let him not seek circumcision. 19#Gal. 3:28; 5:6; 6:15; Col. 3:11 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but #See 1 John 2:3keeping the commandments of God. 20#ver. 24Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21Were you a bondservant#7:21 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verses 22 (twice), 23 when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is #[Col. 3:24; Philem. 16]; See John 8:36 a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is #[ch. 9:21; 1 Pet. 2:16]a bondservant of Christ. 23#See ch. 6:20 You were bought with a price; #Lev. 25:42, 55do not become bondservants of men. 24So, brothers,#7:24 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 29 #ver. 20in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
The Unmarried and the Widowed
25Now concerning#7:25 The expression Now concerning introduces a reply to a question in the Corinthians’ letter; see 7:1 the betrothed,#7:25 Greek virgins #See ver. 6 I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as #2 Cor. 4:1; 1 Tim. 1:13, 16 one who by the Lord’s mercy is #ch. 4:2trustworthy. 26I think that in view of the present#7:26 Or impending distress #ver. 1, 8it is good for a person to remain as he is. 27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman#7:28 Greek virgin; also verse 34 marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. 29This is what I mean, brothers: #See Rom. 13:11the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy #2 Cor. 6:10as though they had no goods, 31and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For #Ps. 39:6; James 1:10; 1 Pet. 1:24; 4:7; 1 John 2:17the present form of this world is passing away.
32I want you to be #See Matt. 6:25; Luke 10:41 free from anxieties. #[1 Tim. 5:5]The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. 35I say this for your own benefit, #[Prov. 22:25]not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.
36If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed,#7:36 Greek virgin; also verses 37, 38 if his#7:36 Or her passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. 37But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. 38So then he who marries his betrothed #Heb. 13:4does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.
39 #
Rom. 7:2 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only #[2 Cor. 6:14]in the Lord. 40Yet #See ver. 6 in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think #[Acts 15:28]that I too have the Spirit of God.
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